Charlemagne (Charles the Great, also known as Charles I, l. 742-814) was King of the Franks (r. 768-814), King of the Franks and Lombards (r. 774-814), and Holy Roman Emperor (r. 800-814). He is among the best-known and most influential figures of the Early Middle Ages for his military successes which united most of Western Europe, his educational and ecclesiastical reforms, and his policies which laid the foundation for the development of later European nations.
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Definition
Timeline
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768 - 814Charlemage reigns as King of the Franks.
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768 - 771Charlemagne co-rules Francia with his brother Carloman I until Carloman's death.
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772 - 804The Saxon Wars; Charlemagne defeats the Saxons and establishes Christianity in Saxony.
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774 - 814Charlemagne reigns as King of the Franks and Lombards.
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777Zaragoza invites Charlemagne into Spain.
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778 - 796Charlemagne expands his kingdom through military conquest.
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778Charlemagne's rearguard is destroyed retreating from Spain in the Battle of Roncesvalles, Charlemagne's only loss.
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800Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III.
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800 - 814Reign of Charlemagne, Holy Roman Emperor.
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807A peace treaty is signed between king of the Franks Charlemagne and Byzantine emperor Nikephoros I.
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814Charlemagne dies and is succeeded by his son Louis the Pious.
