German History

The Carolingian Dynasty, 752-911

Charlemagne picked up where Clovis left off, inheriting the Frankish crown in 768. He reigned until 814, annexing southern Germany , conquering Lombardy and Saxony and generally converting pagans to Christianity. Such was his support of the papacy that in 800 he was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III. He had gained extensive regions for his kingdom, later referred to as the First Reich, with included what today is known as France , the Netherlands , Belgium and Luxembourg, most of Germany and Austria and northern parts of Spain and Italy .

The Carolingian Empire was based on the social structure of what used to be the Roman Empire , and an extremely important element of the system was the alliance between the emperor, a temporary ruler supported by the military, and the pope of the Roman Catholic Church, who provided the spiritual side of the imperial mission. The official language of the empire was Latin, however in Gaul the Franks drifted toward using a Latinate vernacular that would later become French and other Germanic tribes continued using languages that would evolve into present day German. Great emphasis was placed on missionary work and Christianization. Still, many Franks inwardly retained pagan beliefs.

The Empire became unwieldy and tribal disputes arose again, resulting in a period of warfare, causing havoc and contributing largely to the rapid decline of royal authority.

The feudal hierarchy structure that had been developed in the empire began gathering importance as the feudal lords and princes strengthened their hold on power. In light of the Crown's weakness, these princes governed their own fiefs, establish local authority and defense systems.

The most prominent tribal duchies established were the 5 stern: Franconia, Bavaria, Swabia, Saxony and Lorraine. Society was clearly divided into the nobility which handled military and political affairs, and the peasantry and serfs who worked the land. Kings continued to exist but the princes made sure to elect foreign monarchs who were weak rulers, of disconnected bloodlines and with no direct link to the throne, thus guaranteeing their own wield on power.