1. Charlemagne
Powerpoint Presentation

2. At the end of the Roman Empire, Visigoths ruled most of Gaul.

3. Then the Franks arrived from Germany and took over!

4. Clovis was the son of a Frank chieftain and became leader of the Franks at age 15 !

5. Within a few years he had defeated the Visigoths and other German tribes in Gaul.

6. Charles Martel (Charlemagne’s grandpa) becomes king in 717 and reunites Frankish lands.
His name is “Charles the hammer!”

8. When Charlemagne’s father, Pepin, died,

9. he divided the kingdom of the Franks between his 2 sons- Charles
and
Carloman

10. Carloman died -(Poisoned?) so Charles became king of all the Franks -

11. On Christmas day 800 A.D. the Pope crowned Charles
"Holy Roman Emperor." Charles became known as : 
Charlemagne - Charles The Great.

12. Personality
He was over 6 feet tall. He was always laughing. His dogs were his constant companions. He knew everyone in his castle by name, from his top advisors to the lowliest peasants. 

13. Why was he considered Great?
Strengthened power of the Church in western Europe

14. Charles created new churches and schools

15. Spread Christianity
     

16. But….
Charlemagne's empire did not have a strong central government like the Roman empire. Local nobles eventually took over where his military couldn’t protect everyone.

17. In 814 A.D Charlemagne died of a fever, age 71, in Aachen.