Charlemagne: Father of Medieval Europe - DOCUMENTARY

Charlemagne was king of the Franks, and emperor of western Christendom. Out of the turmoil of the Early Middle Ages, he united the bulk of western and central Europe, and laid the groundwork for the modern European world. He was a patron of the arts and education, instigator of the flowering of learning known as the Carolingian Renaissance. He was also a fierce conqueror, who fought to impose his rule on the Saxons. He faced defeats as well as victories, losing the rearguard of his army at the famous Battle of Roncesvalles, where he suffered a personal tragedy as well, losing his friend and companion-in-arms, Roland.
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Sources:
-Barraclough, Geoffrey - The Crucible of Europe: The Ninth and Tenth Centuries in European History, (University of California, 1976)
-Collins, Roger - Charlemagne, (University of Toronto, 1998)
-Ferguson, Robert - The Vikings, (Penguin, 2010)
-Nelson, Janet - King and Emperor: A New Life of Charlemagne, (University of California, 2019)
-Thorndike, Lynn - The History of Medieval Europe: from the Fall of Rome to the Italian Renaissance, (Houghton Mifflin, 1917)
-Einhard and Notker the Stammerer - Two Lives of Charlemagne (Penguin Classics, 2008)
-Winston, Richard - Charlemagne, (Horizon, 2016)
Animated maps by Daniel Weiss
Narrated by J Stephen Roberts and Tom Wylde
#Charlemagne #MedievalHistory #HolyRomanEmpire

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Watch our video about the crusader power couple Queen Morphia and King Baldwin II of Jerusalem: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6iVg6Vpib1kq7c Get my book about the Crusades: www.amazon.com/Why-Does-Heathen-Rage-Crusades/dp/152395762X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461105827&sr=8-1&keywords=why+does+the+heathen+rage

[@calebrobinson5937]

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

[@XISatu]

The christians in Iberia under islamic rule were named the mozarabs. They had a specific rite, the "mozarabic rite". As the Reconquista progressed, that rite was replaced by the latin rite. Nevertheless nowadays the mozarabic rite is still used sometimes in Toledo, the former capital of the Visigoths, with fhe permission of the Vatican. You will find more details in the net

[@johncekr9236]

😊 Deutsch Deutschland😂🎉

[@rasputinelciego1547]

After realizing I knew nothing of Charlemagne and his rule, and upon finding this video, I'm once again in awe at the excellent work you guys do. Thanks for the lesson.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jonathanfornwalt4919]

Great video. It's like Charlemagne accomplished an ethnogenesis some 300 years in the making. The synthesis of Germanic, Christian, and Mediterranean civilizations that the Western Romans and early Goths/Germans resisted or couldn't quite balance. Charlemagne still didn't quite establish an empire that would last on it's own, but laid the groundwork for empires and nations that would eventually last for centuries.

[@bbmtge]

Exactly how do you know what you posted.

[@dand9844]

Know why?

[@jimmythe-gent]

And are now in the process of being overrun and collapsing

[@johnbroadhead7109]

​@@bbmtge comments like this made me quit social media

[@carladams8691]

​@johnbroadhead7109 don't worry, he's exactly adorable.

[@AdamosDad]

Like millions of people, I count Charlemagne, as an ancestor, thank you for this history.

[@garyhighley9022]

Me too

[@erinesque1889]

Me as well. It’s fascinating to know him as an ancestor, isn’t it

[@bavariancarenthusiast2722]

Yeah everybody in Europe with european DNA roots does - me too. Crazy if you think about it. He is within us everybody still alive

[@dklaus4889]

I've added him today to my family tree that I work on for years already. He is my 40th great grandfather. Best regards to you all my noble cousins.

[@AdamosDad]

I came through John Lackland. Best regards to you also my noble cousin.

[@HistoryfortheAges]

Charlemagne is always a great topic. My students love learning about his coronation as we dissect the Einhard source. I got my 4 year old toddler to ask to be Charlemagne. cutest thing ever!

[@geordiejones5618]

This is a great concise overview of how the Frankish Kingdom rose under Charles. The most consequential emperor of Europe since Diocletion and Constantine, and the most successful until Napoleon.

[@paulleverton9569]

@Imanol Aizpurua So you've never read a biography of Napoleon and you don't know how much of the modern world was created by the man.

[@Thor-Orion]

Dude. Charles himself modeled himself on Theodoric the Great. He moved large sections of Theodoric’s capital complex to his own at Aachen. Including the statue of Theodoric on his horse and the marble arches in his cathedrals which was likely a basilica at the time. Likely modeled off of the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. That particular basilica was completed by Totila, but Charles couldn’t have known that at the time. Or maybe he did, who am I to say he didn’t know the men he modeled himself after?

[@tylerscofield9799]

Crazy how 1 man has had so much effect on modern society. There are few figures in History that have had such a huge effect in History and there is no one that has had more effect on our modern history more than Charlemagne. Thank You for this video it was great

[@sebe2255]

Definitely not one man. Charlemagne was only able to do what he did because of many Frankish kings and people before him. He didn’t exactly start from scratch and many of the processes he continued were already in motion. That being said he still performed great deeds that someone else may not have been able to achieve

[@Thor-Orion]

I think one man it’s probably a three way tie; Theodoric the Great Alfred the Great Charles the Great Charles actually modeled himself after Theodoric, moving major chunks of his Ravenna capital to Aachen (those marble arches are from Ravenna, he also took the statue of Theodoric on his horse from there and you’ll see a decided similarly to the shape of the San Vitali Basilica, which was likely completed under Totila, but begun construction under Theodoric with a certain section of the outside of the building with the arches) Pepin the short built a castle here. Charlemagne built the capital of the Holy Roman Empire here. Frederick Barbarossa ruled out of there. The gothic element is downplayed heavily in the timeline, lots of their building projects are called “Byzantine” erroneously.

[@tylerscofield9799]

@@Thor-OrionAnother reason I give Charlemagne so much credit is the fact he brought a lot of the information that we have about the Roman Empire into Europe. I didn't know about his grandfather modeling himself after Theodoric. That would make sense though. I mean he was what like the kings gofer. Which he turned that around. Like any ruler he would have wanted to give himself legitimatize. That isn't to take away from what he accomplished though

[@Thor-Orion]

@@tylerscofield9799 no, Charlemagne himself. I call him Carl/Charles the Great, that’s what my German great grandma always called him (Carl). Charlemagne moved tons of Theodoric’s stuff to Aachen.

[@tylerscofield9799]

@@Thor-Orion Ah ok ya we were, well I was thinking that you were talking about Charles Martel " The Hammer" I was wondering I hadn't heard that he hadnt done a lot of things as far as bringing Classical Roman History to Europe, not like his grandson did, my fault

[@patrickbarrett5650]

You have kept me riveted, this was superbly done, thank you. 👏🏻

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@river6634]

This was excellent. It's a perfect backdrop to doing something mindless so you can actually turn a dull/useless activity into something educational. Going to look through some of your other videos.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Great to hear. Thank you. This playlist has more long form content: kzbin.info/aero/PLPq6iUifPrJb46x_Jp7SAtRcsVNvlC49D

[@youvebeengreeked]

He really is up there in terms of his importance and impact on world history with Alexander the Great, Caesar, Augustus and Constantine. Welcome to the Medieval Era.

[@youvebeengreeked]

@@Endgame707 From what I've read, he was born in either modern-day Belgium or Germany - likely in Aachen - and both his parents were born in what is now modern-day France, all of which would have been populated by Germanic peoples. I can't see how he would have been Italian, aside from his title "Emperor of the Romans".

[@mentalasylumescapee6389]

ghengis khan deserves an accolade here.

[@Thor-Orion]

@@youvebeengreekedhe considered himself the heir to Theodoric, moving large sections of his Ravenna capital to Aachen. Including the statue of Theodoric on horseback and those famous marble arches. You can also see a structural similarity between that floor plan and the shape of both Theodoric’s tomb and the Basilica San Vitale, both in Ravenna. So Italian by location. But gothic. He used the Visigothic Eagle for his symbol. He knows what he is, trust me.

[@jubernardi23]

I agree 100% but he was the most perfect 😍

[@ilcondottierocartografo6770]

Excellent video, early medieval history is extremely fascinating. You should do a documentary about Emperor Heraclius of the Romans. Afterall he was the first crusader, as they say.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Great suggestion!

[@l108613]

This youtube channel is pure gold

[@chris.asi_romeo]

Love watching documentaries like this. Please make more

[@54032Zepol]

Everytime i think of charlemagne i think he looks like and sounds like christopher lee who also had a heavy metal opera name charlemagne and how he conquered the saxons!!

[@stormbringer2840]

Well he is a direct descendant and fit very well with the description so it doesn’t sound inappropriate.

[@canan7008]

Acually Christopher Lee was a direct descendent of Charlemagne, :)

[@mattstakeontheancients7594]

He would have made a great Charlemagne in a movie.

[@MissJocelyn]

@@stormbringer2840 I’m a direct descendant as well. I think I’m the 66th generation direct blood lineage to Charlemagne.

[@johnsteiner2960]

@@MissJocelyn Anyone with European ancestry can trace their lineage to Charlemagne, I have found him in several of my family lines it's not uncommon.

[@ahmedharris4746]

An amazing man. Respect

[@dorissanders1950]

Excellent. Proudly a descendant of this great man.

[@SunflowerPower22]

He wasn't a nice guy and I say it as direct decendant

[@dorissanders1950]

So..I am a direct descendent. People's opinions vary. Couldn't be worse than an Demonrat in power now!

[@NightShooter87]

You two, give over. People who think they are so related to someone, is so ridiculous, when there was hardly anyone about, them days, relatively speaking. We're all interrelated, who cares.

[@jacobpanzerdry8985]

I am actually related too him he is my distant great grandfather or ancestor my grandmother has a very old letter written in the 1700s or 1800s it goes back all the way too Charlemagne passed further down too a French Royal family called dequine family we even have a coat of arms as well.

[@gabrielalejandrodoldan4722]

Piola

[@aldunlop4622]

Brilliant, thanks for putting this together, I learned a lot.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad it was helpful!

[@DarkSpider1996]

Louie’s story was tragic. His two faced sons don’t deserve the names they were given in respect of.

[@chris.asi_romeo]

Excellent presentation 👏👏👏👏👏

[@000hms]

The battle of "Ronkus Vayas?" Never heard it said that way, before... but I LOVE it!

[@aarondemiri486]

ah one of the greatest medieval monarchs ever a joy as ever

[@karlbobthepirate5704]

i am really enjoying these docs, its great to get a bit more time given to names that i have always sort of known but not much else, so I appreciate your efforts on these historic greats. Thanks heaps😆🤠🏴‍☠️

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you like them!

[@andyreginald9272]

Charlemagne deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest leaders in human history, standing shoulder to shoulder with Alexander, Augustus and Genghis Khan.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Personally I'm not a fan of Augustus, even less so of Genghis Khan.

[@vinozarazzi5633]

Warmongers are "Great Leaders"?

[@str.77]

And much more likable than any of the others.

[@julesfalcone]

@@RealCrusadesHistory that's what I was thinking.

[@EVANGELOSS54]

Lolz

[@Urdadmymom]

Dude I love this channel so much please post more I know your content takes time and effort. But man have I been excited for every video no matter how long they take in between each post I watch old vids often

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Well thanks so much!

[@SammyJ..]

Absolutely epic

[@vincemartin5323]

These videos have come a long way super happy about it

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you like them!

[@lambert4116]

Welcome back J Stephen. Another excellent presentation.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Thank you kindly

[@rossbrook5919]

Fantastic content. Thankyou

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Portekberm]

Excellent 👍

[@IrishMedievalHistory]

This is a ton of amazing work here.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Thanks!

[@DanielApologetics]

Very well made video!

[@TheL0ngbeard]

Amazing video, love the mount and blade footage, also does anyone know what is the music playing around 12:00? It's stuck in my mind and I can't figure out where have I heard it before

[@joewedg3703]

Great video 👍🏻

[@jameskipp1657]

King Charlemagne ordained by God, revered by men.

[@jubernardi23]

Emperor

[@fuctairlines6322]

I'm a Huge fan. Thanks for all you do

[@rudolphhessian4183]

Hey Its Thompsen you ol rascal!! So they pushed you out to sea again..

[@vicmorrison8128]

Quite the major dude. Well done! Thanks!

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Thank you too!

[@Bill87762]

Thanks!

[@scottmiller6958]

You always do good work, but this one is REALLY good!

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Thank you very much!

[@-RONNIE]

I'm always learning new things watching your videos keep up the great work 👍🏻

[@briannovak7651]

Good stuff. Would like to see more images of maps to remind us which areas you are saying that now have different names or names we arent totally familiar with

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Thanks, but weren't there a lot of animated maps in this doc? I included quite a few.

[@mariongranbruheim4090]

🏆🥇 Excellent and interesting documentary!

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ramsaysnow9196]

That templar podcast to ;)

[@mariongranbruheim4090]

@@ramsaysnow9196 Indeed! 😀

[@Kurtsg10]

Love the machinima with Total War Attilla: Charlemagne.

[@OtherRealmProductions]

Ah...good memories!

[@frasermitchell1517]

Nice vid. Enjoyed

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Glad you enjoyed

[@joegagnon2268]

Wow that’s majestic vary good stuff

[@bambamermitanyo1049]

Quite surprising stuff, All I learned in history class was that Charlemagbe divided his realm in to France, Germany plus one in the middle that gradually shrunk down to Burgundy. There was not one iota of a hint of this strife among heirs.

[@sebe2255]

Burgundy didn’t really come from Lotharingia. It was a rebellious French Duchy that acquired a lot of land in what once was Lotharingia. Also Charlemagne didn’t divide his lands. He passed all of it on to his only surviving son, Louis the Pious. His sons then divided the realm into East, West and Middle. East Frankis would eventually become the holy Roman Empire and then with a lot of roundabouts and the rise of nationalism Germany would be created out of the mess. The west had a more direct path to becoming France with the Capetians trying to centralize power and renaming the kingdom to France. The Middle part, Lotharingia, was ineed divided between East and West

[@deepseeshell8926]

Real Crusades History, in your opinion, what are the best books on accurate Crusades history? Looking for good reads right now and I would love for some help on this. Appreciate your work very much 👍

[@andreasmetzger7619]

I always wondered why he is called Charlemagne in English. Some day it dawned to me that it's French for Carl the great ("Charles le Magne") or "Karl der Große" as we Germans call him

[@sebe2255]

To be fair, it rolls off the tongue better than Charles the Great

[@sammiches6859]

The English common name in reference is Charles, as that was the name of the line of English kings presumably named after "Charlemagne". Ironically, the later kings didn't really deserve the title.

[@feralbluee]

so fascinating and very well told. some of the historical documentaries i’ve ever seen. and you include the women who matter as well (so it’s not just the men who create history. makes me and others feel a part of everything.). history is not dry facts. it’s actual people with feelings and personalities which drive events - and that’s what you accomplish. thank you so much. 🎭🌷🌱 i listened to the vid about Baldwin IV, the Leper King before this. a powerful story and i’ve never heard of him. he was an amazing man. Reminded me of Alexander for some reason. :)

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

Thanks so much! I do strive to get to the human factor, that's what makes history so fascinating.

[@kaynefryday6637]

One of history’s great men. Wish we had someone like him now ,

[@robertrobinson3788]

If he was here now he would destroy Islam.💯🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@Nimai_Aquino]

The west needs someone like him. A ruler that treats his subjects like a father would treat his children. A man who does good for his people, regardless of his personal life problems, he defended christianity and took care of his subject’s souls. Truly a great ruler.

[@hankhill5622]

Interesting documentary. Recently learned I’m a direct descendant of him after a while of tracing my family heritage back.

[@cosuinofdeath]

Hell yeah

[@niccoarcadia4179]

Charlemagne Hammer of the Saxons!

[@KindSonntags]

Top

[@Danaluni59]

Excellent! (Mortal Kombat)

[@tacocruiser4238]

The Byzantine Iconoclasm really drove the Papacy and Italy into the Frankish realm of influence. The iconoclastic Byzantine emperors were strong emperors for the most part but they really neglected the Italian theater. This was probably their biggest weakness.

[@Thor-Orion]

The Italian theater was always Gothic. Justinian was trying to suppress an indigenous population. The northern Western European is indigenous to fairly far south of the alps. Calling them northern is a misnomer. There’s virtually never a time in history when Northern Europeans aren’t all over Italy. Charlemagne was of that indigenous population. The western Roman Empire had been their’s since the era of Theodoric I. The Gaulic and Germanic contingents of the legions had long been the emperor makers during the late empire.

[@aleksanderuzelac3319]

What's the name of the music used

[@alysiahensley1435]

He was my ancestor! Good documentary

[@MissJocelyn]

Mine too! I’m like his 65th great granddaughter.

[@davereynolds6965]

That's Emperor Charlemagne to you.

[@junesilvermanb2979]

Long Live The Emperor!

[@lorilewis4447]

Charlemagne is my 35th Great Grandfather. There are many people related to him due to him having children with 20 women.

[@SunflowerPower22]

Mine too and my surname is Charlemagne

[@Thor-Orion]

Yeah, he and William the Conqueror have tons of descendants.

[@DD_11111]

My ancestor, such a buzz!!

[@steveaustin7306]

Hey cousin

[@rickyyacine4818]

Byzantine empire better although I want to reunite rome 😢😢

[@johnrichardson7310]

Charlemagne is my hero. Look up to him as I look up roman emperors such as Augustine and Maricus Alerius.

[@renzoschlender4102]

You mean Marcus Aurelius

[@ilcondottierocartografo6770]

Marcus Aurelius*

[@ilcondottierocartografo6770]

And Augustus, I'm not sure if there was an Roman emperor called Augustine

[@robertrobinson3788]

He was 6ft tall.💯🤗🤗🤗

[@magatism]

The greatest ruler the world has known...

[@silent-cc1sm]

Can you do one on African crusaders like nubia or ethiopian

[@knobelaxphormi6320]

If you do then you will instantly lose me as a subscriber.

[@silent-cc1sm]

@@knobelaxphormi6320 why this channel is about christian crusades you must not be a christian then

[@bigdurk4115]

@@silent-cc1sm nubia and Ethiopia where Christians during the crusades.

[@KabbalahSherry]

@@knobelaxphormi6320 - Oh boo hoo, go cry somewhere else. He won't miss your subscription. 🥴 You people always act like this the moment somebody who doesn't look like you, gets even a smidgen of praise. Get over yourself. It's 2022. This is embarrassing...

[@Thor-Orion]

@@knobelaxphormi6320why? They’re really good figures. Your ancestors thought of them as brothers in arms.

[@silvianovigil2097]

Juan montes vigil was a decendent of charlemagne the conection to the vigils in nm

[@Andy_Babb]

I apparently descend from some dude named Unruoch II of Friuli who signed as a witness on the will of his good friend, Charlemagne.

[@frogwaffle7]

huh...forget the accomplishments...what a unique and cool name!

[@user-cr4cj1fl8z]

19:50 4k noblemen in saxony ? This number seems very high but noblemen may be a rank to anyone owning even a farm so idk but 4k sounds like a lot of nobles for such a region.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

I think you're right about that. It's impossible to know exactly how many men were involved, and the source material may well be exaggerating. Usually, medieval numbers were inflated.

[@swiftcee266]

After the collapse of the Roman Empire, they had been invaded by barbarians and were saved by a usurper who just taken over the Royal House of the Franks, a man called Carolus Magnus who was known as Charlemagne, Charles the Great. Now Charles the Great was crowned by the Pope, rather to his surprise, as a holy roman emperor. There was a few odd things about this Empire, it wasn't holy, it wasn't Roman and it wasn't really much of an empire. It was a loose confederation of states and Charlemagne had to rule this vast area at the time when there was no internet, no telephones, no telegraph, no newspapers, so he appointed various counts and countesses and lords. He appointed them all from a set of families he could trust. You see Charlemagne claimed to be a direct descendant of the house of David. He was a member of a group of families who claimed descent from the 24 hereditary maddadox families who were the hereditary high priests of the temple of Jerusalem. Priests who had deserted the temple after the Greeks defiled it, during the Greek occupation, and then setup shop near the Dead Sea and formed a very spiritual, very strict organisation called the Essenes. Again an initiatory cult and Jesus was not Jesus of Nazareth because Nazareth didn't exist when he was walking the earth, he was Jesus the Nazarene, he was an initiate of the Essenes. At the time of Charlemagne, Europe was in a state of abject misery, life was short and brutal, nobody, not even the Charlemagne himself could write his name without assistance. The only people with any education were the priesthood. Their education was severely limited to a little bit of neoplatonism and some classical Latin because that was always been deemed necessary by the church. Everything else was Pagan and thrown in the bin. The Greek scholars, the Nestorian scholars had been expelled from Christian Europe and had found refuge in what is now Northern Persia, place called Gundeshapur. There amongst there amongst their Arab brethren, learning was treasured and transcribed into Arabic and with the advent of Islam the whole picture started to change because while Christians were busy having conventions debating how many angels could stand on the head of a pin, or had a whole school of study of theology and the nature of God, the Holy Quran says that anybody who tries to decipher the nature of God is crazy, but if you want to know about God you study his works in nature. So a flourishing series of schools & scholarships started studying nature, science, the Greek texts which they inherited from the Nestorian scholars and the world's biggest library was amassed at Baghdad. With the advent of the Moorish invasion of Spain, Moorish toleration came to Europe.

[@dionkrebs4677]

What about peppin de herstal

[@plafskijenkins1357]

He kindaaa looks like King Ecbert from "Vikings"

[@mpaulm]

No European ruler would be as influential for all of Europe until Louis the XIV.

[@thepretorian5292]

How did he influence Europe? Maybe France but Europe?

[@matte2160]

Well, considering he founded what ultimately became France and the Holy Roman Empire, I’d say that’s more or less the whole of Europe

[@nickbanney3487]

The person you were responding too was referring to Louis, bub

[@shawnstephens1251]

@@matte2160 What ultimately became France was unified by Clovis I who also solidified Catholicism in the area. There would be no holy roman anything without Clovis. Charlemagne, for all his influence upon history, was essentially illegitimate.

[@-Blast]

@@matte2160 France and the HRE is not the entirety of Europe

[@silvianovigil2097]

My name is silviano vigil from Cerro nm decendent of charlie have the history books ect to prove it my family looks just like him this story is Amazing Austrias spain where the vigils came from

[@BallyBoy95]

Why do I always think of champagne when reading Charlemagne?

[@nenisguevaragomez8122]

Mmmm ...because they rhyme?

[@tibsky1396]

Because you love wine both.

[@shaunsteele8244]

my grandpa!

[@HaliK7829]

Loving Great story! As I love no pimples always been conquered you know incest was populated in the beginning. Sovereign amongst family eventually caused out major earthquake. No local leaders can duplicate this happened 1900 years also before this must be the biggest that collided World Wide within its historical no peasant is involved all are real monarchy royalty loyalty warrior worthy. 👑🦁🦋⚖️😂😜👌🏻👈🏽

[@angyliv8040]

Andorra’s anthem has his name on it.

[@merlball8520]

I'm very surprised you didn't cover the contextual history of raids the Saxon pagans made against Saxon and other neighboring ethnic groups that converted to Christianity voluntarily (through missionary efforts). The initial and ongoing conflict between pagans and Christians in Northern Europe was a process of pagans converting to Christianity via missionaries and then becoming targets for neighboring pagans. Many pagans became afraid to convert over fears of such attacks. So some missionaries and priests began telling them that other Christians would help protect them. That the good Christian kings would attack those who attacked them. The brutality Charlemagne met upon the pagans doesn't necessarily seem so out of place if you consider the reports of the murder, rape, plunder, and enslavement that were reaching Charlemagne and other Christian rulers, beseeching their help against pagan raids in border areas. And it wasn't just Saxon pagans, but all along the northern and eastern frontier of Christendom. Combine that with the tales and history of the world Charlemagne was born into and made aware of where Islamic hordes had conquered half of all Christian lands. He received reports from Spain as well as reports from Italian sea trade and the Eastern Roman Empire's borderland disputes with Muslim armies and Catholic rulers. Charlemagne's "expansionism" can therefore be seen as a means of justifying using the taxes and resources he collected to host an army that would march to lands none of those men ever knew and fight battles to protect people who were either incapable (disarmed, outnumbered, etc) or unwilling (pacifists) to defend themselves. People who were willing to trade fealty and the fruits of their productivity in exchange for the protection of a king/emperor. If anything, in proper context to me he seemed reluctant at times to initiate war with the pagans and march his armies to the frontier areas. But he did enfold those areas into his realm as a means of justifiably enforcing law. He would not permit raiding within the borders of lands that had pledged fealty to him. Thus the pagans outside the realm of Charlemagne were free to be savages in their own realms, but not to those people who were part of his domain. It is not unreasonable for Charlemagne to forbid the slaughter, capture, enslavement, and/or ritual human sacrifice of Christians who swore fealty to him, and to punish those who did engage in such barbarism. Context is everything. I love your channel and have been watching your videos for years, but this might as well have been put together by a secular college professor who knew nothing outside the snapshot facts about what Charlemagne did. I appreciate that you've been long attempting increase the standards of the video elements in your uploads, and you've added increasing amounts of information over time. But you really lacked some key context in presenting a documentary about Charlemagne. The perspective of Charlemagne was that of a Christian man of authority over vast realms surrounded by hostile foreign threats that had experienced great success against Christians in the past and present. He was far more educated and informed than most other rulers in the world at the time, but his information was still limited to what was reported to him. Our own information on what actually happened is also limited to what is reported to us through over 1000 years of history between then and now. Considering the increasing shift from a dedication to honest preservation of recorded history to interpretive narratives in the last century, one must be careful to always provide decent context when presenting a history about a particular historic character, especially one so crucial to the history of the world such as Charlemagne. This is why research and citation of primary sources is so important. With proper context and having put one's best effort into primary source research, one may confidently offer a specific encapsulation of a historic character, place, or period of time with credibility. You don't lack credibility with me. I have the context of your entire history with this channel and other efforts to know how much time and effort you've put in over the years and that you are dedicated to the truth. However, I was compelled here to tell you that I found the context here lacking. I'd love to see another effort from you on Charlemagne in the future. Charlemagne's story is important to the history of the Crusades. He may have come before the official Crusades, but he was one, if not the first, great Crusader. And his story is foundational to understanding the history and context surrounding the Crusades. Thank you for your efforts, and, as always, I look forward to new content from you.

[@RealCrusadesHistory]

I appreciate the thoughtful comment. I agree it's a complex topic, and I wasn't trying to present Charlemagne negatively here at all. I understand that there was violence on both sides when it came to the Saxon wars, and the pagan Saxons certainly weren't pacifists of any kind. I do think Charlemagne's dealings with them could be pretty harsh, and we have to admire some of that dogged resistance from characters like Widukind. The massacre at Verden does strike me as one of Charlemagne's darker moments. I do think we have to be a little careful with some of the Frankish accounts of Saxon behavior as well.

[@julesfalcone]

@@RealCrusadesHistoryGood point. I am skeptical of a rulers' scribes version of events. I'm reminded of The Bible. It shows the rulers as incredibly broken men who make a lot of mistakes. It's more believable. Only showing the good a ruler does with no mention of his mistakes is unbelievable.

[@Thor-Orion]

4:06 this is a continuation of previous Roman tendency to have their military be heavily Gaulic and Germanic.

[@Thor-Orion]

11:33 Viking Age is in response to two things mainly, with several other factors playing a part, but the two major outside factors are Charlemagne’s expansion and the destruction of the Aryan Christians, which pushed a lot of gothic Christians back into paganism, temporarily. A lot of Norman knightly traditions are VERY Aryan Gothic. Basically the entire Templar Rule is derived from Gothic Warrior Aristocracy tradition. You’ll find Totila was highly merciful, wise and courageous and that his construction projects (the San Vitale basilica was completed during his reign, in his capital city and looks quite similar to Theodoric’s tomb) would be highly influential on the Gothic revival, as would Theodoric’s projects before him.

[@Thor-Orion]

28:03 those marble arches are taken from Theodoric’s capital in Ravenna, you can look that up. I’m huge into the architectural legacy of the European stone workers, Charles is telling you that he considers himself an heir to the goths. Yeah, he’s a Frank, but he understands the historical relationship between all these groups of people. He was living right afterwards. Theodoric became like a legendary figure for a long time. Charles moved the statue of Theodoric on his horse. Trust me, he knew who the guy was. I’m all about rulers capitals and two of my favorites use Aachen; Charles and Frederick Barbarossa.

[@Thor-Orion]

36:53 I tend to disagree. Theodoric the great was King of the Western Roman Empire. I think you’d find that Totila would also fit that description while he was alive. He took Italy right back from the Byzantines. He wouldn’t have found anything but Allies north of the alps. Rex Goth. But technically, yeah you’re right. Totila is just a favored figure of mine. Haha. Charles is very much in the Gothic tradition, though. He’s telling you as much with his building projects. That’s why architecture is so pivotal to understanding a people. What they set in stone often represents what they want to be remembered about themselves.

[@Thor-Orion]

39:40 that’s not exactly how Theodoric got his title, but it somewhat was. It was fueled by battlefield defections from Odovacer that eventually lead to his acknowledgment from all the noble families. But I see where Charles was stuck. The church had all the authority at the time. It was the sole unifying force across Western Europe. He’s wearing the Visigothic Eagle on this robe. That’s where the symbol comes from, by the way.

[@paulleverton9569]

Charlemagne died in 814. The First Crusade was 1096 - 99. See where I'm going with this?

[@LoPaz199]

Emperor was supposed to be crowned in his court, his hometown, with Pope coming to him and not the other way around, and not in some faraway city. That was the low blow by the Pope in crowning Charles in Rome.

[@jsoth2675]

Yes, but I wouldn't want to be his neighbor.

[@mandaboiarry4366]

Viva la boii

[@SydneyCarton2085]

☕🍿

[@roncasa4042]

👍👍🎈🎈😄😁😇

[@user-tk4lf9pg4j]

'Sup with this Guy? Did He forget to read the 10 Commandments in Exodus? THOU SHALT NOT KILL!

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

It actually is more accurately translated as Thou shall not murder Soldiers are fine as long as they behave

[@Thor-Orion]

@@KonradvonHotzendorfCarl didn’t really behave himself though, did he?

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

@@Thor-Orion Who this Charl guy? His name was Karl. Different times different values If a city resisted, they mirked the dogs, children, babies When they took Jerusalem the only time they was no screaming was when the Christians went to church (3 times a day)

[@DaDrillSergeant]

First comment! LFG!!!

[@user-pp6fx7si4g]

As a descendant of the Saxons, I remember Karl the Frankish king as the butcher of Saxons, and the enforcer of Catholicism. An altogether unpleasant character.

[@KonradvonHotzendorf]

You remember that? Oder hast du wieder einfach wieder jeden 🍄 im Wald gefressen 🤔

[@Thor-Orion]

You know, I’m conflicted. He clearly emulated Theodoric. He took the statue of him back home with him, plus those nice marble arches. But he was this hammer of the Catholic Church, and as someone who understands the destruction of the Aryan Christian church, I have to say I can understand not trusting the Romans by converting to Christianity again.

[@savingferris8279]

His name was Charles the Great.

[@jackiegamble5108]

Who are the Lombard?

[@jackiegamble5108]

So Lombardi is Italy 🇮🇹?

[@epicccurusaurelius2634]

@@jackiegamble5108 Yes. Northern Italy.

[@Thor-Orion]

Do you know who the Ostrogoths are?

[@jakesitsonatreewaitforshre1852]

If ancestry is to be believed he falls on my great grandfather's side, he's listed as 42nd great grandfather

[@cometblazt]

This was a real leader! A great man , brave builder of Europe in a time of barbarity.

[@mattstakeontheancients7594]

Curious what would have happened if he would have married the empress of the Byzantine empire.

[@ramsaysnow9196]

U will learn it in the fifth grade.

[@EVANGELOSS54]

As if the Roman Imperial Court in Constantinople would ever accept a barbarian Franc like Charles , as Basileus / Augustus / Autokrator ... lolz

[@opticnerve8927]

His first act get an alliance with the Celts/Scots/Picts if England attacks the Scots invade England great strategy

[@theCosmicQueen]

But, Charlemagne is LITERALLY the father of europe. It is estimated that most europeans of ancient stock, are descended from him. He had four official wives, all at the same time... must have had tons of unnamed children who never made it into the history books.

[@sebe2255]

Yeah from him, and everyone else alive at the time who had kids. So that isn’t really special

[@moloney118]

Every royal house of Europe can trace a line to Charlemagne

[@sebe2255]

@@moloney118 That is true for many more people. The Same goes for Johan Willem Friso, he is the most recent one I think

[@danf7411]

What easy the shoegaze you played at 2130

[@roncasa4042]

👍👍🎈🎈😀😀😇😁🎈

[@ironwolf2244]

I don't particularly like Charlemagne.. But nonetheless, a good video and educational indeed.

[@robertrobinson3788]

Charlemaine killed people that would not bow down to him.💯😆😆😆

[@Nana-rk2xn]

What makes Karl so great? Father of the Germans and of Franzo's 😊