Following the death of Pepin the Short, Charlemagne (with his brother Carloman) succeeds to the Frankish kingship, beginning the reign that would later expand into an empire.
After King Carloman I dies, Charlemagne consolidates control over the Frankish realms, enabling more unified policy, reform, and sustained military expansion.
Charlemagne launches the long Saxon Wars, marked early by the destruction of the Irminsul near Eresburg—an emblematic act tied to conquest and forced Christianization in Saxony.
Charlemagne’s Italian campaign culminates in the fall of Pavia and the deposition of King Desiderius; Charlemagne assumes the title King of the Lombards, strengthening Frankish power in Italy and ties to the papacy.
During Charlemagne’s return from an unsuccessful campaign in Iberia, a Frankish rearguard is ambushed at Roncevaux Pass—an episode later magnified in medieval epic tradition (e.g., stories of Roland).
In the context of Saxon rebellion and Frankish reprisals, Charlemagne orders mass executions at Verden (reported as 4,500 in Frankish annals), an episode central to debates over Carolingian conquest and conversion policies.
The baptism and submission of the Saxon leader Widukind marks a turning point in the Saxon Wars, though unrest and coercive measures continue for years afterward.
Charlemagne promulgates the Admonitio generalis, a major reform capitulary addressing ecclesiastical discipline and education—often linked to the broader cultural program later called the Carolingian Renaissance.
Charlemagne convenes the Council (Synod) of Frankfurt, which condemns Adoptionism and deals with other church matters, reflecting the growing coordination of Frankish royal authority and ecclesiastical governance.
Charlemagne begins building the Palatine Chapel at Aachen, a centerpiece of his court and ideology of rulership; it later becomes the core of Aachen Cathedral.
Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor in Rome, a pivotal act in reviving imperial claims in Western Europe and reshaping relations among the Frankish court, the papacy, and Byzantium.
The final major Saxon rebellion is suppressed; Saxony is incorporated into the Carolingian realm, with lasting consequences for political integration and Christianization in northern Europe.
Pope Leo III consecrates the Palatine Chapel at Aachen, reinforcing Aachen’s status as a key royal center and associating Charlemagne’s rulership with monumental Christian architecture.
Charlemagne dies at Aachen after a reign that transformed Frankish kingship into an imperial project; his death sets the stage for succession under Louis the Pious and later fragmentation of Carolingian unity.
Charlemagne's Reign (768–814)
