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Charlemagne conquered vast swats of land and controlled Western Europe from France, Italy, and Germany. It was reminiscent of the time when Roman Emperors were able to control territories and built empires using a combination of persuasion and force.
It is one thing to conquer a territory and it is quite another to maintain peace, order, and absolute control. Charlemagne was not a mere ruler of a single nation, he was Emperor. It was only fitting for him to use the culture and body of knowledge available to him to rule successfully and these are German, Roman, and Christian practices.
He took the best system and practices from each one and fused into a system that he called his own. It is impossible to separate these three sources of influence because Charlemagne was a German who understood Roman tactics and was also a devout Christian. All three gave him the wisdom, power, and political structure to control his domain.
First of all Charlemagne is a Frankish king and therefore German blood runs through his veins. He could not escape the culture and traditions of the Germanic people. There are two things that he took from the culture and traditions of the Germans. First of all it is the passion for learning. Secondly, it is the passion for their gods. As a result Charlemagne made a declaration that his subjects will not only be men and women of good character they must also be wise and knowledgeable and this can only be achieved through education.
The Germans, like the Saxons were very much devoted to their gods and this early understanding of religion greatly influenced Charlemagne when he became a Christian.
He wanted the same veneration to be channeled towards the promulgation of Christianity and so in Capitulary for Saxony he made the following edict “It was pleasing to all that the churches of Christ, which are now being built in Saxony and consecrated to God, should not have less, but greater and more illustrious honor, than the fanes of the idols had had” (Halsall, 1996, p.1). This was his mindset throughout his reign.
The glory of the Roman Empire, its Caesars and its people was also a major influence in his life. This is seen clearly in the way he addresses himself when he writes to his subordinates, in the letter to Abbot Fulrad he used terms like most serene, august, crowned by God, and great pacific Emperor. He was greatly inspired by the Roman Emperors and the proof of that is his creation of an Empire and linked it to Rome.
Charlemagne did not only copy the cultural aspect of Rome and the Roman Empire he also copied the system that they used to govern vast territories. In the General Capitulary of the Missi written in 802 A.D. it was revealed that Charlemagne chose from among his nobles the wisest and most prudent in order to send them throughout his kingdom to become ambassadors and missionaries to develop law-abiding citizens. This is a system of governance akin to what the Romans did when they developed vast road networks to control their empire.
The knowledge and wisdom that he took from the Romans and the Germanic people were a great help to Charlemagne but he needed core values. It is not enough to create a network, an army, and even society. If there are no core values then there would be chaos. This is the reason why Charlemagne had to compel his people to become Christians. He believed that it is through Christianity that the people will find wisdom and the ability to lead a life that is blessed by God.
It is therefore impossible to choose only one major influence in his life whether it be the Romans, the Germans, or the Christians that greatly influenced the Frankish king and the set of values that gave him the power to rule with efficiency. Because of these three he was able to create a hybrid system using the best of three worlds. This is seen in his letter to Baugaulf of Fulda as to why as an Emperor he was not threatened to teach his subjects to be as wise as he:
For we desire you to be, as it is fitting that soldiers of the church should be, devout in mind, learned in discourse, chaste in conduct and eloquent in speech, so that whosoever shall seek to see you out of reverence of God, or on account of your reputation for holy conduct, just as he is edified by your appearance, may also be instructed by your wisdom, which he has learned from your reading or singing, and may go away joyfully giving thanks to omnipotent God (Salhall, 1996, p.1).
If he only adhered to Germanic influence then he would be a mean tyrant who will rule his Empire with an iron hand. But with the combination of Christianity and German culture Charlemagne was able to create a persona that is all at once powerful, just, and devout with a commitment to please God.
If he only had the Romans to look up to then he would only have a system that has nothing in it. But by combing all three Charlemagne knew exactly what to do. It is to use the Roman influence to create system for governance and then to add the features of German culture and Christianity to make it work in the context of a divided Europe.
Conclusion
Charlemagne was an effective ruler because he was able to unite a divided Europe. He did not rely on one source of inspiration and influence. He did not try to create a purely German kingdom because he borrowed heavily from the culture and systems of governance of the Romans.
He was also not an ordinary political leader for he understood the importance of religion. By blending all three Charlemagne gave his people a common vision that they can focus on. As a result he was able to unite a divided Europe. This gave him the power to do more and thus he was considered as an important leader in the history of the West and he could not have done it without the use of three different sources of inspiration: the Germanic people, the Roman Empire and Christianity.
Works Cited
Salhall, Paul. Medieval Sourcebook: Charlemagne Capitulary of the Missi (802). Fordham University. 1996. Web.
Salhall, Paul. Medieval Sourcebook: Charlemagne: Letter to Baugaulf of Fulda, c.780-800. Fordham University. 1996. Web.
Salhall, Paul. Medieval Sourcebook: Charlemagne: Summons to Army c. 804-11. Fordham University. 1996. Web.
Salhall, Paul. Medieval Sourcebook: Charlemagne: Capitulary for Saxony 775-790. Fordham University. 1996. Web.
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