Carolingian Empire Facts & Worksheets

The Carolingian Empire, existing from 800 to 888, was a Frankish-dominated realm in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, previously kings of the Franks and Lombards. In the wake of Charlemagne’s remarkable ascent to the imperial throne in 800, following a momentous coronation by Pope Leo III, the Carolingian Empire experienced a transformative juncture. Charlemagne’s crowning symbolized the resurgence of a Western Roman Emperor and also laid the groundwork for an enduring legacy – the nascent Holy Roman Empire.

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Key Facts & Information

OVERVIEW

• Following a civil war after the death of Emperor Louis the Pious in 843, the Empire fragmented into autonomous kingdoms, with nominal recognition of an emperor who held little authority beyond their realm. 
• The unity of the Empire and the Carolingian dynasty’s hereditary right persisted. Charles the Fat briefly reunited the kingdoms in 884, but the Empire disintegrated upon his death in 888. 
• Regional kings were elected from outside the dynasty or from an illegitimate Carolingian line in the east, and the legitimate Carolingians were restored in the west in 898, ruling until 987 with a brief interruption.
• The Empire had a population of around 10 to 20 million people and was centered in Francia, with its primary residence in Aachen. 
• It stretched from the Loire to the Rhine Rivers and had borders with neighboring regions, including the Emirate of Córdoba, the Kingdom of Pamplona, the Kingdom of the Danes, Brittany, and the Slavs. The Carolingians disputed authority with the Byzantines and the Lombards in southern Italy. While known by various Latin names, it became known as the “Carolingian Empire.”

RISE OF THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE

• The rise of the Carolingians, from around 732 to 768, is marked by the notable leadership of Charles Martel, who, although he didn’t assume royal or imperial titles like his descendants, held effective rule over nearly all of continental Western Europe north of the Pyrenees. 
• The only noteworthy additions to the Frankish domains during his reign were Lombardy, the Marca Hispanica south of the Pyrenees, and the remaining Saxon kingdoms, which he partially conquered.
• The siege of Tours in 732, where Charles Martel defended Christian Europe from a Muslim force, highlights the historical significance of Charles Martel. The Iberian Saracens had created a strong army that was seldom beaten by fusing light horse cavalry from the Berbers with heavy cavalry from the Arabs.
• Christian European forces, lacking the advantage of the stirrup, managed to triumph in this battle, earning Charles the epithet “Martel,” meaning “the Hammer.” Renowned historian Edward Gibbon referred to Charles Martel as the most prominent leader of his era.
• Pepin III, accepting the title of king, was nominated by Pope Zachary around 741. Charlemagne’s reign officially commenced in 768 upon Pepin’s death. He assumed control of the kingdom following the demise of his brother Carloman, who had inherited their father’s kingdom alongside him. Charlemagne’s pinnacle came when he was crowned the Roman Emperor in 800.

THE REIGN OF CHARLEMAGNE (768–814)

• During Charlemagne’s rule of the Carolingian Empire, he expanded his realm significantly through military campaigns. In 774, he overthrew the Lombard Kingdom and crowned himself “King of the Lombards.” 
• In 778, he led an unsuccessful campaign into Spain, marked by the Battle of Roncevaux Pass, considered one of his most significant defeats.
• Charlemagne extended his domain into Bavaria in 794 by compelling Duke Tassilo III to renounce his title. 
• His son Pepin was tasked with campaigns against the Avars in 795, and this conflict ended in 803 when Charlemagne sent a Bavarian army into Pannonia.
• Between 772 and 804, he also expelled the Saxons via battles and uprisings, which included the assassination of Verden in 782 and the enactment of the Lex Saxonum in 802.
• Following Charlemagne’s death, the Carolingian Empire was divided among various dynasty members. King Charles the Younger received Neustria, King Louis the Pious was granted Aquitaine, and King Pepin ruled Italy. Pepin’s death in 810 led to the succession of his illegitimate son, Bernard, while Louis was made co-emperor in 813. The entire Empire passed to Louis upon Charlemagne’s death in 814.

CIVIL WAR AND REIGN OF LOUIS THE PIOUS (814–843)

• Louis the Pious, despite starting as King of Aquitaine, unexpectedly became Emperor as the third son of Charlemagne. 
• His reign was marked by religious devotion and efforts to restore churches and monasteries. However, his rule was also characterized by insecurity and struggles for control.
• He exiled potential rivals and faced rebellions, including one by his nephew Bernard of Italy, which led to Bernard’s punishment and Louis’ show of penance. 
• Louis divided the kingdom among his sons, causing disputes and civil wars. His sons briefly dethroned him but later reinstated him. 
• After his death in 840 CE, his sons fought for control of the Empire, which resulted in the division of the Carolingian Empire into many areas and the establishment of the future countries of France and Germany with the Treaty of Verdun in 843.

AFTER THE TREATY OF VERDUN

• In 843, the Carolingian Empire was divided into three parts. Lothar received the central region between the Rhine and Rhone, Louis got the eastern lands (the precursor to modern Germany), and Charles was given the western territories. Lothar later divided his realm among his sons, leading to conflicts.
• Louis II allied with Louis the German against his brother Lothar in 858, but they reconciled. 
• Charles the Bald (Charles II) faced unpopularity and had to flee. In 860, he invaded Charles of Burgundy’s kingdom but failed. 
• Lothar II ceded land to Louis II in 862, causing strife with the pope and his uncles. Charles of Burgundy died in 863, and Louis II inherited his kingdom.
• Lothar II passed away in 869 without any legal successors, and Charles the Bald and Louis the German were given equal halves of his Empire in 870. 
• Louis II died in 875, naming Carloman (Louis the German’s eldest son) as his heir. Charles the Bald was crowned king of Italy and Emperor. Still, he was defeated in his attempt to annex the eastern Frankish realm, leading to its division among Louis the Younger, Carloman of Bavaria, and Charles the Fat.

DECLINE OF THE CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE

• After the death of Charles the Bald in 877, the Carolingian Empire faced Viking attacks in the north and internal struggles across its vast territories. Charles was succeeded by his son Louis the Stammerer, who died after two years. His realm was split between his two eldest sons, Louis III and Carloman. Italy went to King Carloman of Bavaria, but had to surrender due to a stroke. Charles the Fat succeeded Louis III as Emperor in 879, and Louis III of Saxony and Louis III of France died in 882. 
• Saxony and Bavaria merged into Charles’s domain, and Carloman of Aquitaine took control of Francia and Neustria. However, Carloman died in 884, and his lands were inherited by Charles the Fat, essentially recreating Charlemagne’s Empire.
• Charles the Fat, suffering from illness, struggled to defend the kingdom against Viking raiders and faced accusations of cowardice.
• In 886, he bought the withdrawal of the Vikings from Paris, which was perceived as a sign of weakness. In 887, his nephew Arnulf of Carinthia led a rebellion, and instead of fighting, Charles fled and died in 888. His death left the Empire divided and in a state of succession crisis.

DIVISION OF THE EMPIRE

• Arnulf retained Carinthia, Bavaria, Lorraine, and modern-day Germany; Count Odo of Paris was elected King of Western Francia (France); Ranulf II turned King of Aquitaine; Count Berengar of Friuli received Italy; Rudolph I was given Upper Burgundy; and Louis the Blind, the son of Boso of Arles, a King of Lower Burgundy and parental grandson of Emperor Louis II, was given Lower Burgundy.

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Chris Wickham’s “Framing the Early Middle Ages” notes that there are no reliable calculations for the populations of early medieval towns. 
• Likely, most cities in the Empire had 20,000 to 25,000 inhabitants, which was the speculated population of Rome during this time. 
• On a broader scale, people in the Carolingian Empire steadily increased from 750 to 850 CE, with population estimates for the entire Empire ranging from 10 to 20 million. 
• However, Timothy Newfield questions this idea of demographic expansion, emphasizing the impact of recurring epidemics and famines in the region.
• Studies using climate proxies, such as the Greenland Ice core sample ‘GISP2,’ suggest relatively favorable conditions for the Empire’s early years, although harsh winters followed. While contemporary sources hint at demographic effects, the full extent of these findings on the Empire’s populations still needs to be determined.

ETHNICITY

• There have been very few investigations of nationality in the Carolingian Empire. 
• However, it is widely acknowledged that significant ethnic groups, including the Franks, Alemanni, Bavarians, Thuringians, Frisians, Lombards, Goths, Romans, Celts, Basques, and Slavs, lived inside the boundaries of the Empire. 
• During this time, ethnicity was simply one of several systems of identity and a means of demonstrating social rank and political influence. Numerous ethnic and regional identities were upheld and would subsequently play a significant political role. Ethnic identification in terms of legislation assisted in determining which rules applied to which people, but these systems were not rigid representations of ethnicity because they were relatively flexible.

GOVERNMENT

• The government and administration of the Carolingian Empire were significantly shaped during Charlemagne’s reign, particularly around the year 800 when he was crowned Emperor. Charlemagne adapted his existing royal administration to match the expectations of his new title, bringing about critical political reforms in Aachen. 
• These reforms had a profound and lasting impact on the political landscape of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages.
• Historians praise Carolingian governance for its enhanced central control, efficient bureaucracy, accountability, and cultural revival. 
• The Empire, the most significant Western territory since the fall of Rome, benefited from Charlemagne’s legal authority, known as the “bannum,” granting him the right to rule and command over all his domains.
• He held supreme jurisdiction in judicial matters, legislation, military leadership, and protection of the Church and the poor.
• Charlemagne’s administration aimed to organize the kingdom, Church, and nobility around his leadership, but its effectiveness depended on efficiency, loyalty, and support from his subjects.

CAROLINGIANS IN HISTORIOGRAPHY

• The Carolingian Dynasty, despite its relatively short duration compared to other dynastic empires in Europe, left a lasting legacy that extends far beyond its existence. 
• In historiographical terms, the Carolingian Empire is often considered the starting point of what we now understand as ‘feudalism,’ at least in modern interpretations. 
• While historians may hesitate to label Charles Martel and his successors as the founders of feudalism, it’s clear that the Carolingian era provided a framework that influenced the structure of central medieval political culture. However, some scholars dispute this assumption. 
• Figures like Marc Bloch rejected the quest to pinpoint the birth of feudalism, referring to it as the “idol of origins.” It’s worth noting that Carolingian authors, including Einhard, made concerted efforts to establish a sense of transition from the Merovingian era to the Carolingian, even if there may not have been such a revolutionary difference between the two.

SYMBOLISM OF THE DYNASTY

• In much the same way that Charlemagne mirrored aspects of Augustus in his ascendant years, European monarchs have used the unifying influence of Charlemagne and his progeny to support their governments. Four of the remaining five Ottonian emperors to rule also had their coronations in Charlemagne’s residence in Aachen, likely to establish a continuity among the Carolingians and themselves.
• The Ottonian dynasty, which was successful in the title of Holy Roman Emperor, emphasized distant ties to the Carolingians to justify their dynastic ambitions as “successors.” Ottonians maintained direct and indirect links to the Carolingians even though their dynasty originated in Saxony, Charlemagne’s archrival.
• Later medieval times used further imagery of Charlemagne, portraying him as a perfect knight and exemplar of chivalry.

Carolingian Empire Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about The Carolingian Empire across 30 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about The Carolingian Empire. The Carolingian Empire, existing from 800 to 888, was a Frankish-dominated realm in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, previously kings of the Franks and Lombards.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Carolingian Empire Facts
2. Map of Territorial Division in 870
3. Feudalism 
4. Empire Ruler
5. Historical Architecture
6. Carolingian Legacy
7. Debate Your Stand
8. Poster Timeline 
9. Illuminated Manuscript 
10. Mini Vlog
11. Creative Expression

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the Carolingian Empire exist?

The Carolingian Empire existed from 800 AD to 888 AD. It was founded by Charlemagne, who was crowned Emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day in the year 800.

Who was the founder of the Carolingian Empire?

The Carolingian Empire was founded by Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great. He was the King of the Franks and later became the first Holy Roman Emperor.

What was the significance of the Carolingian Renaissance?

The Carolingian Renaissance was a revival of art, culture, and learning that took place during the Carolingian Empire, particularly during the reign of Charlemagne. It marked a renewed interest in classical literature, education, and the arts, contributing to the preservation and transmission of knowledge in the medieval period.

How was the Carolingian Empire divided after the death of Charlemagne?

After Charlemagne’s death in 814, the Carolingian Empire was initially divided among his grandsons through the Treaty of Verdun in 843. The division led to the formation of three main regions: West Francia (modern-day France), East Francia (Germany), and Middle Francia (a strip of territory between the two). Over time, these divisions evolved into the medieval kingdoms of Western Europe.

What role did the Carolingian Empire play in the development of feudalism?

The Carolingian Empire played a significant role in the development of feudalism. Charlemagne’s centralized rule began to break down after his death, leading to a more decentralized system of government. The need for local defense and administration led to the rise of feudalism, characterized by the exchange of land for loyalty and service, contributing to the feudal structure that dominated medieval Europe.

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