The Carolingians : A Family Who Forged Europe

Pierre Riché traces the emergence of Europe from the seventh to the early eleventh century, the period that witnessed the rise, fall, and revival of the Carolinian Empire. It was during this time the first contours of a broad new civilization and the first visible signs of European unity are discernable. Until the seventh century Europe was simply a geographic term; as Isidore of Seville defined it, Europe was "the space that extended from the river Don to Spain and the Atlantic." By the ninth century, however, Europe had gradually acquired a collective being with a shared identity. The political, cultural, and spiritual activity of laymen and churchmen had fostered the creation of a common European fold, which stretched from the Atlantic to the Vistula, and the plains of the middle Danube. The transformation was due in large part to the Carolinians, their relations, and their allies, who together became the masters of Gaul and then much of the West. Riché traces the destiny of the Carolingians and the parallel history of Europe, stressing the roles of the leaders who imposed themselves by force, diplomacy, and culture. Contents Translator’s Note Preface Introduction: Western Europe in the Seventh Century Part I. The Rise of the Carolingians (from the Early Seventh to the Mid-Eighth Century) 1. The Beginnings of the Carolingian Dynasty 2. The Obstacles to Power The Ambitions of Grimoald His Position The Coup d5État of Grimoald and Its Failure The Pippinids Await Their Moment 3. The Principate of Pippin II (687—714) Pippin’s Political Program The Advance into Germanic Lands Monasteries and Palaces 4. The “Reign” of Charles Martel (714-741) Difficult Beginnings Charles and His Methods of Action Charles and the Periphery of the Frankish Realm Charles in Aquitaine, Provence, and Burgundy The Call of Rome The End of the Reign of Charles Martel 5. Pippin and Carloman, Mayors of the Palace (741—751) Local Revolts and the Consolidation of Power Reestablishment of the Merovingian Dynasty The Reform of the Frankish Church Part II. Pippin III and Charlemagne, Founders of Carolingian Europe (751—814) 1. The Reign of Pippin the Great The Accession of the Carolingian Dynasty The Conquest of Aquitaine Religious Reform The Prestige of Pippin III 2. The Features and Circumstances of Charlemagne’s Conquests The Reign of Two Brothers The Conditions of Charlemagne’s Conquests Charlemagne’s Army The Stages of Charlemagne’s Conquests 3. The Conquests of Charlemagne Italy Germany Central and Eastern Europe Europe Beyond the Frontiers 4. The Emperor Charlemagne Prelude to the Coronation The Coronation 5. Charlemagne: Emperor or Chieftain? The Political and Administrative Structures of the Empire Obstacles to the Unity of the Empire The Regionalization of Power Charlemagne, the Frankish Chief Part III. The Destiny of Carolingian Europe (814—877) 1. The Reign of Louis the Pious: The Goal of Imperial Unity and Its Failure (814—840) The Beginning of a Promising Reign The Network of Rival Factions The Great Rebellion of 833 and Its Failure The End of the Reign of Louis the Pious 2. The Partition of 843 Prelude and Circumstances Negotiations (Spring 842-August 843) 3. The Empire Disbanded (843—869) The Defense of the Notion of Unity The Kings in Their Kingdoms 4. Charles the Bald, the Last Great Carolingian Emperor Charles the Bald, Emperor (876) The End of the Reign of Charles the Bald Part IV. The Collapse of Carolingian Europe and the Emergence of Regional Princedoms 1. The End of the Imperial Ideal (877-888) Pope John VIII in Search of an Emperor The Reign of Charles the Fat, or Illusions Dispelled The Election of Regional Kings 2. The New Kingdoms and Princedoms The Rulers of the Italian Kingdom The Kingdoms of Middle Gaul The Kingdom of Western Francia 3. Territorial Organization in the First Half of the Tenth Century The Restoration of the Italian Kingdom: The Reign of Hugh of Provence (924-947) The Restoration of the Monarchy in Germany: Henry of Saxony, Heir to the Carolingians The Carolingian Restoration in Western Francia 4. The Carolingian Restoration (936 to the Close of the Tenth Century) The Return of the Carolingians and the First Years of Otto I The Kings, Their Followers, and Their Subjects The Restoration of the Empire Lotharingia: A Crossroads of Ottomans and Carolingians Part V. Rulers and Civilization in the New Europe 1. The Carolingian Church A Church Subject to Princes The Papacy The Expansion of Christendom 2. Features of Carolingian Kingship The King’s Person and Status Royal Justice The King as Warrior 3. The Carolingians and the Renewal of the Western Economy The Principles Economic Developments The Successors of the Carolingians 4. The First Flowering of European Culture Educational Policies The Court as a Center of Learning Kings and Books Artistic Treasures The Carolingians Kings as Builders The Heirs of the Carolingian Kings Conclusion Map Genealogical Tables Suggested Works for Further Reading Index The good fortune of the early Carolingians began with two noble families settled in an area of the Frankish realm known since the close of the sixth century as Austrasia.