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Cambridge Medieval Textbooks
The Carolingian World
At its height, the Carolingian empire spanned a million square kilometres of western Europe – from the English Channel to central Italy and northern Spain, and from the Atlantic to the fringes of modern Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. As the largest political unit for centuries, the empire dominated the region and left an enduring legacy for European culture. This comprehensive survey traces this great empire's history, from its origins around 700, with the rise to dominance of the Carolingian dynasty, through its expansion by ruthless military conquest and political manoeuvring in the eighth century, to the struggle to hold the empire together in the ninth. It places the complex political narrative in context, giving equal consideration to vital themes such as beliefs, peasant society, aristocratic culture and the economy. Accessibly written and authoritative, this book offers distinctive perspectives on a formative period in European history.
528 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 27, 2020
Very good overview. Wish there was more covering the theological debates of the early/mid 9th c. Also fun reading a book by your master’s thesis’s second examiner (S. MacLean).
December 29, 2020
The Re establishment of the Carolingians
This is a fascinating history of Europe from about 740 to 900. The period was thought of as part of the Dark Ages. The present authors are quite convincing in proving that these centuries were lively as far as politics, learning and trade are concerned. They also show that Carolingians were politically very aware of their strength and limitations as rulers. The book removes many misconceptions one had of the rulers as well as of the problems caused by the Vikings and the increasing influence of Islam.
This is a fascinating history of Europe from about 740 to 900. The period was thought of as part of the Dark Ages. The present authors are quite convincing in proving that these centuries were lively as far as politics, learning and trade are concerned. They also show that Carolingians were politically very aware of their strength and limitations as rulers. The book removes many misconceptions one had of the rulers as well as of the problems caused by the Vikings and the increasing influence of Islam.
March 31, 2023
Continuing on after finishing the history of the Merovingians, this book as the name suggests narrated the history of the Carolingians, the successors of the Merovingians. The book unfortunately, was structured only loosely chronologically, thus making reading it a bit more hard. This book also dismantles a lot of romanticism surrounding the visages of the Carolingians.
The Carolingians began as the mayor of the palaces of the Merovingians. As the Merovingians power waxed, the descendants of Pippin took over the rule. But as the wheel of fortune waned, the rule passed over to the descendants of Charles Martel, the junior branch of the family, thus began the reign of the Carolingians proper. The eventual succession of Charlemagne as the emperor and his ruthless activity to expand the Frankish domain to almost double it size enshrined the zenith of Carolingian rule. But, as the idea of primogeniture yet set well in the system of monarchy, the empire found itself dissected at the death of one monarch. And this is the perfect recipe of disaster, as the son was granted a power base from which they can raise army and resources to defeat their own siblings.
Charlemagne lived to a great age that he lived through the revolts and the deaths of so many of his children, that only Louis the Pious lived to succeed him. Louis the Pious divided the empire to his three sons, who fought so brutally that after the battle of Fountenoy, the flower of Carolingian noble fall so much that they can no longer return to their previous vigor. The civil war scared everyone sufficiently that they finally divided the realm formally under the Treaty of Verdun: Louis the German ruled over the Eastern Frankish territory (that includes Saxony, Thuringia, Alemannia and Bavaria), Lothar ruled the middle portion of the kingdom and Italy, and Pippin over East Francia. Pippin eventually fallen out of grace through his untimely revolts agains Louis, that he eventually was sidelined in favor of Louis’s son from his second marriage, Charles the Bald.
The empire was at peace for merely 3 years before the death of Lothar caused his other two brothers to wolf his former territories. Upon Lothar I death, his middle kingdom was divided into three: Lothar II ruled the former areas of Austrasia which now named Lotharingia after him, Louis II ruled in Italy, and Charles ruled in Provence. Charles wilted quickly, Louis took over his territory, and Lothar II also passed away quickly that Lotharingia was divided between Charles the Bald and Louis the German. Louis II got to keep his Italian kingdom and also his imperial title.
The epilogue of the Carolingian rule came almost quickly after the partition of Meersen. Louis II passed away childless, Louis the German’s eldest child Karlmann tried to took over Italy but quickly ousted by the energetic Charles the Bald. Louis the German also passed to the void and divided his realm among his sons Karlmann, Louis the Younger and Charles the Fat. Charles the Bald, ever the opportunist, launched a campaign to take advantage of the chaos in the west, but thwarted by Louis the Younger. The battle of Anternach, like Fountenoy proved the demise of the Carolingians. The Carolingians was so strive with internal rivalry by the end of the 880’s. Karlmann and Louis the Younger expired quickly, leaving Charles the Fat the sole ruler. East Francia also gradually was passed over to the weak Louis the Stammerer.
The Carolingian drama ended in a curveball, the illegitimate child of Karlmann, Arnulf usurped the imperial throne and forced Charles the Fat to abdicate. Previously the revolts by the nobles favored one Carolingian than the others, but the tides has changed. Post-Arnulf usurpation, anyone can be a king.
The Carolingians began as the mayor of the palaces of the Merovingians. As the Merovingians power waxed, the descendants of Pippin took over the rule. But as the wheel of fortune waned, the rule passed over to the descendants of Charles Martel, the junior branch of the family, thus began the reign of the Carolingians proper. The eventual succession of Charlemagne as the emperor and his ruthless activity to expand the Frankish domain to almost double it size enshrined the zenith of Carolingian rule. But, as the idea of primogeniture yet set well in the system of monarchy, the empire found itself dissected at the death of one monarch. And this is the perfect recipe of disaster, as the son was granted a power base from which they can raise army and resources to defeat their own siblings.
Charlemagne lived to a great age that he lived through the revolts and the deaths of so many of his children, that only Louis the Pious lived to succeed him. Louis the Pious divided the empire to his three sons, who fought so brutally that after the battle of Fountenoy, the flower of Carolingian noble fall so much that they can no longer return to their previous vigor. The civil war scared everyone sufficiently that they finally divided the realm formally under the Treaty of Verdun: Louis the German ruled over the Eastern Frankish territory (that includes Saxony, Thuringia, Alemannia and Bavaria), Lothar ruled the middle portion of the kingdom and Italy, and Pippin over East Francia. Pippin eventually fallen out of grace through his untimely revolts agains Louis, that he eventually was sidelined in favor of Louis’s son from his second marriage, Charles the Bald.
The empire was at peace for merely 3 years before the death of Lothar caused his other two brothers to wolf his former territories. Upon Lothar I death, his middle kingdom was divided into three: Lothar II ruled the former areas of Austrasia which now named Lotharingia after him, Louis II ruled in Italy, and Charles ruled in Provence. Charles wilted quickly, Louis took over his territory, and Lothar II also passed away quickly that Lotharingia was divided between Charles the Bald and Louis the German. Louis II got to keep his Italian kingdom and also his imperial title.
The epilogue of the Carolingian rule came almost quickly after the partition of Meersen. Louis II passed away childless, Louis the German’s eldest child Karlmann tried to took over Italy but quickly ousted by the energetic Charles the Bald. Louis the German also passed to the void and divided his realm among his sons Karlmann, Louis the Younger and Charles the Fat. Charles the Bald, ever the opportunist, launched a campaign to take advantage of the chaos in the west, but thwarted by Louis the Younger. The battle of Anternach, like Fountenoy proved the demise of the Carolingians. The Carolingians was so strive with internal rivalry by the end of the 880’s. Karlmann and Louis the Younger expired quickly, leaving Charles the Fat the sole ruler. East Francia also gradually was passed over to the weak Louis the Stammerer.
The Carolingian drama ended in a curveball, the illegitimate child of Karlmann, Arnulf usurped the imperial throne and forced Charles the Fat to abdicate. Previously the revolts by the nobles favored one Carolingian than the others, but the tides has changed. Post-Arnulf usurpation, anyone can be a king.
December 10, 2024
Lowkey couldn‘t care less about the Carolingians but I had to read it for uni… it wasn‘t bad, I just couldn‘t be bothered to be interested
July 2, 2024
It gave me what I needed, but as always it would have like to have more concrete examples used in the construction of the Carolingian World.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews