Editing Middle Ages (section)

=== Carolingian Europe ===
{{Main|Francia|Carolingian Empire}}

[[File:Frankish Empire 481 to 814-en.svg|thumb|upright= 1.5|Map showing growth of Frankish power from 481 to 814|left]]

The Frankish kingdom in northern Gaul split into kingdoms called [[Austrasia]], [[Neustria]], and [[Kingdom of Burgundy|Burgundy]] during the 6th and 7th centuries, all of them ruled by the Merovingian dynasty, who were descended from Clovis. The 7th century was a tumultuous period of wars between Austrasia and Neustria.<ref name=Bauer246>Bauer ''History of the Medieval World'' pp. 246–253</ref> Such warfare was exploited by [[Pippin of Landen|Pippin I]] (d. 640), the [[Mayor of the Palace]] for Austrasia who became the power behind the Austrasian throne. Later, his family inherited the office and acted as advisers and regents. One of his descendants, [[Charles Martel]] (d. 741), won the [[Battle of Poitiers (732)|Battle of Poitiers]] in 732, halting the advance of Muslim armies across the Pyrenees.<ref name=Bauer347>Bauer ''History of the Medieval World'' pp. 347–349</ref>{{efn-ua|Muslim armies had earlier [[Umayyad conquest of Hispania|conquered the Visigothic kingdom]] of Spain, after defeating the last Visigothic King [[Ruderic]] (d. 711 or 712) at the [[Battle of Guadalete]] in 711, finishing the conquest by 719.<ref name=Bauer344>Bauer ''History of the Medieval World'' p. 344</ref>}} Great Britain was divided into small states dominated by the kingdoms of [[Northumbria]], [[Mercia]], [[Wessex]], and [[East Anglia]] which descended from the Anglo-Saxon invaders. Smaller kingdoms in present-day Wales and Scotland were still under the control of the native Britons and [[Picts]].<ref name=Wickham158>Wickham ''Inheritance of Rome'' pp. 158–159</ref> Ireland was divided into even smaller political units, usually known as tribal kingdoms, under the control of kings. There were perhaps as many as [[List of Irish kingdoms|150 local kings]] in Ireland of varying importance.<ref name=Wickham164>Wickham ''Inheritance of Rome'' pp. 164–165</ref>

The [[Carolingian dynasty]], as the successors to Charles Martel are known, officially took control of the kingdoms of Austrasia and Neustria in a coup of 753 led by {{nowrap|[[Pippin III]]}} (r. 752–768). A contemporary chronicle claims that Pippin sought and gained authority for this coup from Pope {{nowrap|[[Pope Stephen II|Stephen II]]}} (pope 752–757). Pippin's takeover was reinforced with propaganda that portrayed the Merovingians as inept or cruel rulers, exalted the accomplishments of Charles Martel, and circulated stories of the family's great piety. At the time of his death in 768, Pippin left his kingdom in the hands of his two sons, Charles (r. 768–814) and [[Carloman I|Carloman]] (r. 768–771). When Carloman died of natural causes, Charles blocked the succession of Carloman's young son and installed himself as the king of the united Austrasia and Neustria. Charles, more often known as Charles the Great or [[Charlemagne]], embarked upon a programme of systematic expansion in 774 that unified a large portion of Europe, eventually controlling modern-day France, northern Italy, and [[Saxon Wars|Saxony]]. In the wars that lasted beyond 800, he rewarded allies with war booty and command over parcels of land.<ref name=Bauer371>Bauer ''History of the Medieval World'' pp. 371–378</ref> In 774, Charlemagne conquered the Lombards, which freed the papacy from the fear of Lombard conquest and marked the beginnings of the [[Papal States]].<ref name=Brown20>Brown "Transformation of the Roman Mediterranean" ''Oxford Illustrated History of Medieval Europe'' p. 20</ref>{{efn-ua|The Papal States endured until 1870, when the [[Kingdom of Italy]] seized most of them.<ref name=Davies824>Davies ''Europe'' p. 824</ref>}}

[[File:Aachener Dom Pfalzkapelle vom Münsterplatz 2014.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Palatine Chapel, Aachen|Charlemagne's palace chapel]] at [[Aachen]], completed in 805<ref name=Stalley73>Stalley ''Early Medieval Architecture'' p. 73</ref>]]

The coronation of Charlemagne as emperor on Christmas Day 800 is regarded as a turning point in medieval history, marking a return of the Western Roman Empire since the new emperor ruled over much of the area previously controlled by the Western emperors.<ref name=Backman109>Backman ''Worlds of Medieval Europe'' p. 109</ref> It also marks a change in Charlemagne's relationship with the Byzantine Empire, as the assumption of the imperial title by the Carolingians asserted their equivalence to the Byzantine state.<ref name=Backman117>Backman ''Worlds of Medieval Europe'' pp. 117–120</ref> There were several differences between the newly established Carolingian Empire and both the older Western Roman Empire and the concurrent Byzantine Empire. The Frankish lands were rural, with only a few small cities. Most of the people were peasants who settled on small farms. Little trade existed, and much of that was with the British Isles and Scandinavia, in contrast to the older Roman Empire with its trading networks centred on the Mediterranean.<ref name=Backman109 /> The empire was administered by an itinerant court that travelled with the emperor, as well as approximately 300 imperial officials called [[count]]s, who administered the [[counties]] the empire had been divided into. Clergy and local bishops served as officials, as well as the imperial officials, called ''[[missi dominici]]'', who served as roving inspectors and troubleshooters.<ref name=Davies302>Davies ''Europe'' p. 302</ref>