This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
“A number of different tactics were
employed in this conflict. Particularly,
the Saxon nobility were more amenable than the common people to being annexed
to the Franks. After all, they stood
only to gain from being locked into Mediterranean culture and the Frankish
system of rule. In addition, the king
appointed loyal Saxons as counts, a powerful stimulus to joining the Franks. Indeed, the resistance was led first and
foremost by the free men and the serfs; they rose up on two further occasions,
in 841 and 843, during the Stellinga Rebellion.
A program of annual campaigns, castle building, and repeated
overwintering by the king and his army on Saxon territory took a heavy toll on
the populace and the land. Hostages were
required to be handed over on a regular basis, and deportations and mass
executions were also the order of the day.” – Johannes Fried, Chapter 3:
The Warrior King, Page 158
“Robbery – whether out of desperation or on other grounds –
was widespread in the Frankish Empire.
And it was the same poor people who were its victims – a cycle that the
poor in general were forced to pay for through increasing dependence on
regional rulers. Charlemagne sought in
vain to find a lasting solution to this problem. He was just as unsuccessful in this endeavor
as any of his successors. Mindful of the
physical distance that separated them from the center of power, strongmen
obeyed the king only when there was something in it for them in return – in the
form of gifts, grace and favor, greater prestige, honor, or advancement in
rank.” – Johannes Fried, Chapter 4: Power Structures, Page 231
“Charlemagne, though, was very fond of the foreigners in his
kingdom. He eagerly adopted the
suggestions even of those who had come from far afield. The king supported episcopal churches,
monasteries, and religious houses, be they long-established foundations or
recently created ones, and he put several foreigners in charge of such
institutions. An abundance of centers of
culture and learning came into being as a result. New schools, whose importance soon
transcended their local region, began to flourish, and the first episcopal
schools were founded at this time. In
the ensuing decades, the length and breadth of the Frankish Empire, from north
to south and west to east, was covered with a network of educational
institutions.” – Johannes Fried, Chapter 5: The Ruler, Page 284
Is This An Overview?
Charlemagne was a warrior king, who became a medieval emperor. The Franks were in a constant state of
conflict to finance itself and organize the social classes. As king, Charlemagne needed to expand
territory to prove oneself worthy of leadership, and to provide the retinue
with rewards. Efforts were made towards
integration of the conquered lands and people, but local laws and customs tended
to be accepted and retained.
During the era, there was no separation between Church and
state. Charlemagne was a defender of Christendom. Needed to protect churches and the
faithful. Even Rome needed the Franks
for defense of their independence.
Various conquests were justified for providing religious services. Charlemagne gave the clergy wealth and power,
and in return, the clergy were to bring salvation to the people.
Charlemagne initiated the development of an educational
infrastructure. Wanted to educated
oneself and the empire. Educational
efforts which enabled literacy, that was used to improve the efficiency of
Frankish bureaucracy and to understand religious matters. Churches established schools which enabled a
literate administration of power.
Knowledge was sought after no matter the source, as foreign ideas were
welcomed and schools established which supported their culture and learning.
Caveats?
This book is difficult to read, mainly caused by the data
gaps. The author often repeats how much
is not known about Charlemagne, the Franks, and the era. Data gaps that contribute to a lack of
details on many events, and reasons for the events.
