Charlemagne the man values and orientation

Charlemagne the man values and orientation To understand Charlemagne as a ruler you have to understand Charlemagne â€Å"The Man.† From what we can tell from Charlemagne’s personal qualities, he was a man of great stature known for being a great warrior, scholar, and politician. He was well spoken and charismatic. He valued his family, he related well to foreigners, had a positive personality, and was strong willed and athletic. Because of these qualities he was often very well respected and admired. In playing those roles he would not only be able to conquer but build trust and unity amongst the people. He was an incredible warrior whom displayed an iron will. Although he was one of greatness on the battlefield he possessed the ability of establishing friendships and was known for his generosity. Charlemagne was also respected as a scholar based on his willingness to learn, and his desire to promote education throughout his kingdom. Charlemagne studied Greek, spoke fluent Latin, and was well versed in the libe ral arts. He used his love for learning to study the world around him in order to keep informed of this issues and cultures surrounding and throughout his empire. Charlemagne respected, defended, and supported the Catholic Church during his life, which reinforced his Christian morality and beliefs. It was his Christian orientation and moral Charlemagne 3 compass that helped give him direction in promoting not only unity, but most importantly, civilization within his kingdom. Because of the ferocity with which he defended his beliefs and convictions, and the open-minded way that he viewed the world and mankind, Charlemagne became a wise, multi-faceted, and charismatic leader that the masses first feared, yet came to revered and trust. Charlemagne was not only adept at organizing, making informed decisions, but quite willing to act on those decisions, while persuading and motivating others to willingly follow him. As a â€Å"MAN† then, he had the personality traits that not onl y made him a conqueror, but most importantly, an â€Å"empire builder† of civilized society. MILITARY LEADER/STRATEGIST Charlemagne was an aggressive and courageous warrior, and military leader. During the first thirty years of his rule as king, he had many successful military campaigns, which enabled him to expand and consolidate the Frankish nation, expand his landholdings, and strengthen his military forces. His conflicts included those against the Lombards, Bavarians, Spanish, Byzantines, Avars, and the Saxons (Snell, 2006). Charlemagne 4 His military strategy often included the use of heavy cavalry and a strategy of separating his army into two forces upon entering enemy territory so that he could envelope the enemy in a â€Å"pincer† type movement, attacking them from different directions. Charlemagne believed that by effectively using warfare he would be able defend his kingdom from potential enemies, increase the borders of his realm, and promote the spread of Christianity. Because of his exceptional military accomplishments on the battlefield including his willingness to lead from the front, Charlemagne deservingly earned the title of a â€Å"warrior king†, making himself a force to be reckoned with throughout western Europe as well as gaining the respect from the noble class which helped provide him with political leverage that he would later need to help him to unify the diverse population that he conquered.