Charlemagne, or Charlemagne, reigned during a time of great turmoil and upheaval in Europe during the Middle Ages. Charlemagne's background and family history contributed much to his rise to power. The triumphs of his past lineage prepared him to assume the task of governing the Frankish empire and defending it from invaders. Charlemagne accomplished much during his supremacy. He not only brought education back to medieval Europe, but also invented an efficient way to govern his people. His conquests against the Holy Roman Empire's numerous adversaries expanded his empire across much of Europe. His conquests also formed strong ties between the Catholic Church and the state. Charlemagne's drive to convert Europe's primitive, pagan tribes to Christianity nearly obliterated the Saxons, with whom he fought for most of his reign. The coronation of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor created a turning point in history. Within a few years of his death, however, his once great empire was nothing. Charlemagne's reign as king of the Franks and as Holy Roman Emperor greatly influenced the course of Europe during the Middle Ages. The history of Charlemagne's family and how he came to power had a great effect on how Charlemagne came to power. In the year 481 AD, a warrior named Clovis claimed the title King of the Franks (Abrams 185). He died in the year 511, and each of his four sons received a share of his small Frankish empire (Abrams 185). Clovis' death would then provide a clear gateway to securing Charlemagne's fate as the future ruler of the Franks. Clovis' sons, not wanting to inherit the task of being a Frankish ruler, therefore appointed... half of the document... South Carolina: BJU, 2007. PrintDavis, Jennifer R. Charlemagne's Practice of Empire. Claves, St Ives plc., 2015. Print.Dersin, Denise et al. What life was like in the age of chivalry. Virginia: Time Life Inc., 1997. Print.Jenkins, Phillips. The lost history of Christianity. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2008. Print.Phillips, Jonathan. Holy Warriors. New York: Random House, 2009. Print. Online Resources "Charlemagne." UXL Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Network. May 5, 2015.CloudBiography. "Biography of Charlemagne". YouTube. YouTube, LLC. May 30, 2012. Web. May 12, 2015."Charlemagne." Discovering the biography. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Network. May 19, 2015."Charlemagne." Myths and legends of the world. Ed. John M. Wickersham. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2000. Web. 19 May 2015.