charlemagne

Clovis rules the Germanic people of Gaul, known as the Franks (which is where "France" comes from)
in 496 he has a battlefield conversion - he and 3000 of his warriors become Christians
the Church in Rome likes this
by 511 the Franks are united into one kingdom, with Clovis and the Church working as partners

Church + Frankish rulers = rise in Christianity
In 520, Benedict writes rules for monks:
vows of poverty (live simply in monasteries) 
chastity (no marital relations)
obedience (listen to church superiors)
His sister Scholastica writes similar rules for nuns
they operate schools, maintain libraries, copy books

Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) goes secular (worldly power)
Church revenues are used to help the poor, build roads, and raise armies
This is a theocracy
Gregory's spiritual kingdom (Christendom) extends from Italy to England, from Spain to Germany

Clovis rules the Franks in Gaul until his death in 511
Most of the rest of Europe consists of smaller kingdoms (seven in England alone)
Clovis' descendants include Charles Martel, known as Charles the Hammer (great name!)
Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party from Spain at the Battle of Tours in 732 
(If he hadn't won, western Europe could have become part of the Muslim Empire - that's huge!)

Charles Martel's son is Pepin the Short
He works with the Church and is named "king by the grace of God” by the Pope  (Popes can do that?)
Pepin the Short dies in 768, leaving two sons
Son #1 - Carolman - dies in 771
Son #2 is Charles, known as Charlemagne, meaning Charles the Great
Six feet four inches of rocking ruling warrior greatness! 

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