The Frankish Empire The Frankish Empire started off as a cluster of small kingdoms in what today is France. It was united by Clovis I who founded the Merovingian Dynasty. However, the more famous dynasty of the Frankish Empire was the Carolingian Dynasty. The first Carolingian King, Charles Martel, was famous for defeating the Muslims at the Battle of Tours. It is this battle that many believe was the reason why Europe did not become Muslim because Charles Martel managed to push the forces back into Muslim Spain and thus earned the respect of the Pope. However, by far the most famous King was Charlemagne also called Carolus Magnus or Charles the Great. Charles expanded the empire from modern-day France to the Czech Republic, Italy, and Germany. Charlemagne also was on a quest to convert pagans to Christianity. However, he did it with brute force, for example, when he killed 4,500 Saxons during the Saxon Wars. But Charlemagne did more than just conquer, he also promoted learning among the peasants. In 800, he got Pope Leo to declare Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor. When Charlemagne died in 814, his son Louis the Pious took the throne. He was also known however, for protecting Francia from the Vikings, who were plundering Northern Europe for centuries. Now the Frankish Empire did not run-on primogeniture, the idea that the oldest son would inherit the kingdom. Instead, Louis had to split the Empire into 3 parts for his 3 sons. So, the Frankish Empire had to be split and so ended the only hope of a restored Rome. If you want to learn more about the collapse of the Carolingian Empire, I recommend watching a video made by Extra Credits. These guys make phenomenal videos on history so check them out. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ1jkjfRKJM .