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[[File: Karl_Aachen_Rathaus.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Statue of Charlemagne at Aachen]]

Charlemagne or Karl “the Great” (ruled AD 768-814) is regarded by scholars and lay people alike as one of the greatest Europeans in history. Today, both the French and Germans claim him as one of their earliest known and most revered monarchs due to his great deeds and the fact that he was one of the best recorded early medieval European kings. The early medieval scholar Einhard wrote an account of Charlemagne based on the time he spent with the emperor and numerous statues and other works of art that depict the sovereign were scattered throughout western Europe, especially at the royal capital city of Aachen, which was where thirty-one German kings were later crowned as emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. What made Charlemagne “great” and the subject of Einhard’s biography, countless works of art, and numerous modern studies was his ability to pull Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the medieval period.

Charlemagne’s contributions to Europe cannot be overstated. Although he had a good template from which to build on thanks to his Frankish predecessors, Charlemagne showed incredible foresight and will as he brought stability back to Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire. His support of the Roman Catholic Church brought unity to much of the continent, which culminated with his coronation as the “Holy Roman Emperor” in 800 by Pope Leo III. Quite often Charlemagne used force to put recalcitrant Germanic tribes in line as he unified western Europe, but almost as important, although lesser known, were the economic initiatives he championed. The first Holy Roman Emperor also promoted a balanced economy based on free trade, industry, agriculture, and a monetary policy. As part of his monetary policy, Charlemagne championed silver as the standard currency in western Europe and also established a unitary system of weights and measures for coins and commodities. Finally, new farming techniques and technologies were introduced during Charlemagne’s reign that allowed the population of Europe to grow. Truly, Charlemagne’s economic policies allowed western Europe to emerge from the Dark Ages.

[[File: Europe_814.png|300px|thumbnail|left|Map of the Carolingian (Frankish) Empire at Charlemagne’s Death]]

[[File: Charlemagne_coronation.jpg|300px|thumbnail|right|Charlemagne Being Crowned the Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III]]

After Charlemagne assumed the Carolingian throne, he wasted no time instituting his ambitious plan to bring his kingdom out of the Dark Ages. Among the more important acts Charlemagne did early in his rule was the conquest and forced conversion of the Saxons in 785. For his efforts to spread Christianity in Europe, Pope Leo III rewarded Charlemagne by crowning him the “Holy Roman Emperor,” which became a title held by dozens of German kings during the Middle Ages. The emperor was also instrumental in reviving Hellenic ideas, promoting education and learning, and also his efforts to establish a reliably functioning government bureaucracy. <ref> Jotischky, Andrew, and Caroline Hall. <i>The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World.</i> (London: Penguin Books, 2005), p. 26</ref> One does not have to look far to see the influences Charlemagne left in medieval Europe, but often overlooked are the many economic ideas he advocated.

Before Charlemagne came to power, his Frankish ancestors were already noted for some of their far-sighted economic policies. Among those policies was the transition from using gold coins to silver coins for most day to day financial transactions in the 660s. The use of silver proved to be much more conducive for commercial transactions, which were increasing due to the Franks’ promotion of trade and commercial activities. The Frankish kings encouraged the establishment of market towns and trade fairs so that around the time silver became the standard coin currency, a thriving early free market economy was also alive and well, which Charlemagne took control. <ref> James, p. 85</ref>

[[File: Charlemagne.jpg|300px|thumbnail|left|Silver Coin of Charlemagne]]

Although the Carolingian Empire was a source of stability in the early Middle Ages and its economy was a big part of that, it was still an underdeveloped economy. Generally speaking, underdeveloped economies are comprised of four sectors – industry, commerce, monetary, and agriculture – which often overlap, at least they did in terms of the Carolingian economy. <ref> Misbach, Henry L. “The Balanced Economic Growth of Carolingian Europe: Suggestions for a New Interpretation.” <i>Journal of Interdisciplinary History</i> 3 (1972) p. 264</ref> As will be outlined below, Charlemagne focused his resources on creating this balanced economy, which eventually allowed the wool industry to dominate northern Europe’s economy in the High Middle Ages. <ref> Misbach, p. 266</ref>

Toward the latter part of Charlemagne’s reign, the three-field crop system was introduced to western Europe. In the system, farmers would leave every third field fallow in order to replenish the nutrients in the soil. Western European farmers soon learned that the technique was a big improvement on the Roman two-field system as they were able to get two harvests per year, even in the colder climates of the north. For example, barley, oats or legumes would be harvested in the fall, while barley, wheat, or rye was harvested in the spring. <ref> Jotischky and Hull, p. 75</ref> The three-field system was so successful that it was common well into the modern period throughout Europe and was duplicated in other areas of the world.

The Emperor Charlemagne is rightly remembered for his many accomplishments that made him one of the greatest monarchs in European history. Charlemagne brought stability back to Europe after the collapse of the Roman Empire and essentially provided a bridge from the Hellenic Civilization into what is known as Western Civilization. The emperor did this through force of arms and by forging an alliance with the Church, but almost as important were the economic policies he instituted. Charlemagne promoted a sound economic policy that resulted in a balanced economy that was able to withstand the vicissitudes of the Dark Ages. By promoting both local and long-distance trade, installing a sound monetary policy, and introducing new agricultural techniques and technologies, Charlemagne brought western Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the medieval period.