[wardaddy]

Charlemagne is viewed historically as successful and his impact was lasting.....even if compromised.

Many historians view Napolean as an astute tactician with a suprising bent towards enlightened government. The fact that he was a determined hegemony enthusiast doomed him to defeat but that doesn't dimish him to the dustbin in my view.

Regards!

[weikel]

The thing that happened to Charlemagne is after he died everything that could have possibly happened to erase all the good he did happened. The civil war was probably to be expected I suppose Charlemagne could have prevented civil war by adopting the Ottoman custom and execute all but one of his sons but... that just wasn't gonna happen almost no one would do that. The Viking invasions and the Catholic Church suddenly (after some Pope Gregory something) getting all uppidity, deciding to horde all knowledge and claim supremacy over the secular rulers could not be anticipated.