Western European civilization during the reign of Charlemagne was a unique fusion of Judeo-Christian, Classical, and Germanic heritage. There is much evidence as to how such a merger occurred, my belief is that Charlemagne's conquest of lands, political alliances and reinvigoration of Rome and its ancient authority is what made his period of rule so unique when it came to the fusion of so many cultures and heritages. Charlemagne was a master at uniting the German kingdoms and a great warrior as he conquered and unified much of Europe with his military campaigns. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The very first war Charlemagne won was the War of Aquitaine, started by his father Pepin long before his death. Einhard's portrayal of Charlemagne showed a great will within him to set his goals and not give up until those goals were achieved. Charles refused to leave the war unfinished. The War of Aquitaine was only the first of many wars that Charles would win, but this shows how his first victory came about and set the stage for the rest of his reign. Charles continued with many more wars, one which I found particularly interesting was the Saxon War. The Saxons were a fierce people, but they were very different from the Franks in terms of religion, more precisely the Saxons detested the Catholic religion and openly violated it without shame. The Saxons had been conquered again and again, and each time with the promise that they would obey Charlemagne's rule, but they continued to resist and go back on their word. Charlemagne in exchange decided to transfer 10,000 men and their families to the countryside of Gaul and Germany. The war ended on the condition that the Saxons converted to Christianity and joined the Franks to form a single people. This is important, because it is one of the many examples of how Charlemagne integrated the territories he took possession of, thus creating a fusion of peoples. "These are the wars which the most powerful King waged with such prudence and success over various lands for forty-seven years. In those years he so nobly increased the Kingdom of the Franks that it had almost doubled in size" (Two Lives, p.28) . This is fascinating, because of all the territories he conquered, Charlemagne had integrated much of these territories with his people and his religion. Charlemagne had also increased his territory and glory not only through war, but also through friendship. He used friendship with foreign kingdoms to provide relief to poor Christians living in poverty. This was just another demonstration of his devotion to the Christian faith. He had gained allies in other kingdoms through his generosity and friendly relations. The Irish kings made him their lord, and the king of Galacia and Asturias declared himself a "subject" of Charlemagne. I believe this evidence attests to Charlemagne's eye for politics, which made him ideal for the expansion and amalgamation of the Frankish kingdom which he obviously feared. There was a Greek proverb of the time that said “Have a Franco as a friend, not as a neighbor”. Even though he apparently terrified foreigners, he was very welcoming and even began to learn other languages ​​such as Latin and Greek. “He took great care in receiving them (the foreigners), so much so that their large number rightly seemed a burden not only to the palace, but also to the kingdom. But due to his greatness of soul he was not affected in the slightest, since the praise of his generosity and his good reputation repaid him for his great effort” (Two Lives, p. 34). The love he had for foreigners me, 2018.