Early Carolingian Warfare: Prelude to Empire
Lee Eysturlid|Bernard S. Bachrach
Without the complex military machine that his forbears had built up over course of eighth century, it would have been impossible for Charlemagne to revive Roman empire in West. Early Carolingian Warfare is first book-length study how Frankish dynasty, beginning with Pippin II, established its power and cultivated expertise order reestablish regnum Francorum, a geographical area late period includes much present-day France western Germany. Bernard Bachrach has thoroughly examined contemporary sources, including court chronicles, handbooks, histories manuals, establish early Carolingians used their legacy political techniques strategies forged imperial Rome regain control II successors were not diverted by opportunities financial enrichment short term through raids campaigns outside Francorum; they focused on conquest sagacious sensibilities, preferring bloodless diplomatic solutions unnecessarily destructive warfare, disdained glory own sake. But when deploy forces, operations brutal efficient. Their training was exceptionally well developed, included hand-to-hand combat, regimented troop movements, fighting horseback specialized mounted soldiers, execution lengthy sieges employing artillery. In sustain long-term strategy, relied model whereby soldiers recruited from among militarized population who required law serve immediate communities. The ability mass train large armies farmers urban-dwellers gave necessary lay siege old fortress cities dominated topography fresh accounts Charles Martel's defeat Muslims at Poitiers 732, Pippin's successful Bourges 762, demonstrating matter warfare there never European Dark Age ultimately enlightened some later Renaissance. upon surviving institutions, adopted antique technology, effectively utilized classical intellectual inheritance prepare way militarily Charlemagne's empire.
German Studies Review