The Carolingian Dynasty by Master Gunther von Leibzig, KoR

Merovingian kings had always been proclaimed by being raised on a shield in accordance with ancient Frankish pagan traditions. To legitimize himself in overthrowing these mystical, almost sacred figures, Pepin 'the Short' was anointed with holy oil and crowned king by Pope Zacharias at the Abbey of Saint Denis in 750 AD. Such ceremony had previously been reserved for the most sacred Christian rituals of baptism and priestly ordination. Following in Pepin's footsteps, Charlemagne continued a close alliance with the Christian church to establish the divine sanction of his reign, when he was crowned king in 771 AD, and later Emperor, in 800 A.D., by Pope Leo III. Despite his "divine right" of rule, Charlemagne held his empire together through a combination of adept political skills (including allowing conquered peoples to retain their distinctive laws and customs) and a powerful military presence. The following describes some of the prominent ethnic groups that contributed to the Carolingian military: The Franks formed the core of Charlemagne's personal army called the scara. Apart from being a hardened task-force of loyal troops, this scara also provided leadership for other, perhaps less reliable, warriors. There numbered roughly 3,000 horsemen with 8,000 infantry and auxiliaries in the standing army, and perhaps 100,000 additional militia readily available. Although even recently conquered peoples were subject to military service, the German-speaking Franks still experienced the greatest obligation for service. Failure to attend a general call to arms or lantweri was punishable by death. Failure to obey the less critical bannum could lead to a crippling fine called the heribannum, the size of which depended on an individual's wealth. Breton heavy cavalry were among the Carolingians' most effective non-Frankish troops. Breton horsemen operated in densely packed, but highly maneuverable groups using heavy spears, light javelins, swords, and relatively heavy armor. While their tactics were comparable to those of the Avars, they relied on javelins instead of arrows as they closed with their foes. The governor of Breton March, Roland, lost his life fighting for Charlemagne against Saragossa in Spain during the year 778 AD. This brutal skirmish was later immortalized in the Song of Roland. Before Charlemagne overthrew the Lombardic kingdom in northern Italy, the Lombards had been building up personal military forces of retainers known as gasindii. These were among the best-equipped troops in Europe. They were also particularly well trained and came to form the backbone not only of the Carolingian armies in Italy, but also of many invasion forces such as that which destroyed the Avar State in 796 A.D. Horses were more important in Lombard forces than in Frankish ones. While many battles were predominantly fought by calvary, archery was still an infantry affair. The Avars made a major contribution to the Carolingian military might. This lay not only in their role as a subordinate people following their defeat, but also in the new ideas and forms of military organization that they brought to Europe. Though normally fighting with lances and Chinese-style bows, their armored cavalry was more prepared to fight on foot than most steppe peoples. Among other technologies, their cast-iron stirrups and lamellar horse-armor were previously unknown in the Carolingian military. The Saxons, on the other hand, had almost nothing to offer in terms of military technology. Their tribal society, in four classes of nobles, freemen, bondsmen, and slaves, was comparable to that of the early Franks. Like the Christian Franks living east of the Rhine, these pagan Saxons wore little armor and fought with spear, sword, and axe. Though horse-raising was one of their main trades, they fought almost exclusively as infantry. After their final submission to Charlemagne in 785 A.D., the Saxons became liable for military service and took part in campaigns within four years. The old Germanic kingdom of Burgundy adopted Roman military customs more readily than did the Franks or those Germans who conquered Italy. Gallo-Roman troupes, some even retaining their unit identities, had been employed as mercenaries since the 5th century. The Burgundian army consisted almost entirely of professional soldiers, which was quite unusual at that time. Various northern Slavic tribes became Carolingian clients or vassals, even though the bulk of their people remained pagan. Most of these Slavic warriors fought on foot with spears, shields, and simple bows. Only their leaders were mounted. Among those who remained pagan, short or shaven hair was the rule, since only the high-priest of the idol Svantovit at the Arkona shrine was permitted to wear his hair uncut. Their other distinguishing feature was the use of light, long-hafted war-axes rarely seen in Frankish hands.