Charlemagne's early campaigns (768-777) : a diplomatic and military analysis / by Bernard S. Bachrach.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bachrach, Bernard S., 1939-2023.

Series:

History of warfare ; v. 82.

History of warfare, 1385-7827 ; v. 82

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814--Military leadership.

Charlemagne.

Charlemagne, Emperor, 742-814.

Military art and science--Europe--History--To 1500.

Military art and science.

Military history, Medieval.

History.

Command of troops.

Europe.

Physical Description:

xv, 723 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Leiden : Brill, 2013.

Summary:

Charlemagne's Early Campaigns is the first book-length study of Charlemagne at war. The neglect of Charlemagne's campaigns and the diplomacy that undergirded them has truncated our understanding of the creation of the Carolingian empire and the great success enjoyed by its leader, who ranks with Frederick the Great and Napoleon among Europe's best military men. The critical development here of the numerous narrative and documentary sources, combined with the systematic use of the immense corpus of archaeological evidence, is applied here, in detail, for the first time in order to broaden our understanding of Charlemagne's military strategy and campaign tactics. Charlemagne and his advisers emerge as very careful planners, with a through understanding of Roman military thinking, who were dedicated to the use of overwhelming force in order to win whenever possible without understanding bloody combat. Charlemagne emerges from this study, to paraphrase an observation attributed to Scipio Africanus, as a military commander and not a warrior. Upon receiving his AB degree in History and Classical languages, Professor Bachrach earned his MA and Ph.D. in Medieval History and archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley (1966). A fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, he is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Minnesota. Among his many articles and monographs are Fulk Nerra and Early Carolingian Warfare. Book jacket.

Contents:

Two kings: Charlemagne and Carloman

Italy in flux: opportunities and problems

The Saxon War: phase one

The unwanted war

The Siege of Pavia

The fall of Pavia and its aftermath

The Saxon War: phase two

The Friuli diversion

The "end" of the Saxon War

Integration of the Saxon territory

Conclusions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [654]-689) and index.

ISBN:

9789004224100

9004224106

OCLC:

824727025