Charlemagne deserves the appellation "great." As an adept military leader, an innovative administrator, a promoter of learning and a significant political figure, Charlemagne stood head and shoulders above his contemporaries and built a true empire. Although that empire did not last, its existence and his leadership changed the face of Europe in ways both striking and subtle that are still felt to this day.
http://historymedren.about.com/od/carolingianempire/a/charlesgreat.htm
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