Does Trump Follow Charlemagne’s Peerless Christian Leadership?

Suddenly, it seems President Donald Trump has entered into a new heightened period of leadership which can only be described as both muscular yet spiritual, an expression of unprecedented pro biblical military maneuvers. Of course, this has always been his ideal. But now, it appears Donald is increasingly directed by his own Christian convictions, and of his cabinet, whose goals obviously include destroying as much global evil as possible for the next 3 years. This essay is a general discussion of The Donald compared to the unparalleled Charlemagne, with a more nuanced essay, to follow.

See, Life of Charlemagne;

“Charlemagne (c.742-814), also known as Karl and Charles the Great, was a medieval emperor who ruled much of Western Europe from 768 to 814. In 771, Charlemagne became king of the Franks, a Germanic tribe in present-day Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and western Germany. He embarked on a mission to unite all Germanic peoples into one kingdom, and convert his subjects to Christianity. A skilled military strategist, he spent much of his reign engaged in warfare in order to accomplish his goals. In 800, Pope Leo III (750-816) crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans. In this role, he encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance, a cultural and intellectual revival in Europe. When he died in 814, Charlemagne’s empire encompassed much of Western Europe, and he had also ensured the survival of Christianity in the West. Today, Charlemagne is referred to by some as the father of Europe.”

Now, there are other spiritual leaders in the history of mankind who’ve had a similar inclination towards the Jesus of forgiveness, wedded to the Christ of Judgment, but perhaps none as successful as Charlemagne aka Charles the Great. But, also in the running, consider King David, who is second to none in bravery and dedication to God. Further, now with Trump’s exceptional impact of his spiritual convictions applied to the world's most powerful fighting force--the impact is unprecedented. The potential for positive change will hopefully also be gloriously successful.

One of the most significant aspects of Charlemagne’s leadership is, first--its Christian foundation, and second--the incredible success he experienced while building arguably the first truly Christian state in continental Europe. And so, it is rightly claimed Charlemagne is the Father of Europe. This by way of defense, education, economics, societal acquisition and building a Christian state. Hard to beat, but it seems Trump is trying.

Now, much like The Donald, Charlemagne was tall and imposing…

“He was truly a warrior king in a way that is almost unmatched before or since, spending almost the entirety of his thirty-year reign at war. His style was to ride at the head of his men surrounded by his heavily-armoured Spoila bodyguards, brandishing his famous sword Joyeuse. Given his record as a commander, this alone must have been a huge morale blow for his enemies.”

Yes, Charlemagne wasn’t just tall and athletic, but extremely dedicated to war to build his empire to be as strong and Christian as possible. Reminiscent of how Trump is unafraid to mention his Christian beliefs.

Further “The ideal warrior chief, Charlemagne was an imposing physical presence blessed with extraordinary energy, personal courage, and an iron will. He loved the active life--military campaigning, hunting, swimming--but he was no less at home at court, generous with his gifts, a boon companion at the banquet table, and adept at establishing friendships. Never far from his mind was his large family: five wives in sequence, several concubines, and at least 18 children over whose interests he watched carefully. Although he received only an elementary level of formal education, Charlemagne possessed considerable native intelligence, intellectual curiosity, a willingness to learn from others, and religious sensibility--all attributes which allowed him to comprehend the forces that were reshaping the world about him. These facets of his persona combined to make him a figure worthy of respect, loyalty, and affection; he was a leader capable of making informed decisions, willing to act on those decisions, and skilled at persuading others to follow him.”

Again, in Life of Charlemagne,

“Once in power, Charlemagne sought to unite all the Germanic peoples into one kingdom, and convert his subjects to Christianity. In order to carry out this mission, he spent the majority of his reign engaged in military campaigns. Soon after becoming king, he conquered the Lombards (in present-day northern Italy), the Avars (in modern-day Austria and Hungary) and Bavaria, among others. Charlemagne waged a bloody, three-decades-long series of battles against the Saxons, a Germanic tribe of pagan worshippers, and earned a reputation for ruthlessness. In 782 at the Massacre of Verden, Charlemagne reportedly ordered the slaughter of some 4,500 Saxons. He eventually forced the Saxons to convert to Christianity, and declared that anyone who didn’t get baptized or follow other Christian traditions be put to Death.

"In his role as a zealous defender of Christianity, Charlemagne gave money and land to the Christian church and protected the popes. As a way to acknowledge Charlemagne’s power and reinforce his relationship with the church, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans on December 25, 800, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. As emperor, Charlemagne proved to be a talented diplomat and able administrator of the vast area he controlled. He promoted education and encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of renewed emphasis on scholarship and culture. He instituted economic and religious reforms, and was a driving force behind the Carolingian minuscule, a standardized form of writing that later became a basis for modern European printed alphabets. Charlemagne ruled from a number of cities and palaces, but spent significant time in Aachen. His palace there included a school, for which he recruited the best teachers in the land. In addition to learning, Charlemagne was interested in athletic pursuits. Known to be highly energetic, he enjoyed hunting, horseback riding and swimming. Aachen held particular appeal for him due to its therapeutic warm springs.”

And so, Charlemagne was much like Trump in a number of ways. First, motivated by his faith, and always seeking to make his kingdom more Christian. Second, dedicated to use war to destroy his enemies to protect his people and to build a stronger empire--and to convert pagans, even by sword!. Third, he sought to generally build his empire’s economy, education and government activities to leave a truly great empire behind.

Now, in details from his life, Charlemagne was using his faith, imagination, patriotism and family to create the best place on earth, located in Europe. Next we will examine more specifics detailing how great leaders often think alike.

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