Western Civilization Reflection Paper # 5

How did the rulers of early medieval Europe like Charlemagne, Otto of Saxony, Alfred the Great, and William the Conqueror set certain precedents for their emerging nations? Well for starters, Charlemagne did bring a whole lot to the table. The only significant thing I got out of him was the fact that he split his empire into â€Å"countries†, with a total of 300 counts watching those territories. Otto brought his German self, and conquered all of the â€Å"Holy Roman Empire†. He starts the election process.Otto gets recognized by the Byzantines and Constantine, and then finally the pope recognizes him as well. That in and of its self shows that Otto was a legit ruler! Alfred has to survive in bog-like territory for a while. He was bookish, literate, big reader, fairly religious, and an effective warrior using guerilla warfare tactics. He finally takes back his kingdom and is recognized as the first official King of England. It shows that he was able to tough it out, and was a strong ruler when he took back his kingdom.Edward was eccentric, and obsessed with death. He also did not sire any sons or daughters. He builds the first cathedral, which is located in Westminster. Got to love dudes that are eccentric! He actually reminds me of Dumbledore from Harry Potter. ? William was tall, over 6 feet. William got stuff done, and didn’t take no nonsense from no one. That is where he got his boring yet ruthless reputation. William ends up battling for England, and wins which is no surprise. William ends up creating a good system of which the government ran.