TOWARDS BETTER ORDER IN EUROPE 267

According to another writer, "with Charlemagne the
building of the modem world begins." With him the long
-spell of barbarism and anarchy seemed to have come to a
dose. His capitularies or statutes revealed his masterful
administrative abilities, and his personality was powerful
enough to regulate the conflicting interests between the reli-
gious and secular powers; while the cultural and intellectual
interest of Charles indicated a revival, not only of ordered
government, but also of civilisation. But his Empire could
not escape from the bane of all strong monarchies, viz. weak
•successors.

We need not study in detail the events that followed.
Charlemagne was succeeded by his son Louis the Pious, and
he by his three sons Lothaire, Charles, and Louis,—but not
without a war of succession. At the treaties of Verdun
(843) and Mersen (870) the vast dominions of Charle-
magne were divided into three kingdoms. Charles got the
"West-Frankish territories (constituting modem France), and
Louis the East-Frankish territories (comprising modern Ger-
many). To Lothaire was left the hinterland which has
•ever since been the bone of contention between France and
•Germany. The former was thoroughly Latinised and the
latter remained Teutonic. Meanwhile the whole of the
Frankish dominions were tending to be more and more
•disrupted, until a fresh effort was made towards union under
the leadership of Otto the Saxon (East Frank or German).

This was the beginning of the famous " Holy Roman
Empire" (962). It lasted, in anything like its original idea,
•only three centuries; but centuries of continual struggle
"between Pope and- Emperor, during the first of which (962-
1056) the Emperor prevailed, and during the last two—the
period of the Crusades (1056-1254)—the Pope triumphed.
After this, though the imperial title was retained by Teuton