The day a child becomes chosen

Winter, 753: Pope Stephen II leaves Rome to make the arduous journey across the Alps. The reason for this desperate act: The Frankish ruler Pippin III is his last hope in the struggle against the Lombards, who threaten to invade Rome. Stephen’s appeal is heard: On July 28, 754, the pope and the king agree on a pact that will forever change the balance of power in Europe. Pippin becomes protector of Rome; in return the pope anoints him and his son Charlemagne. The new alliance makes the 7-year-old the mightiest ruler of the Middle Ages. His Holy Roman Empire lasts almost 1,000 years. Historian Alexander Demandt says: “Charlemagne created the first state system in Central Europe and therefore the prerequisite for the history of Europeans.”