The famous Warrior-King, Charles the Great, better known as Charlemagne. Throughout the European dark ages he conquered and built the largest Empire in Europe after the fall of the Western-Roman Empire. He brought about unprecedented reform and stability earning him the title - ‘Father of modern Europe.’
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Centuries Collide | Cody Crouch: Charlemagne - Making Rome Great Again | Centuries Collide | January 30, 2025
- - i am cody crouch.
- 00:00:01.758 --> 00:00:02.959
- I am traveling the globe uncovering the origins of the
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- Stuff we use every day.
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- On centuries collide we are re-creating some of history's
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- Greatest moments exactly how they happened.
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- Well almost exactly.
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- The gutenberg press.
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- This is history like you've never seen it before.
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- ♪ (music playing) ♪
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- Throughout history, the world has seen a lot of empires.
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- From the egyptian empire in which they worshiped the sun
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- To the british empire in which the sun never set, for
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- Thousands of years these empires have dominated the
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- World.
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- They shifted the global landscape and have been
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- Largely responsible for technology, innovation and
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- Even the spreading of religious and political
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- Philosophies.
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- Today we have different types of empires, we have sports
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- Empires, media empires, pharmaceutical, retail,
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- Technology empires, name any industry and there's a
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- Company that dominates its landscape.
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- But forget the corporations, people who run these companies
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- Are considered just as powerful as people who run the
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- Largest countries.
- 00:01:17.634 --> 00:01:19.035
- They are not just ceos, they are modern day emperors.
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- These corporations and their emperors control vast sectors
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- Of society and influence everything from the things you
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- Buy, to the politicians in office.
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- You no longer need military power to control the world.
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- All you need is money.
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- Throughout history to become an emperor money did not cut
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- It.
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- Before our modern era every empire was built using four
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- Things, crown, cash, cold hard steel, and the fourth was
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- Often overlooked.
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- A cause worth dying.
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- For one man, that cause was christianity, that led him to
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- Conquer most of western europe and establish the holy roman
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- Empire.
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- He was one of the most successful warrior kings in
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- European history.
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- His name was charles the great, but the emperor name
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- Was charlemagne.
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- Buckle up, it's time for centuries collide.
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- Today, apple and microsoft employees fortunately do not
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- Have to line up in a battlefield to duke it out.
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- Instead they fight each other through advertising.
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- And they expand their empires through beheadings and-- wait,
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- They expand their empire through market share and gross
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- Revenue.
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- Sorry the beheadings, that was charlemagne's thing.
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- In the eighth century you did not fight your enemies to
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- Simply expand your bottom line, you dominated your
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- Enemies in the name of your god.
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- Because we all know, just about every war ever fought
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- Was waged around religion.
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- Even today, religious wars are fought all over the world.
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- And if we look back through time, especially into the
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- Medieval times, not much changes.
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- You see, in the eighth century, europe looked a lot
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- Different.
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- Italy, germany, switzerland, france, spain, it did not
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- Exist yet at the time of charlemagne, the lands of
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- Western europe were known as frankia and controlled by the
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- French.
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- Now, you're going to hear the term franks thrown around a
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- Lot in this episode, so let me break it down for you.
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- In the term franks was given to the germanic tribes that
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- Settled in the northern parts of the roman empire.
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- After the fall of rome in 325 a.d., it was for frank's turn
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- To build an empire of their own.
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- So, after 300 years of mergers, acquisitions and
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- Bloody civil wars, the franks ended up expanding their
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- Territory quite extensively.
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- This expanded territory became known as the frankish kingdom.
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- Which brings us to the father of charlemagne pepin the
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- Short.
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- The main thing you need to know about pepin is he
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- Officially established the carolingian dynasty with a
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- Little help from the pope.
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- Pepin defeated the lombards and was
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- Crowned king in 751.
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- - that's it?
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- Okay that's it?
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- That's it?
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- I was expecting a little bit more there.
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- After his coronation he donated a ton of modern day
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- Northern italy to the papacy.
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- Now the pope pulled a fast one on for pepin by dressing up a
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- Document called the donation of constantine.
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- Which was supposedly written by emperor constantine
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- Himself.
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- Mail.
- 00:04:48.244 --> 00:04:49.645
- This is important to pay attention.
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- The donation of constantine basically meant that you could
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- Be king because the pope allowed it.
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- And as long as you knew that the pope had ultimate
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- Authority over your right to reign, everything would be
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- Ship shape much like a corporate board allows a ceo
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- To run the company.
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- Special delivery.
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- - what is it?
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- - it's the donation of constantine.
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- - i don't know what that is what i do?
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- - you are supposed to read it.
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- - go this way and then you are sign it.
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- - okay i can just sign it.
- 00:05:24.881 --> 00:05:26.082
- - pepin accepted this agreement but what he didn't
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- Know being uneducated, basically illiterate, was that
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- This document was a complete forgery, it was simply a
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- Clever scheme by the papacy to seize power.
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- On september 24, 768, king pepin passed away and split
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- His kingdom between his two sons.
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- Charlemagne and his younger brother carloman.
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- Now, like many inherited family businesses or in this
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- Case kingdoms, it was almost doomed from the very
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- Beginning.
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- Let's just say the two brothers did not exactly get
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- Along.
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- Carloman was basically the hippie brother and opposed
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- Military intervention.
- 00:06:10.960 --> 00:06:12.261
- While charlemagne was like yo, slaughter is my
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- Specialty.
- 00:06:16.666 --> 00:06:17.433
- - my specialty.
- 00:06:17.433 --> 00:06:19.869
- - a nearly disastrous family feud began over charlemagne's
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- First marriage to a lombard princess.
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- This marriage was so short and unsuccessful, that we are not
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- Even sure what the poor prince's name was.
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- But her father, the king of the lombards, was so upset
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- Over the whole situation that he hit up carloman,
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- Charlemagne's younger brother.
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- And was like you, your brother refused my daughter.
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- Dishonored my family, so i'm a little ticked.
- 00:06:49.398 --> 00:06:53.469
- Do you want to start a revolution and take him out?
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- - you know man, you know i am chilling.
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- - come on man.
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- - too busy you know?
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- Dropping dead.
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- - as fate would have it in 771,
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- Carloman suddenly dies, no brother, no civil war.
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- The entire frankish kingdom was now under charlemagne's
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- Will.
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- He could now focus on returning his small family
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- Business, kingdom, into an empire.
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- - yeah they are.
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- We just need...
- 00:07:37.246 --> 00:07:39.282
- - this is a takeover.
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- A corporate takeover.
- 00:07:41.284 --> 00:07:45.154
- Kill them.
- 00:07:45.154 --> 00:07:47.790
- - he spent the first part of his reign on military
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- Campaigns, borders, and crushing rebellions.
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- Diplomacy was not his strong suit.
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- At first his expansion of the kingdom was not done in the
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- Name of christianity but rather security.
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- According to historian cw hollister, these initial
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- Campaigns were not for the purpose of evangelism at all.
- 00:08:08.578 --> 00:08:11.213
- [indiscernible] says that charles led his armies on
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- Yearly campaigns as a matter of course only gradually did
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- He develop a notion of christian mission in a program
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- Of unifying and systematically expanding the christian west.
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- So if christianity was not his reason for expanding his
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- Kingdom, how did charles develop a notion of christian
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- Mission?
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- How did it go from just war, to holy war?
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- Remember in the medieval times, you needed things to
- 00:08:42.912 --> 00:08:46.816
- Expand your empire.
- 00:08:46.816 --> 00:08:48.117
- A crown, cash, a massive army, and a cause worth dying for.
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- Charlemagne had three of the four and his fourth came up
- 00:08:54.023 --> 00:08:57.960
- When a saxon raid party burned down a church.
- 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:02.865
- This first major military campaign was called the saxon
- 00:09:02.865 --> 00:09:06.402
- Wars, waged from the year 772 to 804.
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- The saxons were a germanic people split into several
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- Tribes who all worshiped a wide selection of norse gods.
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- Which to charlemagne and christian europe was a serious
- 00:09:17.847 --> 00:09:22.084
- No-no.
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- Historically the franks and saxons have always been on
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- Friendly terms with trade routes amongst their
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- Territories, but all that changed when the saxons burned
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- Down the church.
- 00:09:32.962 --> 00:09:34.697
- - an attack on the house of god is an attack on god
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- Himself.
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- Which is then an attack on me.
- 00:09:38.434 --> 00:09:42.571
- Charlemagne believed that an attack on the house of god was
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- An attack on god himself.
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- Charlemagne uses attack as a catalyst tool to unleash holy
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- Fury upon the saxons.
- 00:09:52.381 --> 00:09:54.950
- In retaliation charlemagne sent his army into saxon to
- 00:09:54.950 --> 00:09:59.088
- Destroy the tree of [indiscernible].
- 00:09:59.088 --> 00:10:01.057
- - cut it down.
- 00:10:01.057 --> 00:10:02.158
- - my pleasure.
- 00:10:02.158 --> 00:10:06.228
- - this was a real big deal.
- 00:10:06.228 --> 00:10:10.166
- You see the pagan tree represented the sacred tree of
- 00:10:10.166 --> 00:10:13.903
- Life in norse mythology.
- 00:10:13.903 --> 00:10:16.105
- At the height of the saxon wars the battered saxon army
- 00:10:16.105 --> 00:10:20.342
- Rallied behind a warrior leader named [indiscernible]
- 00:10:20.342 --> 00:10:23.746
- Which translates to the child of the forest.
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- He was brave and ruthless, but was heavily outnumbered by
- 00:10:26.482 --> 00:10:30.753
- Frankish forces.
- 00:10:30.753 --> 00:10:32.388
- When he was captured by charlemagne he refused to
- 00:10:32.388 --> 00:10:35.091
- Submit and receive baptism which resulted in an event
- 00:10:35.091 --> 00:10:39.095
- Called the massacre [indiscernible] where
- 00:10:39.095 --> 00:10:41.764
- Charlemagne is said to have had 4500 saxon warriors
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- Executed on a single day.
- 00:10:46.836 --> 00:10:52.074
- - here are the terms of our servants.
- 00:10:52.074 --> 00:10:55.177
- - thank you for the papers.
- 00:10:55.177 --> 00:10:56.612
- I'm sure they are very nice.
- 00:10:56.612 --> 00:10:58.547
- Unfortunately, you still have to die.
- 00:10:58.547 --> 00:11:03.085
- What the what?
- 00:11:03.085 --> 00:11:06.689
- Over the next 33 years, 18 total campaigns will be fought
- 00:11:06.689 --> 00:11:13.662
- In saxon territory resulting in their forced conversion
- 00:11:13.662 --> 00:11:17.767
- From paganism to christianity.
- 00:11:17.767 --> 00:11:24.607
- You are now converted.
- 00:11:25.174 --> 00:11:25.975
- Please proceed with conversion.
- 00:11:25.975 --> 00:11:30.446
- - congratulations you are converted.
- 00:11:30.446 --> 00:11:34.016
- - this conqueror and convert tactic would trademark
- 00:11:34.116 --> 00:11:36.852
- Charlemagne's military campaigns.
- 00:11:36.852 --> 00:11:39.488
- And no one in history used this method as effectively or
- 00:11:39.488 --> 00:11:42.925
- As ruthlessly as charlemagne.
- 00:11:42.925 --> 00:11:46.762
- During the saxon conquest, charlemagne had the military
- 00:11:46.762 --> 00:11:50.366
- Might to conduct conflict in other parts of europe as well.
- 00:11:50.366 --> 00:11:53.502
- In 774, the pope sent him a plea for help.
- 00:11:53.502 --> 00:11:59.508
- The pesky lombards were once again harassing the people
- 00:12:00.676 --> 00:12:03.946
- States in northern modern-day italy.
- 00:12:03.946 --> 00:12:06.916
- Charlemagne marched over the alps and took the lombard of
- 00:12:06.916 --> 00:12:10.085
- Pavia, he basically pulled a corporate takeover and became
- 00:12:10.085 --> 00:12:14.290
- King of the franks and the lombards.
- 00:12:14.290 --> 00:12:17.326
- Again, expanding his kingdom and his power.
- 00:12:17.326 --> 00:12:21.230
- In 796, he went east toward the avars and took the capital
- 00:12:21.230 --> 00:12:26.135
- Fortress known as the ring.
- 00:12:26.135 --> 00:12:28.637
- After taking the ring, the territories to the north and
- 00:12:28.637 --> 00:12:32.274
- South wanted little to no bloodshed and started
- 00:12:32.274 --> 00:12:36.145
- Deferring to his rule and became tributary states of the
- 00:12:36.145 --> 00:12:39.448
- Frankish kingdom.
- 00:12:39.448 --> 00:12:40.850
- Think of tributary states as franchises.
- 00:12:40.850 --> 00:12:43.485
- Smaller branches that pay an annual fee to be a part of the
- 00:12:43.485 --> 00:12:47.022
- Big business.
- 00:12:47.022 --> 00:12:48.357
- So at this point, the frankish kingdom was officially at its
- 00:12:48.357 --> 00:12:53.362
- Largest.
- 00:12:53.362 --> 00:12:54.129
- So why is this all important?
- 00:12:54.129 --> 00:12:56.298
- It sounds like another guy trying to conquer the world.
- 00:12:56.298 --> 00:12:58.868
- Well what separates charlemagne from every other
- 00:12:58.868 --> 00:13:02.938
- Conqueror was his administrative expertise.
- 00:13:02.938 --> 00:13:05.307
- Remember the whole not good at diplomacy thing?
- 00:13:05.307 --> 00:13:08.210
- Well that changed big time.
- 00:13:08.210 --> 00:13:10.779
- Charlemagne became a master of administration.
- 00:13:10.779 --> 00:13:14.283
- Basically ran his country like a fortune 500 company.
- 00:13:14.283 --> 00:13:18.721
- ♪ (music playing) ♪
- 00:13:18.721 --> 00:13:21.056
- - on today's agenda we need to talk about vacation days and
- 00:13:21.056 --> 00:13:26.228
- The sick leave.
- 00:13:26.228 --> 00:13:27.329
- Would anybody else like to add to the agenda? -
- 00:13:27.329 --> 00:13:31.066
- Yes i wonder if we can maybe talk about adding a 401 (k)
- 00:13:31.066 --> 00:13:35.704
- Plan to our benefits package.
- 00:13:35.704 --> 00:13:37.306
- I think it would really boost morale.
- 00:13:37.306 --> 00:13:41.410
- - you know what would boost my morale?
- 00:13:42.278 --> 00:13:43.812
- If i had a cup of coffee.
- 00:13:43.812 --> 00:13:45.781
- - charlemagne was able to maintain his rule over such a
- 00:13:45.781 --> 00:13:49.418
- Large area due to his organizational structures.
- 00:13:49.418 --> 00:13:52.187
- - i hereby knight you as an assistant to the regional
- 00:13:52.187 --> 00:13:55.925
- Manager.
- 00:13:55.925 --> 00:13:57.760
- I hereby knight you director of waste disposal.
- 00:13:57.760 --> 00:14:05.668
- Bye-bye.
- 00:14:05.968 --> 00:14:07.403
- He delegated responsibilities to capable managers throughout
- 00:14:07.403 --> 00:14:11.206
- His kingdom in the form of envoys, counts, earls and
- 00:14:11.206 --> 00:14:14.576
- Dutchess.
- 00:14:14.576 --> 00:14:15.444
- This was a brand-new concept.
- 00:14:15.444 --> 00:14:19.148
- And revolutionized the way territories in europe would be
- 00:14:19.148 --> 00:14:22.117
- Managed for virtually the next 1000 years.
- 00:14:22.117 --> 00:14:25.421
- His middle management ensured that his memos or orders would
- 00:14:25.421 --> 00:14:30.426
- Be implemented and enforced in the respective territories.
- 00:14:30.426 --> 00:14:34.396
- And get this, they even held mandatory annual conferences
- 00:14:34.396 --> 00:14:38.701
- In which they discussed religious, political and
- 00:14:38.701 --> 00:14:41.637
- Military matters.
- 00:14:41.637 --> 00:14:42.604
- Mr. ber, thanks for being here with us.
- 00:14:42.604 --> 00:14:46.308
- We are at a critical part of our story, charlemagne is
- 00:14:46.308 --> 00:14:51.080
- Expanding his empire, implementing these reforms,
- 00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:55.351
- And then all of a sudden he gets crowned holy roman
- 00:14:55.351 --> 00:14:58.921
- Emperor.
- 00:14:58.921 --> 00:15:00.255
- What do you think the world needs to know about
- 00:15:00.255 --> 00:15:03.625
- Charlemagne?
- 00:15:03.625 --> 00:15:06.662
- [speaking german]
- 00:15:06.662 --> 00:16:39.555
- - was charlemagne a good ruler?
- 00:16:39.555 --> 00:16:41.857
- [speaking german]
- 00:16:41.857 --> 00:18:30.432
- - fantastic mr. ber, thank you.
- 00:18:30.432 --> 00:18:33.235
- ♪ (music playing) ♪
- 00:18:33.235 --> 00:18:38.407
- - despite the war, bloodshed, and forced conversion, the
- 00:18:38.407 --> 00:18:44.213
- Organizational and political reforms that charlemagne
- 00:18:44.213 --> 00:18:47.182
- Implemented during his rule brought about one of the most
- 00:18:47.182 --> 00:18:50.586
- Significant moments in early european history.
- 00:18:50.586 --> 00:18:53.422
- Called the carol aegean renaissance.
- 00:18:53.422 --> 00:18:56.592
- You see, before charlemagne, education was not a priority
- 00:18:56.592 --> 00:19:01.029
- For anyone.
- 00:19:01.029 --> 00:19:02.331
- Even loyalty and clergymen were largely illiterate.
- 00:19:02.331 --> 00:19:06.435
- Because of this, charlemagne put an unprecedented value on
- 00:19:06.435 --> 00:19:10.405
- Education, language, and literature.
- 00:19:10.405 --> 00:19:14.109
- It's been said that learning had no more friend than
- 00:19:14.109 --> 00:19:19.248
- Charlemagne.
- 00:19:19.248 --> 00:19:20.482
- - welcome to reading one on one.
- 00:19:20.482 --> 00:19:21.683
- If you do not know how to read i will teach you.
- 00:19:21.683 --> 00:19:24.753
- Number one rule, i before e, except after c.
- 00:19:24.753 --> 00:19:29.091
- Such as any word die.
- 00:19:29.091 --> 00:19:31.960
- See, d-i-e. don't you see?
- 00:19:31.960 --> 00:19:38.033
- Laugh please.
- 00:19:38.033 --> 00:19:43.272
- - he believed to properly interpret scripture one must
- 00:19:43.272 --> 00:19:48.410
- Command the language and be fluent in latin.
- 00:19:48.410 --> 00:19:51.947
- In fact charlemagne forced his nobleman to get an education
- 00:19:51.947 --> 00:19:56.084
- Even to the point of physical coercion.
- 00:19:56.084 --> 00:19:59.755
- Now remember class this is a safe space.
- 00:19:59.755 --> 00:20:02.858
- There are no wrong answers here.
- 00:20:02.858 --> 00:20:06.728
- Except when you write nine.
- 00:20:07.396 --> 00:20:09.231
- He may have conquered his kingdom with the sword, but he
- 00:20:09.231 --> 00:20:14.236
- Connected his kingdom through scholarship.
- 00:20:14.236 --> 00:20:17.606
- - you get the education, you get the education you c
- 00:20:17.606 --> 00:20:21.076
- Get education.
- 00:20:21.076 --> 00:20:21.743
- You don't.
- 00:20:21.743 --> 00:20:22.511
- You get education.
- 00:20:22.511 --> 00:20:24.346
- Education for almost everybody.
- 00:20:24.346 --> 00:20:25.981
- - because of this new policy a new generation of churchmen
- 00:20:25.981 --> 00:20:30.319
- All across europe including here in germany were educated
- 00:20:30.319 --> 00:20:33.722
- To a much higher standard than before.
- 00:20:33.722 --> 00:20:35.724
- He also implemented a single currency, and even a singular
- 00:20:35.724 --> 00:20:41.229
- Writing system called carolingian minuscule.
- 00:20:41.229 --> 00:20:43.732
- Which introduced the idea of uppercase, and lowercase
- 00:20:43.732 --> 00:20:47.436
- Letters.
- 00:20:47.436 --> 00:20:49.504
- He did a lot more than just demand everybody do book
- 00:20:49.504 --> 00:20:52.341
- Reports, during his reign he implemented the organization
- 00:20:52.341 --> 00:20:56.111
- Of agriculture production, he standardized weights and
- 00:20:56.111 --> 00:20:59.548
- Measurements and expanded his trading ventures in areas
- 00:20:59.548 --> 00:21:02.784
- Around the north and baltic seas.
- 00:21:02.784 --> 00:21:04.553
- He even protected merchants from robbery.
- 00:21:04.553 --> 00:21:08.357
- These economic and social initiatives were motivated by
- 00:21:08.357 --> 00:21:13.061
- His moral convictions.
- 00:21:13.061 --> 00:21:15.130
- These ideas stimulated the economy and limited social
- 00:21:15.130 --> 00:21:19.334
- Unrest throughout his kingdom and across europe.
- 00:21:19.334 --> 00:21:22.904
- While charlemagne was making huge improvements around
- 00:21:22.904 --> 00:21:25.874
- Europe, the catholic church was once again in the middle
- 00:21:25.874 --> 00:21:29.511
- Of a huge scandal.
- 00:21:29.511 --> 00:21:31.947
- In the year 800, pope leo the third was accused of adultery,
- 00:21:31.947 --> 00:21:36.685
- And perjury.
- 00:21:36.685 --> 00:21:37.919
- He claimed his innocence but at one point was attacked by
- 00:21:37.919 --> 00:21:41.623
- An angry mob and nearly had his eyes and tongue ripped out
- 00:21:41.623 --> 00:21:46.495
- Of his head.
- 00:21:46.495 --> 00:21:47.195
- It sounds like a mafia hit.
- 00:21:47.195 --> 00:21:49.264
- And it basically was.
- 00:21:49.264 --> 00:21:51.500
- It forced the pope to flee rome and come here to germany
- 00:21:51.500 --> 00:21:57.005
- To seek protection from charlemagne.
- 00:21:57.005 --> 00:22:00.375
- Now, this was a unique predicament, you see the pope
- 00:22:00.375 --> 00:22:05.180
- Was accused of wrongdoing right?
- 00:22:05.180 --> 00:22:07.182
- So who in the world has the authority to pass judgment on
- 00:22:07.182 --> 00:22:11.319
- God's appointed representative on earth?
- 00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:14.623
- The only answer to that question would have been an
- 00:22:14.623 --> 00:22:17.793
- Emperor.
- 00:22:17.793 --> 00:22:19.027
- But there was no emperor in the west, and there hadn't
- 00:22:19.027 --> 00:22:21.496
- Been for 300 years since the fall of the roman empire so
- 00:22:21.496 --> 00:22:25.200
- The catholic church appointed the only logical person to
- 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:28.603
- Preside over the pope's trial.
- 00:22:28.603 --> 00:22:32.674
- Charlemagne.
- 00:22:32.674 --> 00:22:33.642
- See i did not do anything wrong.
- 00:22:33.642 --> 00:22:35.844
- When the coast was clear, charlemagne traveled back to
- 00:22:35.844 --> 00:22:42.517
- Rome with the pope for the trial.
- 00:22:42.517 --> 00:22:44.386
- And on december 23, the year 800, the pope was found
- 00:22:44.386 --> 00:22:48.523
- Innocent and cleared of all charges.
- 00:22:48.523 --> 00:22:51.059
- Now, here's where things get interesting.
- 00:22:51.059 --> 00:22:55.397
- Two days later of the year 800, charlemagne walks into
- 00:22:55.397 --> 00:22:59.901
- St. peter's basilica for christmas mass, and he's
- 00:22:59.901 --> 00:23:04.306
- Ambushed.
- 00:23:04.306 --> 00:23:06.041
- It was said that when an unassuming charlemagne knelt
- 00:23:06.041 --> 00:23:09.010
- To pray at the altar, the pope swiftly placed the imperial
- 00:23:09.010 --> 00:23:13.081
- Crown on charlemagne's head, making him the first holy
- 00:23:13.081 --> 00:23:17.252
- Emperor.
- 00:23:17.252 --> 00:23:18.386
- So not much changed for charlemagne after being
- 00:23:18.386 --> 00:23:23.859
- Crowned emperor, other than a rebrand of the frankish
- 00:23:23.859 --> 00:23:29.231
- Kingdom, to the holy roman empire.
- 00:23:29.231 --> 00:23:33.869
- ♪ (music playing) ♪
- 00:23:34.436 --> 00:23:38.840
- From a religious standpoint it basically made him the secular
- 00:23:38.840 --> 00:23:40.876
- Protector of the church.
- 00:23:40.876 --> 00:23:42.177
- Charlemagne was granted the necessary legal authority to
- 00:23:42.177 --> 00:23:45.647
- Dish out a whopping to anyone who conspired against the
- 00:23:45.647 --> 00:23:49.417
- Papacy.
- 00:23:49.417 --> 00:23:50.552
- It officially made him the guardian of the catholic
- 00:23:50.552 --> 00:23:53.755
- Christian, giving him equal status to the byzantine empire
- 00:23:53.755 --> 00:23:56.591
- Rivals in constantinople.
- 00:23:56.591 --> 00:23:58.793
- - i made him charles the great, remember it's because of me.
- 00:23:58.793 --> 00:24:03.265
- - for the pope there were several political motivations
- 00:24:03.265 --> 00:24:06.067
- Behind crowning charlemagne emperor.
- 00:24:06.067 --> 00:24:08.770
- Number one, it was a power play.
- 00:24:08.770 --> 00:24:11.506
- The pope wanted to assert his authority over charlemagne.
- 00:24:11.506 --> 00:24:14.709
- After constantine the great, the pope always claimed
- 00:24:14.709 --> 00:24:18.513
- Authority over kings and emperors.
- 00:24:18.513 --> 00:24:21.283
- Also by giving the imperial crown as his own personal gift
- 00:24:21.283 --> 00:24:25.253
- He was basically saying hey, i might have been humiliated by
- 00:24:25.253 --> 00:24:28.557
- Accusations of sexual misconduct and getting kicked
- 00:24:28.557 --> 00:24:31.192
- Out of rome begging you to save me, hey i'm still pope
- 00:24:31.192 --> 00:24:34.863
- Enough to make you emperor.
- 00:24:34.863 --> 00:24:36.164
- Number two, from a military standpoint, the pope wanted an
- 00:24:36.164 --> 00:24:40.802
- Emperor that could go toe to toe but the byzantine empire
- 00:24:40.802 --> 00:24:44.306
- East.
- 00:24:44.306 --> 00:24:45.840
- Number three, there was a real opportunity to possibly unify
- 00:24:45.840 --> 00:24:50.779
- The entire roman empire.
- 00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:52.814
- Both east and west this would have made pope leo's holy
- 00:24:52.814 --> 00:24:56.718
- Empire the largest christian empire since constantine the
- 00:24:56.718 --> 00:25:00.589
- Great.
- 00:25:00.589 --> 00:25:01.756
- Regardless of the pope's motivation, charlemagne saw
- 00:25:01.756 --> 00:25:05.293
- His coronation as yet another massive paragraph,
- 00:25:05.293 --> 00:25:09.698
- Remember the donation of constantine that tricked his
- 00:25:09.698 --> 00:25:12.834
- Father pepin the short?
- 00:25:12.834 --> 00:25:14.936
- The papacy tried it again, same scheme, different pope.
- 00:25:14.936 --> 00:25:19.307
- Only this time he saw and was like no, i will take the crown
- 00:25:19.307 --> 00:25:23.945
- And the title, but i am not signing the papers and thus
- 00:25:23.945 --> 00:25:27.449
- Completely avoided the interference with the pool.
- 00:25:27.449 --> 00:25:30.585
- - the pope tricked my father.
- 00:25:30.585 --> 00:25:33.021
- He will not trick me.
- 00:25:33.021 --> 00:25:35.690
- The new holy roman empire under the leadership of
- 00:25:35.690 --> 00:25:38.526
- Charlemagne continues to grow in power and influence
- 00:25:38.526 --> 00:25:41.429
- Throughout the world.
- 00:25:41.429 --> 00:25:42.731
- For the last 10 years of his life, religious reform became
- 00:25:42.731 --> 00:25:47.335
- His main focus.
- 00:25:47.335 --> 00:25:48.503
- A reform that motivated changes in behavior for all
- 00:25:48.503 --> 00:25:53.274
- Members of his empire.
- 00:25:53.274 --> 00:25:54.609
- - hello everyone thank you for coming to my powerpoint
- 00:25:54.609 --> 00:25:57.245
- Meeting.
- 00:25:57.245 --> 00:25:58.480
- We were going to have this over zoom but had technical
- 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:01.116
- Issues but this is better.
- 00:26:01.116 --> 00:26:02.684
- People are around.
- 00:26:02.684 --> 00:26:03.785
- Reform ideas.
- 00:26:03.785 --> 00:26:07.422
- We have conduct legal reform, jurisdictional changes.
- 00:26:07.422 --> 00:26:12.427
- Slight list.
- 00:26:12.427 --> 00:26:14.362
- First one conduct.
- 00:26:14.362 --> 00:26:17.766
- We need to love our brother and sister, we need to be more
- 00:26:17.766 --> 00:26:20.802
- Christian like.
- 00:26:20.802 --> 00:26:22.404
- If you do not, i will kill you personally.
- 00:26:22.404 --> 00:26:27.509
- Next slide.
- 00:26:27.509 --> 00:26:29.010
- Legal reform.
- 00:26:29.010 --> 00:26:30.578
- Molly knows all about this.
- 00:26:30.578 --> 00:26:31.713
- You can go get the file up front and it'll tell you
- 00:26:31.713 --> 00:26:34.949
- Everything you need to know.
- 00:26:34.949 --> 00:26:37.585
- Next slide please.
- 00:26:37.585 --> 00:26:40.321
- Jurisdictional changes.
- 00:26:40.321 --> 00:26:42.323
- Borders borders borders, we need to make changes to the
- 00:26:42.323 --> 00:26:45.560
- Border.
- 00:26:45.560 --> 00:26:46.728
- We have to go over that in-depth for the next five
- 00:26:46.728 --> 00:26:49.230
- Hours you listen to me.
- 00:26:49.230 --> 00:26:50.765
- Again without these changes, europe would not have the
- 00:26:50.765 --> 00:26:54.502
- Organizational fortitude to withstand and repel islamic
- 00:26:54.502 --> 00:26:58.540
- Invaders, just a few centuries later.
- 00:26:58.540 --> 00:27:01.876
- In the year 813, at the age of 72, charlemagne passed away of
- 00:27:01.876 --> 00:27:07.182
- Natural causes.
- 00:27:07.182 --> 00:27:08.349
- His renewal of the roman empire and west provided the
- 00:27:08.349 --> 00:27:12.287
- Ideological foundation of a politically unified europe.
- 00:27:12.287 --> 00:27:16.991
- An idea that has inspired european leaders ever since.
- 00:27:16.991 --> 00:27:21.996
- Sometimes even with unfortunate consequences.
- 00:27:21.996 --> 00:27:27.235
- Two of europe's most infamous leaders have tried to claim
- 00:27:27.235 --> 00:27:31.172
- Charlemagne's legendary status.
- 00:27:31.172 --> 00:27:33.675
- Napoleon once said i am charlemagne to people that
- 00:27:33.675 --> 00:27:38.346
- Were visiting from france.
- 00:27:38.346 --> 00:27:39.481
- And even hitler had charlemagne's imperial crown
- 00:27:39.481 --> 00:27:43.618
- Moved to [indiscernible] during world war ii to somehow
- 00:27:43.618 --> 00:27:47.422
- Legitimize his political authority.
- 00:27:47.422 --> 00:27:50.992
- Charlemagne is arguably the most important king europe is
- 00:27:50.992 --> 00:27:54.696
- Ever seen.
- 00:27:54.696 --> 00:27:55.930
- He united wildly different territories and ethnicities
- 00:27:55.930 --> 00:27:59.567
- And while they may have been conquered by force, they were
- 00:27:59.567 --> 00:28:02.470
- Kept together by his administrative expertise.
- 00:28:02.470 --> 00:28:06.407
- After the fall of rome europe lost hundreds of years of art,
- 00:28:06.407 --> 00:28:11.513
- Culture, and basic life skills that threw europe into chaos
- 00:28:11.513 --> 00:28:17.051
- For centuries, until charlemagne.
- 00:28:17.051 --> 00:28:19.821
- And in one of the darkest ages in human history he rose to
- 00:28:19.821 --> 00:28:24.526
- Power and provided stability for western europe.
- 00:28:24.526 --> 00:28:30.498
- While we may not have empires or emperors in the traditional
- 00:28:30.498 --> 00:28:34.035
- Sense anymore, we can still rule our personal lives by one
- 00:28:34.035 --> 00:28:37.539
- Of the mantras of charlemagne.
- 00:28:37.539 --> 00:28:39.674
- He once said do justice fairly.
- 00:28:39.674 --> 00:28:42.610
- Correctly, treat orphans, widows, send all others
- 00:28:42.610 --> 00:28:47.315
- Without fraud, corruption, obstruction, or delay.
- 00:28:47.315 --> 00:28:51.452
- Be humble and good to one another.
- 00:28:51.452 --> 00:28:53.688
- And be faithful to your lord.
- 00:28:53.688 --> 00:28:55.089
- I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty good to me.
- 00:28:55.089 --> 00:28:59.527
- We'll see you next time.
- 00:28:59.527 --> 00:28:59.527