History of the Empire of the Franks

The empire emerged from the Frankish realm, Frankia, which had recently incorporated the Kingdom of Lombardy. Charlemagne's death in 814 resulted in a series of partitions that led to what is now France and Germany being formed. Though the Franks recognized distinct kingdoms, Regna, they acted as if all belonged to a common political order. The Holy Roman Empire never had precisely defined outer limits because it regarded itself as a singular universal order encompassing Christendom.