Pippin the Short

Pippin the Short was the King of the Franks from 751 to 768 AD. He is notable for being the first king of the Carolingian dynasty and the father of Charlemagne, who would later expand the Frankish kingdom significantly. Pippin rose to power after deposing the last Merovingian king, securing his rule with the blessing of the Pope, which helped establish a strong connection between the Frankish throne and the church. His reign marked the beginning of a significant transformation in European history, paving the way for the rise of medieval kingdoms and the eventual Holy Roman Empire.