The accession of Charlemagne signalled the commencement of a 'new epoch' in Western European military activity. Offensive
campaigns were undertaken, larger and more ambitious than anything seen under Pepin and Charles Martel that re-established the Carolingian hold on the
military and political organization of Western Europe. This paper assesses the preparation of military
campaigns in regard to the recruiting, mobilisation, equipping and feeding of vast numbers of men and examines how
the issues of geography and availability were dealt with. It uses the capitularies as evidence, looks at the role of 'missi' and addresses the argument of feudalism in the medieval state.