Final answer:
Charlemagne gave pagans the choice to convert to Catholic Christianity, often through force as part of his conquest. Conversion to Christianity in Europe was not solely forceful; it involved integrating pagan practices into the Christian fold, a strategy employed by Christian missionaries with the support of secular rulers like Charlemagne.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Charlemagne conquered pagan subjects, he gave them the choice to convert to Christianity, specifically to Catholic Christianity. While some conversions happened willingly, in the interest of establishing better political relationships with Christian rulers, Charlemagne also exemplified the tendency for forced conversions through military might. Indeed, by the eleventh century, the spread of Christianity across Europe was nearly complete, with the West practicing Latin Christianity and the East, Orthodox Christianity.
The strategy of the time was not to destroy pagan practices altogether but to integrate them subtly with Christianity. This pragmatic approach by Christian missionaries and secular rulers such as Charlemagne made it easier for paganism to be reshaped into Christianity. This strategy was evident in the work of missionaries all across Europe, who were instructed to repurpose, rather than battle, pagan religious practices. The old pagan temples, for example, were not torn down but consecrated and reused for Christian worship.
Charlemagne's method of converting conquered peoples was reflective of the larger pattern in which Christianity was spread throughout Europe, not through an all-powerful, centralized institution, but through the flexibility of missionaries and the support of secular rulers.