Early Medieval c. 5th century - 1400 CE Carolingian Empire: c. 768-877
The Disintegration of the Carolingian Empire
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Transcript of The Disintegration of the Carolingian Empire
The Disintegration of the Carolingian Empire
Louis the Pious• Continued policy of
monastic reform– Benedict of Aniane
• Two marriages, four sons– Rebellion
• Oath of Strasbourg• Treaty of Verdun• Fragmentation of
trade networks
Disunity and Partition• What were some of
the reasons for the collapse of the Carolingian Empire?
• What were some of the consequences of that collapse?
InvasionsVikings• Why did the Northmen
begin to prey on their neighbors at about this time?– Population pressure;
political reasons (Harald Finehair)
• How extensive was their reach? – Varangian Guard
• What made them so frightening?
• Raids led to invasions
Responses to Vikings• Rollo, first duke
of Normandy, 911
• Plate 4.1 The Jelling Monument
• Alfred the Great– Danelaw
Fragmentation and Disorder
• Magyars: horsemen from Hungary– Battle of Lechfeld, Otto the Great
• Slavs and Avars– Conversion: Slavic Orthodox Church
Byzantium under Justinian
Byzantine Empire: 10th century
Basil II’s conquests
Division and struggle• Theme system: localized
military support (7th c onward)
• Central imperial government vs. local rulers (“Dynatoi”), 10th century– Struggle for control over
resources of countryside– Cities, which had gone into
decline, had begun to experience a resurgence
• Sourcebook 4.2 Romanus Lecapenus Novel
• Iconoclasts vs. iconodules– Shifted in support
with sympathies of emperors (Irene an iconodule)
– Two outbreaks: 8th century and early 9th century
The Rus• Originated with
Scandinavian traders– Centered at
Novgorod, then south at Kiev
• Bordered by Khazars (converted to Judaism)
• Converted to Christianity through Vladimir– Marriage to
Byzantine princess, Basil II’s sister
• Conversions:– Polish to Roman
Catholicicsm– Hungary to
Catholicism– Khazars to Judaism– Bulgars to Islam– Rus to Eastern
Orthodox Christianity
• 4.11 The Russian Primary Chronicle
The Islamic World• Abbasid Dynasty (750-
1258)– Displaced Umayyads– Capital established at
Baghdad– Arabian Nights (early
10th century)– Islamic Renaissance
• Dissatisfaction, fragmentation– Fatimids in Egypt,
Shi’ites
• Attacks on Sicily, southern Italy from North Africa; also southern France, Spain
• What were the results of these attacks? (hint: not all negative!)
• Shi’ites: imams, mahdi • Toleration of Jews
The End of the World?• Y1K: Apocalypse
When• Dhuoda’s manual
to her son• Cluny 910• Peace of God
• Characterize the mood of apocalypticism as the millenium approached. How did the corruption of the church contribute to this mood?– Takeover of church
lands by local nobles– Simony– Papal office
• John XII