The Rise of Medieval Europe
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Transcript of The Rise of Medieval Europe
Frankish Rulers
The Rise of Medieval Europe
Invasions by German tribes had destroyed much of the Roman Empire
Trade slowed downCities, bridges, roads were crumblingLaw and order vanishedEducation almost disappearedMoney was no longer usedPeople stayed within tiny villages where
they were born, lived and died
By AD 500…
Because Western Europe had declined so badly, this period in history was originally called the DARK AGES
However, it is now recognized as a time of TRANSITION and the Latin words:
medium (middle) and aevum (age)were used to describe this time period
Dark Ages OR Middle Ages?
Ancient Times
Middle Ages
Modern Times
Classical Culture (Greeks and Romans)
Germanic Culture
Christian Beliefs
Roots of Medieval Culture
The Franks who settle into the areas of France and western Germany become the strongest Germanic group.
Their kings are named for the ruler Merowig.The Merovingian kings hold power until the
early AD 700’s
Merovingian Rulers
Clovis becomes king of the Franks in AD 481He is known to be a brutal and wily warriorHe became the first Germanic ruler to accept
CatholicismHis military victories and religious conversion
gave his throne stability and success.A century later, things start to fall apart when
his heirs begin fighting one another for land.Around AD 700, political power passes from…
Clovis
Kings Mayors of the palace
Charles Martel“Charles the Hammer”
became mayor of the palace in AD 741.
He defeated Muslim forces who threaten Europe.
This victory ensured that Christianity remained the dominant religion of Europe.
Other Merovingian RulersPepin the Short
•Backed by nobles and church officials, Pepin the Short (the son of Charles Martel) became king of the Franks.•He was anointed by the pope.•Because he had gotten the pope’s blessing, Pepin was expected to help the Church defeat its enemies.
Pepin’s son, Charlemagne became the Frankish king in 768AD
He was also known as Charles the Great Charlemagne doubled the borders of the
kingdom which now included Germany, France, northern Spain, and most of Italy – it was called the FRANKISH EMPIRE
Charlemagne wanted to revive education (since very people could read or write)
He educated his officials at a palace school in the capital city of Alcuin
His school helped provide western Europeans with a common set of ideas
Charlemagne
Charlemagne came to Rome and defended the Pope Leo III against Roman nobles.
As a reward, Leo crowned Charlemagne the new “Roman Emperor”
Charlemagne became the protector of the Church and ruler of much of western Europe
He relied on counts to assist him in government by solving local problem, stopping feuds, protecting the weak, and raising armies for the emperor
Royal messengers, called missi dominici, went on inspections once a year to make sure that the counts were doing a good job.
The Frankish Empire – A Christian Realm
Charlemagne’s forceful personality held the empire together until his death in 814AD
His son, Louis the Pious, could not run the empire well and when he died, Charlemagne’s three grandsons began to fight over control of the empire
The three brothers agreed to split the empire into three parts…
Collapse of the Frankish Empire
Western Region (present day France)Charles the Bald
Eastern Region(present day Germany)Louis the German
Middle Region(towards Italy)Lothair - became Roman Emperor
Charlemagne’s Empire Divided
There was a lot of internal disunity when the empire was divided up but…
There were a lot of groups that invaded the region from outside as well!
Invasions, Invasions and More Invasions
Muslims from North Africa seize Southern Italy and parts of Mediterranean Slavs march
from the East and invade central Europe
Magyars from Central Asia destroy their way westward…
From Scandinavia the Vikings traveled on their ships southward to seek riches and adventures
They were great traders, especially along the coastlines, using the sturdy ships to transport goods
They also explored and settled in many of the North Atlantic islands of Greenland and Iceland.
The Danes established the Viking state of Normandy in north-western France
The Swedes settled into present-day Ukraine and Russia
In Scandinavia, the Vikings worshipped many gods and told stories of their great deeds in epic sagas.
Viking Invasions
Invasions of Europe 800-1000
Vikings Magyars Muslims