EUROPEAN MIDDLE AGES 476 AD 1500 AD The slaw decline of the Roman Empire marked the beginning of a new era in European history. This period is called the Middle Ages. It lasted from around 500 to 1500. It was a time of political chaos.
Civilization indeed decline, but it did not disappear. From 500 to 1000 AD a new kind of society gradually took shape in Europe with 3 roots of medieval culture: the classical heritage from Rome the beliefs of the Roman Catholic church the customs of the various Germanic tribes. The mixture of these elements eventually produced new pattern of life in Western Europe-called Feudalism.
Objectives ch.13/sec.1 1. The effects of the Germanic invasions on the Western Roman Empire. 2. Germanic ideas about government and the first Frankish king. 3. How Christianity spread among Germanic people. 4. The rise of the Frankish kingdom. 5. The rise and fall of the Charlemagne s empire.
1. The effects of the Germanic invasions on the Western Roman Empire. By the end of the fifth century, various Germanic groups invaded the Roman Empire in the west. These invasions led to a series of changes: Trade collapsed Town declined Population shifts Learning declined
2. Germanic Kingdoms Emerge Germanic kingdoms replaced Roman provinces and centralized government declines. Unlike the Romans, Germanic peoples lived in small communities and were governed by unwritten rules and traditions.
In the Roman province of Gaul, a Germanic people called Franks held power. Clovis,a Frankish leader, creates a united kingdom by 511 and spreads Christianity.
Clovis I ( 466 511) Clovis, was the first king of the Franks to unite all of the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the form of leadership from a group of royal chieftains to rule by a single king and ensuring that the kingship was passed down to his heirs. He was also the first Christian king to rule Gaul, known today as France.
3. Germanic People Adopt Christianity By 520, Benedict an Italian monk and his sister Scholastica created a strict practical rules for monasteries and convents. Monasteries and convents in Europe became centers of learning. By 600, Christianity spreads in Europe through politics and missionaries. Under Pope Gregory I, the Church becomes a political as a spiritual power.
Gregory I Expend Papal Power In 590, Gregory I, became pope. As a head of the church he increases the authority of the papacy. Under Gregory the papacy also became secular, or worldly, power involved in politics.
Charlemagne In 800 AD Charlemagne was the most powerful king in Western Europe. He made his kingdom larger than any other known since ancient Rome. Revived the idea of empire- he strengthened royal power by limiting the power of his nobles. He brought well-read men to his court to revive the learning.
Questions- ch.13 sec.1 1. Recognizing effect: How did the fall of the Roman Empire lead to disorder in western Europe 2. Why there was a need for new political and military arrangements in western Europe?- 3. Why did the people need to turn to local leaders for help?- 4. Which are the reasons for the development of feudalism?- 5. What valuable role did monasteries play during this time of chaos? - 6. What were the three main groups of feudal society? 7. What were Charlemagne s most notable achievements?-
Answers: 1 1. Strong government vanished; the economic life was abandoned, and learning in decline. 2. The control of land was the key to feudalism. The feudal system was based on the exchange of land for protection and services. 3. The attacks by Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars made the life in western Europe difficult. 4. There was no strong government or army to protect the lives and the property of the people. Kings and queens were weak and had little power; common need for local government, local protraction and local economic self-sufficiency; landowners were very powerful and usually wealthy nobles who managed to keep their lands, wealth and castles. 5. Kept learning alive; represented an orderly, religious way of life. 6. Those who fought were the nobles and knights; Those who prayed were the officials of the church; Those who worked were the peasants serfs. 7. Reuniting the Western Europe; Spreading Christianity; Encouraging learning; governing effectively.
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