Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne

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Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne

• Many Germanic kingdoms succeeded the Roman Empire
  were reunited under Charlemagnes Rule

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Germanic Tribes 500- 1500 A.D.

• Germanic invasions in the western Roman Empire
  led to a series of changes is government,
  economy and culture.

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Invasions Trigger Changes in Western Europe

• Disruption of trade Business collapsed and the
  economy fails and money becomes scarce.
• Downfall of cities The cities lose their
  importance as centers for administration and
  economic activity.
• Population shifts Nobles retreated into the
  countryside. City dwellers fled to the rural
  areas and sought protection from the nobles.

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Cultural Changes

• Decline of Learning The knowledge of Greek and
  Latin was nearly lost. Very few people of this
  time could read and write.
• Loss of a Common Language The Latin language
  began to change as people from many areas began
  to mix. Many different dialects were developed.
  Eventually, whole new languages were formed.

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Concept of Government Changes

• There was a shift from the Roman concept of
  loyalty to the state toward loyalty to ones
  family. People no longer lived in crowded
  urban areas. They began to live in smaller
  communities.
• Warrior chiefs arose as the new leaders. Each
  chief was supported by his own band of warriors.
  They fought hard for their own chief but they
  had no loyalty to a chief that they did not know.

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Frankish King- Clovis

• In 496, Clovis led an army in a battle against
  another Germanic tribe. He appealed to the
  Christian God for victory.
• After the successful battle, Clovis and 3,000
  of his warriors asked to baptized into the
  Christian faith.

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The Church an the King

• After Clovis conversion, the Church welcomed him
  and began to support his military campaigns.
• By 511, Clovis had united the Franks into one
  kingdom.
• This cooperation between Clovis and the Church
  marked the beginning of an important partnership
  between the Church and earthly leaders.

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Germanic Peoples Adopt Christianity

• Politics played a key role in the spreading of
  Christianity.
• By 600, the Church, with the help of the Frankish
  rulers, had converted nearly all of the Frankish
  peoples.
• Monasteries were established throughout their
  kingdoms.

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St. Benedict

• Around 520, a monk , Benedict, began to write
  down the rules for monastic life. These rules
  became the guidelines for religious life
  throughout all of western Europe.

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St. Scholastica

• Scholastica was Benedicts sister. She became a
  nun and headed the first convent in Europe. She
  used Benedicts guidelines for women in religious
  communities

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Monasteries Become the Centers of Education

• Monasteries become Europes best-educated
  communities.
• The monks began to make beautiful copies of old
  religious writings. In this way they were able
  to preserve a little of Romes history and
  heritage.

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Pope Gregory I Expands Papal Power

• Under Gregory, the papacy became a worldly power
  involved in politics.
• The pope used Church revenues to raise armies,
  repair roads and help the poor.

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Expansion of Church Influence

• The pope also negotiated peace treaties.
• The Influence of the Church eventually led to a
  unification of most of Europe under the oversight
  of the Church. This was a spiritual kingdom,
  ruled by the pope.

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Charles Martel

• Charles Martel, as a major domo, had more power
  than the king that he served. He was able to
  extend the power of the Franks.
• His greatest accomplishment is that he defeated a
  raiding Muslim army at the Battle of Tours.

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Battle of Tours 732 A.D.

• The Battle of Tours is a defining moment in the
  history of Christendom.
• In this battle, Martels army halted the Muslim
  invasion of Europe and made Martel a Christian
  hero.

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Pepin the Short- king by the grace of God

• After Charles Martel died, his son Pepin
  became king.
• He cooperated with the Church to drive out the
  Lombards out of central Italy.

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The Church Crowns a King

• As a reward for his help, the pope crowned Pepin,
  king by the grace of God.
• This is a monumental moment in history as the
  Church takes the role of king maker.
• This is the beginning of the Carolingian Dynasty
  that ruled from 751 - 987

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Charlemagne

• Pepins son, Charlemagne become king in 771.
  
• He takes control of the whole Frankish empire.

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Charlemagne Takes Center Stage

• Charlemagne fought Muslims in Spain and other
  tribes from other Germanic kingdoms.
• He conquered new lands, spread Christianity and
  reunited much of the old western Roman Empire
  under his power.
• He became the most powerful king in western
  Europe.

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Coronation of Charlemagne

• In 800, Pope Leo III Crowned Charlemagne, Roman
  Emperor
• This event signaled the joining of Germanic
  power, the Church and the heritage of the Roman
  Empire.

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Charlemagnes Government

• Charlemagne strengthened his power by limiting
  the power of the nobles.
• He set up a system by which government agents
  made sure that the wealthy landowners,Counts,
  managed their counties fairly.

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Hands on King

• He visited all parts of his kingdom.
• He settled disputes, judged cased and rewarded
  faithful followers.
• He encouraged learning within his empire. He
  ordered monasteries to open schools to train
  future monks and priests.

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Louis the Pious

• A year before Charlemagne died, he crowned his
  son, Louis the Pious, emperor.
• He was a better monk than ruler.

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Louis Successors

• Upon Louis death, his three sons, Lothair,
  Charles the Bald and Louis the German, fought
  each other for control of the empire.
• To settle the dispute, the Treaty of Verdun was
  signed giving each brother a share of the
  kingdom. Charlemagnes empire became three
  kingdoms.
• Within a very short time, the Carolingian kings
  lost their power as central authority broke down.

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The End