Foundations of Medieval Europe

1
Foundations of Medieval Europe

• The German Kingdoms

2
The German Kingdoms

• During the early Middle Ages, small German
  kingdoms ruled Italy, Gaul, Spain, Britain, and
  North Africa
• These small kingdoms were constantly at war with
  one another
• Eventually the Kingdom of the Franks gained
  control of the Western Roman Empire

3
Roman Influence on Government

• The form of government used by the German tribes
  was simple compared to what the Romans had used
• The Germans depended on loyalty of their warriors
  instead of the Roman method of organized
  government
• The German tribes also had few government
  officials and few taxes

4
Roman influence on Gov. cont.

• German laws were based on custom instead of the
  extensive Roman law codes
• German laws were meant to prevent feuds between
  families
• Only written laws were lists of fines for
  specific crimes
• Theodoric, the Ostrogoth King, issued a
  simplified version of Roman law
• Many German kingdoms kept their customs and
  languages which eventually became modern English

5
Roman Influence on Gov. cont.

• The Christian Church preserved some Roman
  traditions in the German kingdoms
• Some Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity and
  new Christian communities were set up along Roman
  lines
• German kings relied on the clergy because they
  were the only educated people they had access to

6
The kingdom of the Franks

• The Franks emerged as the strongest kingdom in
  the early Middle Ages
• They lived in present-day Belgium and Germany
• King Clovis, the cunning, ruthless Frank leader,
  conquered lands from the Pyrenees Mountains to
  central Europe
• Clovis converted to Christianity

7
Kingdom of the Franks cont.

• Clovis converted because he believed that the
  support of the Church in Rome would make him more
  powerful than neighbouring leaders
• The neighbouring kings were Christians that
  belonged to the Arian sec, one of the earliest
  Christian sects
• This was seen as a heretic group

8
Kingdoms of the Franks cont.

• heretics untrue Christians
• The Church in Rome and its followers were now
  known as the Roman Catholic Church
• When Clovis died his lands were divided among his
  sons
• The power of the Franks diminished by the mid
  600s

9
Invasion by the Muslims

• In the 700s, the German Kingdoms faced invasion
  by the Muslims
• Muslims followed Islam, a religion founded in the
  Middle East in the 7th century
• They pushed into Europe through Spain and started
  to push into France
• Charles Martel, the Frankish Mayor of the Palace
  (the real ruler of the court) rallied the
  Christians against the invaders

10
Age of Charlemagne

• After defeating the Muslims, Charles Martel
  founded the Carolingian dynasty
• He began to organize a strong central government
• His son Pepin was elected king and his election
  was approved by the pope
• After Pepin died, his son Charles continued to
  build on his grandfather and fathers strong
  governments

11
Age of Charlemagne cont.

• During his long reign he impressed his
  contemporaries and earned the name Charlemagne or
  Charles the Great
• He conquered an empire that reunited most of the
  Western Roman Empire
• He won lands back from the Muslims in Spain
• He battled non-Christians in an effort to spread
  Christianity

12
Age of Charlemagne cont.

• In 800 Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the
  Romans by Pope Leo III
• He was an efficient, energetic ruler
• He kept firm control over the empire from his
  court at Aachen
• He recruited officials to carry out his policies
• His policies were designed to improve government
  and unify the empire

13
Age of Charlemagne cont.

• Missi dominici, or lords messengers, checked on
  local nobles who were responsible for justice and
  defense of their own lands
• Charlemagne helped established uniform laws and
  established judges to upholds those laws

14
Age of Charlemagne cont.

• Charlemagne promoted Christianity
• Supported the work of missionaries who converted
  the Saxons
• Encouraged the Church to organize parishes or
  rural districts
• The parishes were each run by a priest
• In order to support the parishes all Christians
  had to pay a tithe (10 of their income) to the
  church

15
A Revival of Learning

• Charlemagne encouraged education by inviting
  scholars from all over Europe to his court
• An Anglo-Saxon monk named Alcuin, set up a palace
  school to teach Charlemagnes children and the
  children of his nobles
• Charlemagne issued rules for the education of the
  clergy
• He ordered monasteries to establish schools and
  libraries where students could learn Latin

16
Revival of Learning cont.

• Monks also were responsible for making copies of
  the bible and the few surviving ancient Greek and
  Roman texts
• They also developed the art of Illumination and a
  clear written script known as Carolingian
  miniscule
• Charlemagne strengthened the foundations of
  medieval civilization by encouraging scholarship

17
A New Wave of Invasions

• Charlemagne's heirs weakened the empire by
  fighting among themselves
• In 843, Charlemagnes grandsons drew up the
  Treaty of Verdun that divided the empire into
  three kingdoms
• The fighting for control over these regions would
  effect events in Europe for 1000 years

18
Invasions cont.

• The division of the empire occurred at the same
  time as a new wave of invaders was attacking
  Europe
• The Slavs, the Magyars, and the Muslims were
  threats to the empire
• The biggest threat however was from the Vikings

19
Invasions cont.

• The Vikings
• The Vikings were farmers and traders that came
  from Scandinavia (present day Norway, Sweden, and
  Denmark
• A growing population is believed to have forced
  them to seek lands in other parts of Europe
• The king of the Franks gave an area in Northern
  France to some Viking raiders
• This area is known as Normandy which comes from a
  French word meaning men from the north

20
Invaders cont.

• Viking settlements
• Vikings explored, raided and traded in Eastern
  Europe, Iceland and Greenland
• In 1000, Lief Ericson travelled to Newfoundland
• In the 9th century the Vikings occupied part of
  England where they were known as the Danes
• The area they occuped became known as the Danelaw
  because they lived there under their own laws

21
Invaders cont.

• The invasions disrupted life in Western Europe
  but they did not completely destroy all the work
  of Charlemagne
• The church sent missionaries to convert the
  Vikings
• Under strong leaders the people of Western Europe
  resisted the invaders