Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne

1
Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne
2
Germanic Kingdoms Arise

• German warriors were not loyal to emperors
  administrators whom they had never met
• Instead, loyalty rested with personal ties
• Made establishing an orderly govt impossible

3
Clovis I and the Franks

• Clovis was leader of Germanic people of Gaul,
  known as the Franks
• - Converted to Christianity
• - United Franks into one kingdom

4
(No Transcript)
5
Germans Adopt Christianity

• The Church Monasteries
• - Monks gave up possessions to live in these
  religious communities
• - Women nuns

6

• Italian monk Benedict wrote book describing rules
  for monasteries
• Scholastica wrote book for nuns
• Monasteries became Europes best-educated
  communities
• 1) Opened schools
• 2) Maintained libraries
• 3) Copied books

7
Pope Gregory I

• Broadened authority of the papacy
• Made papacy secular (worldly) power involved in
  politics
• Church used to raise armies, repair roads,
  help poor
• Idea of churchly kingdom ruled by pope was
  central theme of Middle Ages

8
An Empire Evolves

• Franks controlled the largest most powerful of
  Europes kingdoms
• Official known as major domo, or mayor of the
  palace, became most powerful person
• - Charles Martel (the Hammer) was major domo
• - Defeated Muslims in Battle of Tours

9
The Carolingians

• At his death, Charles Martel gives power to his
  son, Pepin the Short
• Pepin cooperated w/pope because he wanted to be
  king
• - Agreed to fight the Lombards who threatened
  Rome
• Pope anointed Pepin king by the grace of God
• Thus, the Carolingian Dynasty began

10
Pepin. Short.
11
Charlemagne Becomes Emperor

• Pepins son Charles the Great ruled the kingdom
  after his death
• Built great empire
• - Fought Muslims and Germanic kingdoms
• - Conquered new territories spread
  Christianity

12
Charlemagne Becomes Emperor

• Crowned emperor by the pope

13
Charlemagne Leads a Revival

• Strengthened his royal power by
• limiting the authority of nobles
• Sent out royal agents to ensure that landholders
  (counts) governed justly
• One of his greatest accomplishments was the
  encouragement of learning
• - Opened palace school
• - Schools for future monks priests

14
Illuminated Manuscripts
15
Charlemagnes Heirs

• Charlemagne crowned son Louis the Pious as
  emperor before his death
• Louis was ineffective as ruler
• Louis left three sons to bicker over control of
  the Empire
• Treaty of Verdun divided empire into three
  kingdoms
• - Resulted in loss of power authority ?
  Emergence of feudalism