Charlemagne and the Germanic Kingdoms

1-13-09

Invasions

The fall of Rome in 476 results in chaos

Constant warfare results in new trends Disruption of trade Downfall of cities Population shifts

Decline in Learning

Germanic invaders were illiterate Families left cities Knowledge of Greek lost Tribes had no written language But had oral traditions

Loss of Language

Under Roman culture Latin was common language

Germanic people mixed their language with Latin

Every region had a different unrecognizable language

Kingdoms Emerge

Government

Boundaries shifted and gov’t changed Family and loyalty more important

than citizenship Lived in small communities Germanic leaders led small armies of

loyal soldiers Obeyed leaders they respected –

would not follow an unknown leader

The Franks Clovis first great leader

of the Franks Wife was Christian –

wanted him to convert While fighting a battle

Clovis will convert if victorious

Baptized after – Church in Rome welcomes him – supports his conquests

Clovis unites the Franks

Questions

Why would the church welcome Clovis and support his conquests?

Who benefits from this relationship? What do the people who benefit get?

Christianity Spreads Leaders who had been converted

spread Christianity The church supports these leaders to

spread the faith Missionaries spread the word Mainly spread in former Roman

territories Also converted to get help against

Muslims

Rome and Christianity

Monasteries and Convents These were

religious communities in rural areas

Monks and Nuns lived here

Older monks had been like hermits

Benedict – set rules for monasteries

Rule of Saint Benedict Examples

Read the Handout – Lets make a list of what life is like for a monk

Prayer/Meditation Service to God Solitude Rigid Schedule

Gregory I Expanded papal power Becomes a secular

power in the world Used church money to

raise armies, repair roads, help the poor

Negotiated treaties The pope controls from

Italy to England Church kingdom

European Empire

Fall of Rome led to Roman territory splintering

Small kingdoms begin to unite Clovis first king unites what is now

France In Clovis’ kingdom major domo

(mayor of the palace) became more powerful than the king

Charles Martel

Was a major domo Extended the reign of Franks Stopped the invading Muslims

at Tours Stops the spread of Muslim

faith At death passed power to son

Pepin the Short

Pepin Wanted to be king Made agreement

with Pope to attack Lombards

In exchange Pope names Pepin king

Dies in 768

Charlemagne Charles the Great

becomes king in 771 Built Empire greater

than any since Rome and until Napoleon almost 1000 years later

800 Charlemagne attacks people invading Rome

Pope, in gratitude, crowns him Emperor

Government Limited the power of the

nobles Made sure wealthy

landowners were just Visited the whole kingdom Closely watched

everything on huge estates

Learning Revival

Charlemagne encourages learning Surrounds self with scholars Opened a palace school for nobles at

court Had monasteries open school

Fall of Charlemagne

After his death kingdom given to religious son Louis – weak ruler

Treaty of Verdun – divided the kingdom between three grandsons Lothair – Central Kingdom Charles the Bald – West Frankish

Kingdom Louis the German – East Frankish

Kingdom

Feudalism

Invaders

Rome fell due to invaders New groups begin to invade Europe Vikings – from Scandinavia Go through Russia into England and

Ireland Make it to Southern France

Viking Culture

Great warriors Also traders and Explorers Read the Handout

Vikings

Vikings

Magyars & Muslims

All Invaders