Western Europe in the early Middle Ages (Franks & Vikings)

The End of the Roman Empire• The Germans lived in

tribes led by chieftains in military system called the Comitatus

• In 476, with a German as emperor, the Western Empire ends, beginning the Middle Ages (Medieval in Latin)

• With the end of the Western Roman Empire the people of Europe enter into a “Dark Ages” The German chieftain,

Odoacer, became emperor in 476

The Franks

http://www.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~vms/carlton/Medieval/medievaltext6.htm

users.ipfw.edu/gatesb/H113i.PPT

•Under Clovis the Franks conquer all of Gaul

•Clovis will divide the land he conquerors into smaller parts that will be ruled by counts or dukes

•He will combine German laws with the Roman legal system

•Clovis Video (minute :43)

Clovis and Catholicism•After winning a battle in which he almost lost, Clovis vowed to convert to Catholicism

•Clovis will be baptized by the pope and will fight Arian Christian tribes

•After his death, the Frankish Empire will be run by his relatives who lose power to Mayors of the Palace

Death of Clovis – 511 A.D.• Four Sons• Civil Wars• Mayor of the Palace• Charles “The Hammer”

Martel• Battle of Tours – 732 AD• Pepin – Anointed by

Pope• Helped Pope against

Lombards

The Carolingians

•Charles Martel, “The Hammer,” stops the Muslim invasion of Europe at the Battle of Tours in Spain.

•He will support St. Boniface’s missionary work among the Germans.

•Under his leadership most Germans convert from Arianism to Catholicism.

• Pepin ended the rule of the Merovingian

• With the pope’s support he will be crowned King of the Franks

• In return he defends the pope from the Lombards and gives the pope land

• The Donation of Pepin creates the Papal States

Pepin the Short

Pepin to Charlemagne

• Pepin dies 768 AD• Pepin had two sons• One died young• Charles – Charlemagne• Two goals were to:1. Bring Western Europe

under his rule.2. All Germanic people to

become Christian

Series of Wars to Reach Goals

• Defeated the Lombards• Attacked the Saxons• Fought the Muslims in

Spain• Fought non-Germanic

Tribes as well• Expands the Frankish

Empire to its greatest size

Ruling the Holy Roman Empire•To run the empire Charlemagne divides the land up into counties run by counts who are to protect the land from their manors

• To ensure that his orders were being followed and that there was justice in his empire Charlemagne created the Missi Dominici (the King’s Messengers)

• One nobleman and one bishop traveled the empire and made sure justice was met and the borders were safe from invasion

A Christian Empire• Counts – cared for local

problems• Journeyed throughout the

empire, to be amongst his people

• Church and Government very close

• Charlemagne increased the power of the pope and demanded that a tax be paid annually to the church (10% of one’s income = a tithe)• Charlemagne helped the Pope• The Pope helped Charlemagne• Declared Emperor

Alcuin of York

The Carolingian Renaissance•Charlemagne built churches and monasteries which will be centers of learning

•Alcuin of York will be hired to run a school for the children of nobles at Aachen

•Given many libraries had been destroyed due to war Charlemagne will order the monks to make copies of books, especially of the ancient Greeks and Romans

Education• Valued education unlike earlier Frankish rulers• Schools• Religion, Latin, music, literature and arithmetic• Hired Scholars• The Arts Flourished again

Collapse of the Empire

• Charlemagne died in 814 A.D.• Cared more about own estates than the

empire• Louis the Pious – Charlemagne’s son• Louis’s three sons• Treaty of Verdun – Lands split into three

• Germanic people

• Conquered modern France and Germany

• Clovis– first King of all FRANKS, converted to Christianity in 481

• Gave church 10% tax, called a tithe

• Used Missi Dominic (Counts) to keep order in his kingdom

• Made Aachen a center of learning

• Kingdom divided into three parts after Charlemagne’s death

• Division weakened empire’s unity

• Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims invaded

God himself has made me king.

I crown you Holy Roman

Emperor

Crowned HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR by the Pope

He prevented Muslims from

expanding into Europe.

He brutally put down a Saxon revolt and forced them to convert to Catholicism

Charlemagne’s Rise to Power

• Lifestyle was based on the sea. Vikings were pirates. To go “a-viking” meant to go on an overseas adventure. Men and women wore long hair. Married women were respected.

• Government: tribal units ruled by jarls

• Values: Culture of war --> blood feuds were common

• Education was not important

• Religion: worshipped many gods by crop and animal sacrifices

• Raided coastal villages throughout Europe, plundering, killing, burning and taking possessions.

• Lack of FARMLAND so needed to move!

• Europe was weak after Charlemagne’s empire fell apart.

• Viking longships and weaponry intimidated people of Europe.

• Vikings were experienced sailors, traders and explorers.

NORWAY

DENMARK

We can not stop the

Viking raids without a

strong central

government

• Viking power of intimidation kept Europe in a state of terror.

• Europeans looked to local lords to protect them.

• These raids contributed to the development of feudalism.

• Viking culture influenced some aspects of life in Europe.

DIFFERENT VIKING ROLES OF DANES, NORWEGIANS AND SWEDES

Vikings from Sweden, Norway and Denmark conquered different parts of the world.

The Swedes sailed eastward following the great rivers to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea sailing far inland to what is today Russia. The Swedes were called Rus, which might be the origination of the term, Russia.

The Norwegian Vikings traveled to the west in their adventuring. They discovered Iceland and Greenland, and may have sailed as far west as North America.

The Danes sailed west and south toward England, France, Ireland, Spain and Italy. One Dane, named Ivar the Boneless, put together a great army and attacked and conquered the northwest part of England. Rolf the Walker attacked the French coast; the French king turned over what is known as Normandy – Northman’s Land – in return for peace.

Suggested Routes of the Vikings2005 CE

Believed Migration of Vikings in America

Immigrant Song

Franks

Muslims

Vikings

Anglo-Saxons

Papal States

Magyars

In the Early Middle Ages