The Middle Ages

500 ce to 1450 ce

German Influence

• The Germans introduced their own culture to the old Roman Provinces

• The Germans did not continue the Roman tradition of education, technology, or government.

• The Germans did bring their own religious traditions and did introduce monarchies.

Cultural Diffusion

Germans• German law states that

crimes are against individuals

• German Pagan religion beliefs

• Germans blend their languages with Latin to create the modern European languages

Romans• Roman law states that

crimes are against the state• Former Roman provinces

continue practicing Christianity

• Latin continues to dominate All written documents

The people of Europe blend Roman and Germanic law to form Werguild.This form of law allows for monetary fines as well as physical punishment.

Germanic pagan holidays are combined with important Christian concepts to Create Christmas and Easter.

Who is in Charge?• Monarchial Structure of

Feudalism=political structure

• King

• Knights• Serfs

• Roman Catholic Church• Pope• Council of Cardinals• Cardinals• ArchBishops• Bishops• Priests• Monks• Serfs

Lords

Vassals

Who is in Charge?

• The Lords ruled over the physical life of a serf.• A serf is a peasant who is bound physically to

the land controlled by the lord. The Lord has ownership over the slave in every way.

• The Serf worked for the Lord and provided military service. In return the Lord gave the serf a home, farm, and protection in times of crisis

Who is in Charge?

• This system of responsibilities was called Manorialism. The Lord’s plantation was called a Manor. His home, often a castle, was the center of the civilization. The serfs provided the lord with labor, food, and taxes. The Lord took these items as payment for providing the serfs with mills, blacksmith shops, and homes.

• The Lord then passed the taxes and food to the King.

Castle Diagram

www.castles.org/Kids_Section/Castle_Story/images/kidcastle1.jpg

Manorialismhttp://www.sbschools.org/schools/xrds/technology/middleages/images/berryjune.jpg

The Kingdom of the Franks

www.tacitus.nu/historical-atlas/francia.htm&usg

The Franks• THE KINGS WERE CALLED MEROVINGIANS BECAUSE THEY

DESCENDED FROM MEROVECH WHOM THE FRANKS BELIEVED TO BE THE SON OF A DIVINE CREATURE.

• The most famous Merovingian king was Clovis who ascended the throne about 482 AD. He was already from the beginning of his reign forced to fight rivaling Frankish leaders whom he brutally killed. Clovis’ conquests were however far from over and he attacked and defeated the Germanic tribal confederation of the Alemanni about 496 AD from which he added large territories to his realm. The influence from his queen Clotilda persuaded him to convert to Christianity after the battle against the Alemanni. Clovis’s decision to join the Catholic church gained him respect from neighboring tribes.

•

The Franks• Clovis’s appointment to Roman Consul by the East Roman

emperor increased the prestige of the Frankish kingdom and gave their claim to be an heir to the Roman Empire greater credibility.

• When Clovis died in 511 the kingdom was divided between his four sons. This followed a pattern that would be repeated during the following centuries and meant that the Frankish kingdom was only united during short periods. The Merovingian kings were however very belligerent and many of them died before they had any sons, which prevented the kingdom from being permanently dissolved. But a consequence of the divisions was that the Merovingians, in an increasing extent, fought more among themselves than with external enemies.

The Franks• When Pepin of Heristal died in 714 , his six year old grandson

Theudoald became the new Major Domus. (Mayor of the Palace) Pepin’s illegitimate son Charles Martel however did not accept this transition of power and proclaimed himself Major Domus and became the first ruler of the Carolingian dynasty, which definitely deprived the Merovingians of their power. The following decades were spent on wars when the Carolingians tried to reconquer the lost territories and ward of attacks from the Arabs, whose invasion in 732 was repulsed in the battle at Poitiers (Tours). An alliance with the pope led to two successful campaigns against the Lombards 754 and 756. At the same time the Carolingians strengthened their power within the Frankish kingdom, and Pepin the Short deposed the last Merovingian in 751 and had himself elected king. Charles had created Fiefs=land grants to his vassals and knights.

The Franks• Pepin the Short died in 768 and left Western Europe’s

strongest kingdom to his two sons Charlemagne and Carloman. The latter died in 771 and Charlemagne could use the resources of the unified kingdom to expand it in all directions. When the Lombards threatened the Pope again, Charlemagne invaded Italy and made himself king of the Lombards in 774.

• The subjugation of the Saxons in the northeast (772-804) was a long and bloody affair. To break the Saxons' will to resist, Charlemagne massacred thousands of them, and only through deportations of Saxons and the resettling of Franks and Slavs in their place was the region finally pacified.

• The Conquests of Charlemagne were so huge that people thought he had restored the West Roman Empire. Charlemagne was crowned as the “New Roman Emperor “ by the pope in 800.

• However, the Frankish tradition to divide the kingdom between the kings’ sons made the unity only temporary. The Frankish kingdom was also a feudal state that was held together by lucrative wars of plunder in the neighboring countries.

• Therefore the Frankish Empire collapsed after the death of Charlemagne in 814 under internal and external pressure.

• The events of 887-888 meant the final dissolution of the Frankish Empire. Because West Francia was the only remaining part of the Carolingian’s empire after 911ce it became known as France.

Charlamagane’s Achievements

• Created an Empire and united Europe for the first time.

• Created the Missi Dominici to spy on his vassals and lords to ensure they were loyal.

• Became the Protector of Christianity and the Pope.

• Revived Education, provided educated clergy to the Catholic Church.

• Charlemagne revived classical studies of Greek and Roman works.

• Monks preserved these classic works of Literature.

• Monks copied books and spread Christianity across Europe.