Download Charlemagne

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The Western Roman Empire fell approximately 500
AD.
This was largely due to the multitudes of attacks
from Germanic Barbarians, Vikings and even the
Muslims.
The Christian Church was the only institution left
standing.
People fled from the towns to the countryside as
barbarians approached and started farming.
Monks created Monasteries throughout the
countryside
1.) What role did the Church play in helping the Frankish leader Clovis conquer the
Germanic tribes?
The Church in Rome welcomed Clovis’s conversion to Christianity and supported
his military campaigns against other Germanic peoples while converting them
to Christianity from polytheism (worshipping many Gods).
2.) What role did Pope Gregory the Great play in spreading the idea of a vast unified
kingdom?
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Broadened the authority of the papacy beyond its spiritual role & became
involved in worldly power and politics
The pope’s palace became center of government
Used Church revenue ($) to pay for armies, repair roads, help the poor
Negotiated peace treaties with invaders helping unify the Germanic
Kingdom
King Clovis & his wife Clotilde adopts the fleur-de-lis as his symbol
Pope Gregory I
3.) What was important about Charles Martel’s victory at the Battle of Tours?
(After Clovis died, Martel, mayor of the palace, was in effect, ruler of the
Frankish kingdom under the title major domo)
+ Martel defeated Muslim raiders at the Battle of Tours in Spain in 732.
+ This is IMPORTANT because if the Muslims had won, W. Europe
might have become part of the Muslim Empire.
4.) How did Pepin the Short (son of Martel) strengthen the Frankish
kingdom?
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Pepin shrewdly cooperated with the pope
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On behalf of the Church, he agreed to fight the Lombard invaders who were
threatening Rome
In exchange, the pope anointed Pepin “king by the grace of God,” beginning the
Carolingian Dynasty that ruled the Franks for about the next 250 years.
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Charles “The Hammer” Martel
Pepin the Short
5.) What was the importance of Charlemagne’s coronation as emperor?
When Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor, it was historic because:
1. A pope had claimed the right to appoint the title “Roman Emperor” on
a European king
2. This event signaled the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the
heritage of the Roman Empire
6.) How did Charlemagne govern his unified kingdom (All of Western Europe)?
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Strengthened HIS royal power by limiting the authority of the nobles
He sent out royal agents to make sure that powerful landowners called
Counts, governed their counties justly
Charlemagne regularly visited every part of his kingdom
Kept a close watch on the management of his huge estates which were
the source of Carolingian wealth and power
Charlemagne
The Feudal System