Download Red Feudalism - Overview and Foundation: SS 8-T300-16

11/2/2016
Overview and Foundation: SS 8-T300-16-17-BEIDELMAN
Overview and Foundation: SS 8-T300-16-17-BEIDELMAN
Red Reading - Feudalism - Overview and FoundationRead each section below. Read the questions before
each section before you start to read the section. While you are reading keep these question in mind to
help you focus your reading. Click on Audio to listen to this reading.Section 1 Overview of the Middle
AgesQuestions:
1. The Middle ages was divided in to how many parts?
2. What was the new economic and political system called?
3. Who is at the top of the political system?
4. What group was at the bottom of the social system? The end of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E. is the beginning of a new period in Europe called the Middle Ages.
Historians divide the Middle Ages into three parts called the early, middle and late Middle Ages. The Middle Ages
lasted until about 1450. The Early Middle Ages began with the fall of Rome. You will remember that the Roman
Empire had joined together most of Europe. We studied the reasons WHY the Empire ended. Now we will look at
how life was dangerous and difficult in Western Europe because of the collapse of Rome. People worked hard
simply to survive and to have enough to eat. They also needed to protect themselves from control by invading
barbarians and neighboring kingdoms.The need to protect people from invasion led to the economic and political
system historians call feudalism (FEWD-ahl-ism). In the feudal system, people promise loyalty to the lord. The
Lord is a ruler or powerful landholder. In return, they received protection from that lord. Warriors or knights fought
for their lords. At the bottom of society were serfs or peasants who worked the land. Peasants were not allowed to
leave the lord’s land without
permission._________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________Section 2Questions1. Because there was no central government, Invading groups set
up what to provide protection and direction?
2. What did the most power rulers control?
3. What are knights?
4. What did knights get in return for their loyalty and service?
5. What did Clovis do at age 20?
6. Which religion did Clovis bring to the Franks?
7. Charlemagne loved to have what read to him?
8. What message did Pope Leo’s involvement have on Charlemagne?
9. What does Divine Right mean?
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10. What happened to Charlemagne's Empire after he died?
For 500 years, much of Europe was part of the Roman Empire. When Rome fell to invading barbarians in 476
C.E., Europe was left with no central government or system of defense. Many invading groups set up kingdoms
throughout Western Europe. These kingdoms were often at war with one another. The most powerful rulers were
those who controlled the most land and had the best warriors. One powerful group during this time was the Franks
(where modern-day France gets its name). The Franks were successful because they had developed a new style
of warfare. It depended on troops of knights. Knights were heavily armed warriors who fought on horseback. To get
and keep power, a ruler needed the services and loyalty of many knights. In return for their loyalty and service, the
ruler rewarded knights with land and privilege.One of the early leaders of the Franks was an eager young warrior
named Clovis. In 48
1 C.E., at the age of 15, Clovis became leader of the Franks. Five years later, he defeated the last great Roman army. During his 30-year
reign, he led the Franks in wars that greatly extended the boundaries of the Frankish kingdom. Clovis also helped
lead the Franks into Christianity. Clovis married a Christian woman,Clotilda, and eventually was baptized into the
Roman Catholic Church. Many of his followers became Christians, as well.
The most important leader of the Franks was Charlemagne (SHAR-luh-main), which means "Charles the Great."
This impressive king ruled for over 40 years, from 768 to 814. Writings from that period say that he was six feet
four inches tall—extremely tall for his time—and “always stately and dignified.” Legend has it that he read very little
and couldn’t write, yet he loved to have scholarly works read to him. He encouraged education and scholarship,
making his court a center of culture. Most important, he unified nearly all the Christian lands of Europe into a
single empire. One of the poets at his court called him the “King Father of Europe.”
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Charlemagne built his empire with the help of a pope—Leo III, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The
Church was a central part of society during this time. For Charlemagne, the blessing of the Church sent the
message, “God is on my side.” For his part, Leo needed the support of someone with an army. In return for
Charlemagne’s help, the pope crowned him Holy Roman emperor in 800 C.E. Charlemagne was the very first
divine-right king. A divine-right king claims their authority and power from God. That also means that earthly
governments have no control or authority over those kings. Basically, Divine-rights kings answer only to God and
no on else.Charlemagne’s empire survived many attacks. After his death in 814, however, it quickly fell apart. The
weak rulers who followed him could not defend the empire against new invasions. These weak kings helped
prepare the way for the system of feudalism by following Charlemagne’s example of rewarding knights with land
and privileges in return for military service. The maps below show the growth and decline of his empire.
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___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________Section 3 - Order and ProtectionQuestions1. What are the three main groups that threatened the
empire?
2. Which group was considered the worst?
3. How would you describe a Viking attack?
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4. Feudalism developed because people needed to figure out new ways to do what?
In the 9th and 10th centuries, Western Europe was threatened by three main groups. First were the Muslims. They
followed the religion of Islam and spread out from the Middle East and northern Africa into what is now Spain. The
second group was the Magyars. This group grew out of central Asia. They were moving in from the east. The last
group is the Vikings. They moved down from present-day Norway and Denmark.The Vikings were fierce warriors.
They struck fear in the people of Europe. Some times the Vikings' invaded so they could set up colonies. But they
were best known for their terrifying raids on towns and religious centers. A typical Viking attack might start while people of the town are at early morning church services. Then an alarm bell starts to ring. It’s the Vikings! Using
long, shallow wooden boats they moved close to the shore. The invaders leave their boats and run toward the
town with swords and axes raised over their heads. The townspeople are running in all directions. Several
villagers who try to fight back are killed. Others are captured and taken back to the ships. Clearly, the people of
Western Europe needed to figure out new ways to defend themselves. To protect themselves and their property,
they gradually developed the system we call feudalism.
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