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Rise of the Franks
I. Frankish Rulers
After the breakup of Western Roman Empire, Europe
was the scene of widespread disorder and change.
Waves of barbarian invasion and settlement brought
new customs and lifestyles to many parts of western
Europe.
A. Age of Transition
gradually Europeans began to restore order in their lives
historian see 400s and about 1500s as a transition in the
Develop of Western culture
the period of this time is usually called Middle Ages or
Medieval period
this period is the end of classical age and the beginnings
of the modern world
Many Germanic tribes plundered Europe and established
small kingdoms. The Franks were a group that had a
lasting impact in history
B. Clovis and the Merovingian's
the Franks came in contact with the Roman Empire
during the 200s
Clovis was the ruler of the Franks in 481
Clovis was a king of one of the Frankish tribes
Clovis successors called Merovingian's
Clovis was a able military leader
C. Charles Martel and Pepin the Short
Charles Martel is the son of Pepin II and he is also
known as Charles the Hammer, he became the mayor
of the palace
Charles defeated the Spanish Moors in 732 when
they invaded France and halted the Muslims advance
in western Europe
Charles Martel died in 741 and his son Pepin III and
also called Pepin the Short, he became the joint
mayor of the palace with brother Carloman
When Pepin III took over he established the
Carolinians a new line of rulers
the pope confirmation of Pepsin's rule strengthened
the legitimacy of the new Carolingian dynasty
Clovis and his troops absorbed the Frankish tribes and
soon he controlled northern Gaul
Clovis became a Christian and the Franks were
supported by the Christian church
the Franks would seized and began to control
southwestern Gaul
Clovis died, his sons divided the kingdom, as was often
the Frankish custom.
The Merovingian kings who ruled after Clovis were weak
rulers. The mayor of the palaces became the real ruler
of the kingdom
One of these mayors were Pepin II, who ruled from 687
to 714. Pepin and his successors united the Frankish
kingdoms
European Christians believed that the pope’s blessing
came directly from God. Over time the monarchs
throughout western Europe sought the church’s
blessing in order to support their rule.
Pepin lead his army to defeat the Lombards which were a
Germanic tribe that invaded Italy and was near Rome
the Franks took control of the territory and around Rome
and gave it to the pope. This was a gift of land from
Pepin and was called Donation of Pepin. This created
the Papal states which was the strong hold of the
church for centuries
This paved the way for Charlemagne which is Pepin son
and the greatest of all Frankish kings
D. Charlemagne’s Empire
his reign lasted 768 to 814
Charlemagne worked to build a “new Rome”
centered in what is now France and Germany.
he was a devout Christian and help spread church
teachings and Christians beliefs
Charlemagne spent much of his life at war.
On Christmas of the year 800, Charlemagne was in
Rome to worship, and he knelt in prayer, Pope
Leo III placed a crown on his head and declared
him “Emperor of the Romans”. He united much of
western Europe for the first time in 400 years.
He was admired for his skills as a warrior and for
his devotion to Christianity.
E. Government
Charlemagne’s empire was divided into regions,
each governed on the emperor’s behalf by an
official known as a count.
the capital was a northern Frankish city called Aixla-Chapelle
Charlemagne would appoint officials to help him
run his empire, these officials were called missi
dominici (the lords messengers)
these officials would travel through out the empire
to hear complaints and investigate misconduct
and determine the effectiveness of the laws
F. Education and Learning
at his palace for his own children and other young
nobles
monks were the teachers of these children
Alcuin was the most respected thinker of the time and
he was appointed to head the school and establish its
course of learning
Alcuin developed the Roman model, emphasizing
grammar, rhetoric, logic, mathematics, music, and
astronomy
Charlemagne brought in scholars to produce a
readable bible
II. Decline of the Frankish Empire
The proud empire of Charlemagne had built and
governed so well did not long survive after his death
in 814
His descendants did not inherit Charlemagne’s
energy, his ability, or his long range point of view.
As a result, the empire’s strength declined rapidly.
A. Empire after Charlemagne’s death
Louis the Pious is the only son of Charlemagne
he was well educated and religious king but a
weak and shortsighted ruler
Louis died in 843 and his sons Lothair, Charles
the Bald, and Louis the German agreed to divide
the empire among themselves after much dispute
This agreement , signed in 843, became known as
the Treaty of Verdun
Most of the decline was caused within the Empire,
they all fought with each other
the empire was invade by different types of people
and they were Muslims from Africa, Slavs from
east, Magyars from the east
B. Vikings
the most feared invaders in the 800’s and 900’s
were the Vikings from Scandinavia in the north
Vikings were also called Norsemen
these were Germanic peoples that live in now
present day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark
the Vikings customs and myths center around the
pagan gods
archaeologists uncovered from Viking burial
grounds include boats and tools for use in the
afterlife
The Vikings would sometimes place a dead person
in a boat and burn it.
The Vikings were ruled by kings and nobles, their
government was surprisingly democratic for its
time.
Assemblies of landowners made the laws.
The Vikings were primarily farmers but also
gathered , fished and hunted.
In the spring and summer the Vikings traveled south
and west along the coasts of mainland Europe
and British Isles
They also sailed rivers into Germany, France and
Baltic area
The Vikings would raid and loot settlements and
bring captives back to work as slaves on their
farms in Scandinavia. The way they captured
towns was often savage and cruel. Their use of
axes and large dogs struck terror into people. The
Vikings were also skilled in siege operations and
could capture even strongly fortified towns.
Their ships carried them all the way to Iceland,
Greenland and North America