Download Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms

Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms
Middle Ages or Medieval Period
 500-1500
 New society emerged with roots in
o Classical Rome
o Beliefs in Roman Catholic Church
o Customs of various Germanic tribes
Invasions of Western Europe
 Major Changes
o Disruption of trade – constant invasions caused businesses to collapse and money became scarce
o Downfall of cities – cities were abandoned
o Population shifts – population of western Europe became mostly rural
 The Decline of Learning
o Germanic invaders were illiterate
o Rural communities made education difficult
o Germanic tribes had no written language
 Loss of a Common Language
o As German people mixed with existing Romans, Latin changed – different dialects emerged
o French, Spanish and other romance languages became more common and mirrored the continued break-up of
the Roman Empire
Germanic Kingdoms Emerge
 Germanic kingdoms replaced Roman provinces
 The Concept of Government Changes
o Roman and Germanic ideas of government conflicted – Romans believed in loyalty to government and written
law, Germanic society believed in family ties and personal loyalty
o Felt loyalty to German chief – each chief had a loyal band of warriors who protected him, during peacetime he
gave them a place to live, food to eat, etc. During war, they would fight to the death to protect him, Germans
felt no loyalty to a king they had never met
o Large governments didn’t work for the Germanic people because they placed more stress on personal
relationships
 Clovis and the Franks
o Franks had power in Gaul (modern day France and Switzerland), led by Clovis
o Clovis brought Christianity to the region – partnership between Frankish Empire and the Church was a powerful
one
Germans Adopt Christianity
 Monasteries, Converts, and Manuscripts
o Monasteries were created to adapt to rural lifestyles – men and women would give up all personal possessions
and devoted their lives to serving God, monks (monasteries) and nuns (convents)
o Monasteries became places of study – opened schools, maintained libraries and copied books
 Papal Power Expands Under Gregory
o Gregory I became pope in 590 – expanded power of pope from spiritual leader to political leader
o Used money from the church to create armies, restore roads, help the poor and sign peace treaties
o Churchly kingdom became a common theme of the Middle Ages
An Empire Evolves
 Charles Martel Emerges
o Frankish Empire in 719, the mayor of the palace or major domo, was Charles Martel (aka Charles the Hammer)
o Extended the Franks’ rule in all directions, defeated the Muslim raiders from Spain in the Battle of Tours in 732
(VERY SIGNIFICANT!)
o After Charles the Hammer died, his son Pepin the Short came to power and increased the power of the
Frankish Kingdom
Charlemagne Becomes Empire
 Charlemagne Extends Frankish Rule
o Pepin the Short’s son, formerly known as Charles, became known as Charlemagne (Charles the Great) – stood
6’4’’
o Built an amazing empire, expanded empire and spread Christianity, reunited western Europe and was the most
powerful king of his time
o Pope Leo III crowned him “Roman Emperor” – Germanic power joining with the Church
 Charlemagne Leads a Revival
o Limited power of nobles
o Made sure counts (powerful landowners) were serving their counties fairly
o Encouraged learning
 Charlemagne’s Heirs
o Crowned his son, Louis the Pious, emperor before he died – Louis was not a good leader
o Louis left three sons who fought one another for the empire, eventually breaking it apart into three kingdoms
o Lost power and central power broke down – led to a new system of government, feudalism