Download The Dark Ages II Unit IV Invasions and Feudalism While the Catholic

THE DARK AGES II
UNIT IV
INVASIONS AND FEUDALISM
While the Catholic Church grew and established itself as a rich and influential power in Western Europe, the same could
not be said of the emerging kingdoms in this region. Invasions from the South and North combined with internal conflict
led Europe into the darkest period of the Dark Ages where constant warfare ravaged the weak and divided regions.
ISLAMIC INVASION
After the death of Muhammad in 632A.D., Islam continued to spread out of Arabia through successors called Caliphs in
an attempt to convert surrounding neighbors to Islam willfully and sometimes by sword
Rashidun Conquest (632-661A.D.) – both the Byzantine Empire and the Persian Empire were weak following a lengthy
war for control over Egypt and the Middle East
637-639A.D. – Byzantine territory in the Middle East and Egypt was conquered by Muslim forces
633-651A.D. – the Persian Empire fell to Muslim invaders
- by 650A.D., Muslims had conquered the Byzantine Army in Middle East and Egypt as well as the Persians
Umayyad Conquest (661-750A.D.) – upon the end of the Rashidun Dynasty, the Umayyad Dynasty developed expanding
Islam ic influence even further
665-709A.D. – Islamic forces advanced from Egypt conquering the Berbers along the coast of North Africa along
with Carthage as the rest of northern Africa fell to the Muslim invaders
711A.D. – a combined Arab and Berber force known as the Moors cross the Straight of Gibraltar into Spain and
defeat the Visigoths marking Islam’s first and only major spread into mainland Europe
- by 725A.D., Spain was under Muslim control
- the Muslim Moors quickly begin crossing into Gaul to conquer the barbarian Franks
Battle of Tours (732A.D.) – a battle between Muslim Moors and Christian Franks with Frankish King, Charles
the Hammer, leading a unified Frankish army to engage defeating the invading army
- the Moors return to Spain defeated marking the end of Islamic (Arab) expansion in Europe for centuries
Despite two failed attempts to take Constantinople in 674A.D. and 717A.D. the Arab Muslims still managed to expand into
the largest empire at that time, but by 750A.D. the Muslim’s advance had been halted
FEUDALISM
In the absence of strong centralized government and the constant threat of famine, disease, and invasion led the weak to
seek out protection from the strong, which led to the creation of the feudal system
feudalism – political system in which land is divided out by a rich noble in exchange for services/rent by weaker nobles
- weaker nobles (called vassals) were
expected to fulfill military obligations to
the stronger noble (lord)  together these
men formed an unwritten contract of
allegiance to one another:
lord – promises protection and land
vassal – promises work & military aid
(knights)
fiefs - lands or revenue-producing property
granted by a lord to a vassal in return
for their allegiance and military service
serfs - enforced laborers in a condition of modified slavery such as peasants, farmers and craftsmen who worked
under the vassals
The central focus of feudalism was the manor house where the lords lived which started as square towers encircled by
wooden walls, but as time passed, they became imposing castles with turrets to shoot would-be attackers and moated
fortresses accessible only by crossing a drawbridge
- these castles began to dominate the countryside across central and western Europe
- as more and more people took up arms or rakes in service to their lords, cities shrank even smaller
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REIGN OF CHARLEMAGNE (grandson of Charles the Hammer)
Lacking a unifying political authority, the Franks had struggled to expand their kingdom beyond the Rhine River. That
all changed with the reign of Charles Martel’s grandson who led the Frankish kingdom to reign over western Europe.
Charlemagne (768–814A.D.) – ruler of the Franks who became the most powerful Christian ruler and greatest king of the
Dark Ages expanding the Frankish Kingdom into the Carolingian Empire with an expansion into Italy
Carolingian Empire – the Frankish empire under Charlemagne that symbolized the combination of the three
distinct influences of Roman, Christian and German culture into the new empire
- was instrumental in converting the central and western Europe to Christianity with conquered people
given a simple choice: convert or die!
- at Verdun (northern Germany) Charlemagne had 4,500 Saxons beheaded for worshiping false idols
- Charlemagne micromanaged (very hands on) the empire spending most of his time visiting local rulers to
ensure his will was being done, later he employing court officials to do this task
- Charlemagne encouraged and appreciated education building schools to improve education for future
generations even trying himself to become literate (one of the few outside of the clergy (religious leader)
- Charlemagne was also instrumental in the creation of the feudal system in Europe
Holy Roman Empire – in 800A.D., Charlemagne is crowned emperor over the Franks by the Pope as divisions
between the West and the Byzantine Empire widens with Rome relying more on the Franks for protection
than the Byzantines
In 814A.D. the Carolingian Empire falls apart after Charlemagne’s death and is divided up into three sections having
lasted less than a century.
SCOURGE OF THE NORTH
After centuries of population growth, the Norse people of Scandinavia set sail across the North and Baltic Seas to settle
and trade in lands to the south. Some however were more interested in taking goods than trading them leading to
centuries of invasions from the Norsemen from the North: the Vikings
Vikings – Germanic people from Scandinavia who successfully invaded and raided Europe for nearly 250 years
793A.D. – the Vikings first attacked a monastery on the British coast because of the riches held in them as
monasteries looked like banks ready for robbing
- great sailors and ship builders, the Vikings were able to sail long distances up river with their shallow,
narrow ships and raid from Spain to Russia to Constantinople, although the British Isles were their favorites
1000A.D. – Leif Eriksson became the first European to discover America landing in what is now Newfoundland
establishing a settlement that doesn’t last long
Over time the Vikings converted to Christianity and were given land by the Franks in Normandy in 911A.D. integrating
and settling in Britain by 1042.
CHIVALRY IS BORN…NOT DEAD
With the Viking threat gone, Europe was overrun with trained knights with nothing to do leading to internal conflicts as
knights became “gangs” roaming the countryside attacking neighboring kingdoms including peasants.
- Catholic Church attempts to Christianizes the knights and issues two proclamations as to God’s position on
warfare:
Peace of God = women, children, monks, those who cannot defend themselves should be protected
Truce of God = periods of time where warfare should not fought = Sundays, lent, Christmas season
Chivalry – ideal civilized behavior that knights and proper gentlemen were expected to follow
Duties to countrymen and fellow Christians: protect the weak and the poor with courage, fairness, and honesty
Duties to God: be faithful to God and the church, protecting both for the cause of good against evil
Duties to women: a knight was to serve a lady, and after her all other ladies with respect, gentleness and grace
Now armed with a code of ethics many knights were itching for a cause to take up. They would find their cause at the
turn of the new millennium as a growing movement to retake the Holy Land from the Muslims gains momentum leading
to the Crusades in 1095.
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