Download The Early Middle Ages - Appleton Area School District

The Early Middle Ages
Chapter 8 Section 1
Western Europe
Germanic Kingdoms
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Note: NOT Germans
Different kind of civilization:
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No written laws.
No cities.
Governed by custom.
Elected kings.
Nobility swore allegiance to kings.
Kings protected all in times of war.
War occurred often.
The Franks
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400-700
Clovis
Conquered Gaul
Preserved Roman
legacy in Gaul
Converted to
Christianity.
Gained ally in Catholic
Church.
Battle of Tours, 732 AD
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Franks vs. the Muslims
Charles Martel
Christian victory – God
on their side
Muslims keep most of
Spain
Charlemagne
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Charles the Great
Loved battles and warfare
Reign spent at war
Christian Emperor
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Charlemagne helped
suppress rebellion in Rome.
Pope crowns Charlemagne
the Emperor of the
Romans.
Christian Emperor.
Christian Pope – German
King – Roman Empire – any
thing strange here?
Tried to make a united Christian Empire
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Constantinople upset – thought they were the
“true Roman emperor”
Spread Christianity
Nobles to rule locally
“second Rome” at Aachen
Curriculum: Formal course of study
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Grammar, Rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry,
music and astronomy
Europe after Charlemagne
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Died in 814
Empire fell apart
Many invasions – Muslims, Magyars, Vikings,
others….
Treaty of Verdun
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Charlemagne’s grandson’s divide empire into 3
Invaders
Legacy of Charlemagne
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Extended Christianity to northern Europe.
Blended German, Roman, and Christian
traditions.
Good strong system of government.
Set a good example for other European
rulers.
Strong connection to the Roman Catholic
Church.