Download Merchants faced invasions on land and sea. Businesses collapsed

Aim: How was
Western Europe
organized politically
after the Fall of Rome?
Do Now: Evaluate the
“before” and “after”
maps of Europe.
Describe what is
happening?
The Effects of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Merchants faced invasions on land and sea.
Businesses collapsed and money became scarce.
European cities declined as centers of trade.
People retreated to rural areas (countryside).
Roman cities were left without strong leaders.
Literacy rates dropped dramatically. Few people
except priests and other Church officials were able
to read. Most Greco-Roman learning was
forgotten.
As German-speaking people mixed with the Roman
population, Latin began to change into the
languages we know today such as French, Spanish
and Italian. Latin was no longer a unifying force
within Europe.
Decline of Learning
Population Shifts
Downfall of Cities
Disruption of Trade
Loss of a Common Language
The Effects of the Fall of the Western Roman Empire
Disruption of Trade
Merchants faced invasions on land and sea.
Businesses collapsed and money became
scarce.
Downfall of Cities
European cities declined as centers of trade.
Population Shifts
People retreated to rural areas (countryside).
Roman cities were left without strong leaders.
Decline of Learning
Literacy rates dropped dramatically. Few people
except priests and other Church officials were
able to read. Most Greco-Roman learning was
forgotten.
Loss of a Common
Language
As German-speaking people mixed with the
Roman population, Latin began to change into
the languages we know today such as French,
Spanish and Italian. Latin was no longer a
unifying force within Europe.
Franks Come to Power
Germanic people lived in small communities bound by
personal loyalty rather than to a leader of an Empire.
Lead by Clovis, the Franks gain control of what is today
France. Clovis converts to Christianity. The Frankish
Kingdom and the Christian Church form a strategic
alliance.
Germanic People Adopt Christianity
The Germanic Kingdoms played a critical role in the
spread of Christianity across Europe. The Merovingian
and Carolingian Dynasties rule.
Charlemagne Takes the Throne
Charlemagne built an empire that was the strongest that
Europe had experienced since Rome. He expanded his
empire and united the people of Europe.
Charlemagne Crowned Holy Roman Emperor
After defending the Pope from an unruly mob in Rome,
the Pope crowned Charlemagne “Roman Emperor”. This
was significant because a Church official had claimed the
right to grant a political title to a European King.
Charlemagne’s Rule
Charlemagne limited the power of the Nobles and
closely watched over his government. He
encouraged learning and opened schools to train
new priests and monks. His three sons could not
keep his Empire together, and central rule broke
down.
Close: Charlemagne's three sons could not
keep the Empire together, and central
rule broke down. Predict what you think
will happen to western Europe after the
fall of Charlemagne’s empire.