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THE

Changes in Western In Europe, the centuries after the fall of are called the Middle Ages, which lasted from about 500 to 1350. The Middle Ages refers to the time between the ancient and modern worlds. During this long stretch of time, passed through two distinct phases: the , lasting from about 500 to 1050, and the , lasting from about 1050 to 1350.

A Shift to the North At its height, the included much of Western Europe. Rome unified the region and spread classical ideas, the language, and Christianity to the tribal peoples of Western Europe. But Rome was a Mediterranean power. The who ended Roman rule in the west shifted the focus to the north. There, the peoples of Europe would begin to create a new civilization, building on the legacy of Rome.

Despite the disorder and decay that came with the fall of Rome, Western Europe was a place of great potential. It had fertile land and other resources, such as timber, furs, and tin. In the early Middle Ages, gradual changes took place that would eventually bring a measure of order.

A Time of Decline As Rome declined and withdrew from its provinces in Western Europe, these lands suffered severe blows. Waves of invaders swept in, and Roman civilization slowly disappeared. raged constantly. Trade slowed to a trickle, towns emptied, and learning virtually ceased.

The early Middle Ages was a harsh and difficult time for the peoples of Europe. Much later, some people looked back on this time and called it the "dark ages" because of the disorder and loss of Roman civilization. Today, historians recognize that the Middle Ages were, in fact, a time of new beginnings. During this long period, Greek, Roman, Germanic, and Christian traditions were slowly blended and gave rise to medieval civilization. Medieval from the Latin term for “middle age.” ​ ​ ​ ​ DESCRIBE: What was Western Europe like after the collapse of the ? ​ ______

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______Foundations of early medieval society

● Classical heritage of ______● ______beliefs ● Customs of ______tribes

Invasions shattered Roman protection over the Empire. The decline of Roman influence in Western Europe left people with little ______against ______, so they entered into ______with landholding lords who promised them ______.

Feudal society during the Middle Ages ● ______(land) ● ______(landlords; nobles) ● ______(peasants) ● Feudal ______

Manorial system during the Middle Ages ● Rigid class structure ● ______manors

Germanic Kingdoms The Germanic tribes that conquered parts of the Roman empire included the , , , and Franks. Their culture was very different from that of the Romans. They were mostly farmers and herders, so they had no cities or written laws. Instead, they lived in small communities governed by unwritten customs. Their were elected leaders, chosen by tribal counsels. Warriors swore loyalty to the in exchange for weapons and a share in the plunder taken from defeated enemies. Between 400 and 700, these Germanic tribes carved Western Europe into small kingdoms.

The Kingdom of the Franks The strongest and most successful kingdom was that of the Franks. In 486, Clovis, king of the Franks, conquered the former Roman province of . Later, this area would be known as . Clovis ruled his new lands according to Frankish custom. At the same time, however, he managed to preserve much of the Roman legacy in Gaul. Clovis also took an important step when he converted to Christianity, the religion of his subjects in Gaul. In doing so, he not only earned their support, but he also gained a powerful ally in the , leader of the Christian Church of Rome.

Muslim Armies Advance Into Europe As the Franks and other Germanic peoples carved up Europe, a powerful new force, Islam, swept out of the across the Mediterranean world. The pope and the Christian kingdoms in Europe watched with alarm as Muslim armies overran Christian lands from Palestine to North Africa and . When a Muslim army crossed into France, rallied Frankish warriors. At the in 732, Christian warriors triumphed. To them, the victory was a sign that was ​ on their side.

Muslims advanced no farther into Western Europe, although they continued to rule most of what is now Spain. To European , the Muslim presence in Spain and around the Mediterranean was a source of anxiety and anger. Even when the Muslim armies were no longer a threat, Christians continued to have a hostile view of the Muslim world. Still, medieval Europeans did learn from the Arabs, whose knowledge in many areas, especially science and mathematics, was extensive and exceeded their own.

IDENTIFY: How did the Germanic tribes govern their kingdoms? ______​ ​ ______

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Charlemagne Builds an Empire In 768, the grandson of Charles Martel became king of the Franks. He built an empire reaching across what is now France, Germany, and part of Italy. The founder of this empire became known as , or Charles the Great. Charlemagne spent much of his 46-year reign fighting Muslims in Spain, Saxons in the north, Avars and Slavs in the east, and in Italy. Charlemagne loved battle and was a successful conqueror who reunited much of the old Roman empire in Europe.

Emperor of the Romans In 799, Pope Leo III asked Charlemagne for help against rebellious nobles in Rome. Charlemagne aided the pope against his attackers. On Christmas Day in the year 800, the pope showed his gratitude by placing a crown on Charlemagne’s head and proclaiming him of the Romans. This ceremony would have enormous significance. A Christian pope had crowned a Germanic king ​ successor to the Roman . In doing so, Pope Leo III revived the ideal of a united Christian ​ community, which came to be called . The pope’s action also outraged the eastern Roman emperor in . The Byzantine emperor saw himself as the sole Roman ruler. In the long run, the crowning of Charlemagne would deepen an already growing split between the eastern and western Christian worlds. Perhaps even more important, the crowning sowed the seeds for a long and desperate power struggle between later and Germanic emperors.

Charlemagne built an empire his descendants could not hold together. Locate Charlemagne's empire in 814. Predict Consequences: What might be one result of the division of his empire? Explain.

Creating a Unified Christian Empire Charlemagne set out to exercise control over his lands and create a united Christian Europe. Many of his subjects were pagans, as non-Christians were called. Charlemagne worked closely with the Church to spread Christianity to the conquered peoples on the fringes of his empire. During his reign, missionaries won converts among the Saxons and Slavs.

Like other Germanic kings, Charlemagne appointed powerful nobles to rule local regions. He gave them land so they could offer support and supply soldiers for his armies. To keep control of these provincial rulers, he sent out officials called missi dominici to check on roads, listen to grievances, ​ ​ and see that justice was done.

In the reading above, highlight at least 3 events that demonstrate the partnership between the Franks and the Church? (you should start with the section titled “The Kingdom of the Franks”) ​

Charlemagne Revives Latin Learning

Charlemagne hoped to make his capital at a "second Rome." To achieve this goal, he made a determined effort to revive Latin learning. Charlemagne could read but not write. He is said to have kept a slate by his bed so that he could practice making letters. For him, education also served to strengthen his empire as he saw the need for records and clear reports. To ensure a supply of educated officials, Charlemagne set up a palace school and brought scholars there from all over. He asked a famous scholar, of York, to run his palace school. There, scholars were set to work copying ancient manuscripts including the Bible and Latin works of history and science.

Charlemagne's Legacy Although Charlemagne's empire crumbled, the great Frankish ruler left a lasting legacy. He extended Christian civilization into and furthered the blending of Germanic, Roman, and Christian traditions. He also set up a system for strong, efficient government. Later medieval rulers looked to his example when they tried to strengthen their own kingdoms.

REVIEW CHARLEMAGNE:

● Highlight some of Charlemagne’s most important accomplishments in the reading above. ● How did Charlemagne unify Europe after the collapse of Rome? ______● Pick a leader we’ve discussed this year and compare/contrast the leadership style/legacy of Charlemagne and the person you select. Use the chart to help you organize your information:

The ______Church grew in importance after ______authority declined. It became the unifying force in western Europe.

● the ______anointed the ______● missionaries carried Christianity to the ______tribes ● the ______served the social, political, and religious needs of the people.

Influence of the Roman ● ______authority declined, while ______authority grew. ● ______preserved Greco-Roman cultural achievements. ● ______carried Christianity and ______alphabet to Germanic tribes. ● The Pope anointed ______Emperor in 800 A.D. (C.E.) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ● ______served religious and social needs of the people.

Frankish kings used ______power to expand their territory.

The alliance between ______kings and the ______re-established Roman culture (Christianity) in Western Europe.

Age of Charlemagne ● ______emerged as a force in Western Europe. ● The ______crowned the Emperor. ● Power of the ______was established in ______life. ● Roman ______was reinterpreted. ● Most of Western Europe was included in the new empire. ● ______, ______, and ______were built to unite the empire.

New Invasions Pound Europe: After Charlemagne died in 814, his son Louis I took the throne. ​ Later, Louis’s sons battled for power. Finally, in 843, Charlemagne’s grandsons drew up the Treaty of , which split the empire into three regions. The empire was divided just at a time when these lands were faced with new waves of invasions.

Three Sources of Attack: Between about 700 to about 1000, Western Europe was battered by ​ invaders from other lands. Muslims, Magyars, and conquered lands across the region. Even after their defeat at Tours in 732, Muslim forces kept up their pressure on Europe. In the late , they conquered the island of Sicily, which became a thriving center of Muslim culture. Not until the 900s, when power struggles erupted in the Middle East, did Muslim attacks finally subside.

The Magyars: About 900, a new wave of nomadic people, the Magyars, overran Eastern Europe and ​ attacked the . They moved on to plunder Germany, parts of France, and Italy. Finally, after about 50 years, they were turned back and settled in what is today Hungary. Early Magyars lived in clans, or small groups of related people that governed themselves. These groups were primarily nomadic and spent their time herding animals. By about 1000, most Magyars had become farmers and were no longer nomadic. The Magyars were pagans. However, Christianity was spreading rapidly during this time, and many Magyars gradually converted to the new religion.

Viking Raids from the North: The most destructive raiders, however, were the Vikings. At home, ​ they were independent farmers ruled by land-owning chieftains. When they took to the seas, they snapped the last threads of unity in Charlemagne's empire. These expert sailors and ferocious fighters burst out of , a northern region that now includes Norway, Sweden, and . They looted and burned communities along the coasts and rivers of Europe from Ireland to Russia. There are a number of reasons that the Vikings left their homeland to raid others. Their land was becoming overpopulated. Many Vikings sought excitement and adventure. They also wanted to gain wealth and realized they could easily steal valuable goods and land from helpless victims. The Vikings were pagans who worshipped many gods. As they learned about Christianity through their travels and settled in places populated by Christians, many Vikings converted to Christianity. The Vikings were not just fierce warriors. They were traders and explorers as well. In their far-ranging voyages, they sailed around the Mediterranean Sea and crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

DESCRIBE What European invasions took place after Charlemagne's death? ______

INVASIONS

______by , Saxons, Magyars, and Vikings ______the social, economic, and political order of ______.

Areas of settlement ● ______and ______migrated from continental Europe to ______. ● ______migrated from ______to Russia. ● ______migrated from Central Asia to ______. ● ______migrated from Central Asia to the ______area.

Feudalism Develops In the face of invasions by Vikings, Muslims, and Magyars, kings and emperors were too weak to maintain law and order. People needed protection for themselves, their homes, and their lands. In response to this basic need for protection, a decentralized political and economic structure evolved, known as . Feudalism was a loosely organized system of rule in which powerful local lords ​ ​ divided their landholdings among lesser lords. In exchange, these lesser lords, or vassals, pledged service and loyalty to the greater lord.

In practice, feudalism varied greatly from place to place, and its traditions changed over time. Overall, however, feudalism became the basis for the political and economic system that governed life during the Middle Ages and beyond.

Mutual Obligations Medieval society involved a network of mutual obligations between the ruler and the ruled. The relationship between lords and vassals was both political and economic. It was based on the exchange of land for loyalty and military service. These vows were conducted publicly in front of witnesses.

The relationship between lord and vassal grew out of custom and tradition and involved an exchange of pledges known as the feudal contract. Under this system, a powerful lord granted his vassal a fief (feef), or estate. Fiefs ranged from a few acres to hundreds of square miles. In addition to the land itself, the fief included peasants to work the land, as well as any towns or buildings on it.

As part of this agreement, the lord promised to protect his vassal. In return, the vassal pledged loyalty to his lord. He also agreed to provide the lord with 40 days of military service each year, certain money payments, and advice.

A Complex System Everyone had a place in medieval feudal society. At the top of the power structure stood the monarch. Below the monarch were the most powerful lords, who might have had titles such as or . They held the largest fiefs. Each of these lords had vassals, and these vassals in turn had their own vassals. In many cases, the same man was both vassal and lord—vassal to a more powerful lord above him and lord to a less powerful vassal below him.

Because vassals often held fiefs from more than one lord, relationships between them grew very complex. A vassal who had pledged loyalty to several lords could have serious problems if his overlords quarreled with each other. What was he to do if both demanded his aid? To solve this problem, a vassal usually had a liege lord to whom he owed his first loyalty.

Nobles, Knights, and Warfare During the Middle Ages, warfare was constant. For medieval lords and vassals, it was a way of life. Rival lords battled constantly for power. Both greater and lesser nobles trained from boyhood for a future occupation as a knight, or mounted warrior.

IDENTIFY: What was the relationship between lords and vassals?

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Manorialism The heart of the medieval economy was the manor, or lord's estate. Most manors included one or ​ ​ more villages and the surrounding lands. Peasants, who made up the majority of the population in medieval society, lived and worked on the manor. Under the manor system, also called the manorial ​ ​ system, the lord of the manor exercised legal and economic power over the peasants who lived on the estate. The lord administered justice and provided land and protection. In return, peasants owed their lord labor and goods.

Historians have described several factors that contributed to the development of the economic system of manorialism. These were largely the same as those that led to the development of feudalism. Kings and emperors in Western Europe had become too weak to provide security. Trade declined sharply. Local communities had to become self-sufficient economic systems capable of meeting their own needs. These communities were manors.

Most peasants on a manor were serfs, bound to the land. Serfs were not slaves who could be ​ ​ bought and sold. Still, they were not free. They could not leave the manor without the lord’s permission. If the manor was granted to a new lord, the serfs went along with it.

The Mutual Obligations of Lords and Peasants

Peasants and their lords were tied together by mutual rights and obligations. Peasants had to work several days a week farming the lord’s lands. They also repaired his roads, bridges, and fences. Peasants had to ask the lord’s permission to marry. Peasants paid the lord a fee when they inherited their father’s acres or when they used the local mill to grind grain. Other payments fell due at Christmas and Easter. Because money had largely disappeared in late Roman times, peasants had to pay fees with products such as grain, honey, eggs, or chickens.

In return for a lifetime of labor, peasants had the right to farm a certain amount of land for themselves. Under the system of mutual obligations, they were entitled to their lord’s protection from raids or warfare. Although they could not leave the manor without permission, they also could not be forced off it. In theory, at least, they were guaranteed food, housing, and land.

The manor system supported feudalism. Lords and knights relied on their estates to provide them with food, lodging, horses, armor, weapons, money, and time to train for warfare.

The Life of a Peasant For most peasants, life was harsh. Men, women, and children worked long hours, from sunup to sundown. During planting season, a man might guide an ox-drawn plow through the fields while his wife walked alongside, urging the ox on with a pointed stick. Children helped in the fields, planting seeds, weeding, and taking care of pigs or sheep.

The peasant family ate a simple diet of black bread with vegetables such as cabbage, turnips, or onions. They seldom had meat—that was reserved for the lord. Peasants who poached, or illegally killed wild game on their lord’s manor, risked harsh punishment. If they lived near a river, peasants might add fish to their diet. At night, the family and their livestock—cows, chickens, pigs, or sheep—slept together in their hut.

DESCRIBE How did the manor system operate? ______

Influence of the Angles, Saxons, Magyars, and Vikings

● ______with ______provided ______from invaders, reinforcing the feudal system.

● Invasions disrupted ______, towns ______, and the ______system was ______. ​ ​