7th Notes: Chapter 2.1 I. Geography of Europe 1. Roman Empire was a unifying force throughout the Mediterranean region. a. Latin was spoken to conduct business and to govern. 2. During late 300s, Germanic groups invaded Western Roman Empire. a. Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Vandals, Angles, Saxons, and others. b. Germanic groups searching for warmer climates and better grazing land for cattle. 3. Germanic groups overthrew the last emperor of Rome in 476 C.E. 4. Europe entered a new era called the Middle Ages. a. Period of about 1000 years between ancient and modern times. 5. Western Europe divided into many kingdoms, and Catholic Christianity strongly influence society. 6. Physical geography took important role in shaping events. a. Europe is a large peninsula with many smaller peninsulas. Most of Europe’s lands were close to 300 miles of sea coasts or other water way, which encouraged trade, economic growth, and exploration. A. Rivers and Seas 1. Major rivers: Rhine, Danube, Seine, and Po played an important role in Europe’s growth. a. Rivers navigable; wide and deep enough for ships. b. People and goods sail easily from inland areas to the sea. c. Rivers/Seas provided protection and possibilities of trade. d. English Channel separated Britain and Ireland which kept them safe from wars that were being fought on the mainland. 2. Mountain ranges separate parts of Europe, which kept some peoples isolated in small, Independent groups. a. In southwest, Pyrenees, separated today’s Spain and Portugal from the rest of Europe b. The Alps separated Italy from central Europe c. The Carpathians cut off what is today’s Ukraine and Russia from southeast Europe. d. Mountains make it difficult for one group to control all of Europe e. Mountains isolated groups encouraging growth of independent territories. B. Climates 1. Western Europe’s mild climate is from the warm Gulf Stream Ocean current. 2. Winds from the Gulf Stream winds deliver moisture 3. Most places in southern Europe and western Europe have a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and mild winters. 4. Central and northern Europe have cold winters and hot summers. 5. Growing seasons in each climate zone was usually long enough to grow crops. 6. But, during some years, crops failed and areas of Europe experienced famine. II. Kingdoms in Western Europe 1. By 500 C.E., Western Europe was divided into many Germanic kingdoms. 2. The further away from Rome the less Roman influence. 7th Notes: Chapter 2.1 3. Roman armies abandoned England area and Angles and Saxons settled there. a. Became Anglo-Saxons. 4. Anglo-Saxons pushed aside the Celts, who fled north and west, while others crossed the sea to Ireland. A. The Franks in Europe 1. Franks were strongest Germanic group. a. Settle is France and western Germany. 2. In 481, Clovis became king of the Franks. a. First Germanic ruler to accept Catholic Christianity b. Before long nearly all Franks became Catholic. 3. After Clovis died, Frankish kings lost power. 4. By 700s power passed to government officials known as mayors of the palace. 5. In 714, Charles Martel or “Charles the Hammer” became mayor of the palace. a. Pope gave Martel support, who both wanted to restore order and strengthen the Catholic Christianity in the lands of the old Western Roman Empire. 6. Martel wanted to stop the spread of Islam into Europe. 7. Early 700s, Muslims from North Africa conquered Spain and entered France. 8. In 732, Charles Martel defeated the Muslims at the Battle of Tours. a. This battle stopped the advance of Islam into Western Europe. b. Ensured that Christianity would remain Western Europe’s major religion. 9. After the death of Charles, his son Pepin became mayor of the palace. a. Pepin became King of the Franks with the support of the pope. b. In return, Pepin was expected to help the pope. 10. Germanic group, the Lombards, invaded Northern Italy and surrounded Rome. a. In 754, Pepin fought the Lombards in the Alps and forced them to leave. b. Pepin gave pope large strip of Lombard land in Italy. i. This land became known as the Papal States. c. Pepin spent much of his rule ending rebellions against his rule in France and Germany. B. The Emperor Charlemagne 1. Pepin died in 768, his son Charles became king of the Franks. a. Charles forced Saxons living in Germany to convert to Christianity. b. Charles doubled size of his kingdom to include what is today’s Germany, France, northern Spain and most of Italy. 2. By 800 Charles’s kingdom grew into an empire. a. Since Fall of Rome, Western Europeans were ruled by one government. b. Charles’s conquests won him the name Charlemagne (Charles the Great). 3. In 800 C.E., Charlemagne came to Rome and defended the pope against unruly Roman nobles. a. On Christmas day, Charlemagne was worshipping at the church of St. Peter in Rome. 7th Notes: Chapter 2.1 b. After church service, the pope placed a crown on Charlemagne’s head and declared him the new Roman emperor. c. Despite Charlemagne’s concerns, he accepted his duties as emperor and worked to strengthen the empire. i. The central government located in the capital of Aachen, was small. ii. Charlemagne relied on local officials called “counts” to help him govern. iii. Counts ran local affairs and raised armies. iv. Royal messengers went on inspections and told the emperor of counts doings. 4. Charlemagne wanted to advance learning in his kingdom (even though he couldn’t read or write) a. Established a school for children of government officials. i. Students studied religion, Latin, music, literature, and arithmetic. b. These educational efforts are sometimes called the Carolingian Renaissance C. Waves of Invaders 1. Charlemagne’s forceful personality held the empire together. a. Charlemagne died in 814. 2. His empire didn’t last long, Charlemagne’s son, Louis was not a strong leader. a. After Louis’s death, his sons split the empire into three kingdoms. 3. These Frankish kingdoms were weakened by outside attacks. a. In the 800s and 900s waves of invaders swept across Europe. i. Muslims from North Africa raided France and Italy. ii. Magyars from Hungary invaded eastern part of France and Italy. iii. Vikings launched raids from Scandinavia. 4. Scandinavia is in northern Europe. a. Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are all part of modern Scandinavia. b. Much of Scandinavia has long, jagged coastlines. i. Has many fjords or narrow inlets. ii. The fjords were carved by glaciers long ago. c. Viking people, known as Norsemen or “north men” lived in villages near the fjords. 5. Scandinavia had very little farmland, depended on the sea for food and trade. a. Vikings were skilled sailors and traveled in sturdy long boats i. Able to navigate the rough Atlantic and shallow rivers. 6. Vikings began raiding Europe in 700s and 800s because they became over populated and had a shortage on food. a. Viking attacked villages and churches taking grain, animals and valuables. i. Viking—comes from their word “raiding. b. Vikings were also explorers and settlers. i. Settled islands in Greenland and Iceland (and a short time in North America) ii. Founded the territory in Normandy in northwestern France. iii. Settled in parts of today’s Russia and Ukraine D. Formation of the Holy Roman Empire 1. Muslim, Magyar, and Viking invaders brought much suffering to Europe’s people. a. Their attacks weakened the Frankish kingdoms. 2. By 900s, eastern Frankish kingdom, Germany, became a collection of small territories Ruled by nobles. 7th Notes: Chapter 2.1 3. In 911, a group of nobles sought to unite Germany by electing a king. 4. In 936, Duke Otto of Saxony was elected king of Germany. a. Otto was a powerful ruler. b. Germanic forces defeated the Magyars and freed the pope from the control of Roman nobles. i. Pope rewarded Otto by crowning him emperor of the Romans. ii. In 962, Otto’s territory became known as the Holy Roman Empire Included most of today’s Germany and northern Italy. 5. After Otto, there were two important emperors, Fredrick I and Fredrick II. a. During the 1100s and 1200s they tried to bring Germany and Italy under a strong central government. b. Popes did not want the emperors to control them. i. Popes joined some of Italy’s cities to resist the emperor’s forces. ii. Fighting continued until the 1800s. III. The Church and Its Influence 1. Roman Catholic Church played an important role in the growth of a new civilization in Medieval Western Europe. a. Christian areas were known as “Christendom” A. Christianity in Europe 1. Large areas of northwestern Europe practiced a variety of non-Christian religions. a. Ireland was different. 2. In 400s, Christian priest named Patrick spread Christianity and founded churches and monasteries or religious houses. a. For several hundred years, Irish monks played an important role in preserving Roman knowledge and passing it on to the people of Europe. 3. Patrick inspired Pope Gregory I to spread Christianity. a. Gregory asked monks to become missionaries (people who sent out to teach their religion) b. In 597, Gregory sent 40 monks to Britain to teach Christianity. 4. The western Slavs of Poland were converted to Christianity in 966. a. The Poles became closely tied to the Roman Catholic Church. b. By 1050, most of Western Europeans had become Catholic Christians. B. The Contributions of Monks and Nuns 1. Monks lived in monasteries. a. Monasteries served as schools and hospitals. b. Monks taught carpentry, weaving, and improvement in farming. c. Monks copied Christian writings, as well as Roman and Greek works. d. Monks made illuminations, which are manuscripts decorated with beautiful lettering and miniature religious paintings. i. These monks helped preserve knowledge of the classical and early Christian worlds. e. Each monastery produced goods and owned land. i. Over time monasteries became wealthy. f. Monks lived in communities headed by abbots. 2. Nuns lived in their own monasteries called convents. a. Convents were headed by abbesses.

7th Notes: Chapter 2.1 C. Church Authority 1. As monasteries’ influence increased, abbots became active in political affairs causing Disagreements. a. Kings wanted Church leaders to obey them. b. Popes believed kings should obey the Church. 2. In 1073, elected pope, Gregory VII declared that only high-ranking Church officials had power to appoint. a. Pope Gregory’s order angered Henry IV, the Holy Roman emperor. 3. Holy Roman emperor chose bishops in Germany. a. Henry insisted on naming his own bishops. 4. Gregory declared that Henry was no longer emperor and excommunicated him. a. Meaning he no longer had rights of church membership and could not go to heaven. 5. German nobles supported the pope. a. Henry changed his mind, traveled to Italy to ask for forgiveness. b. Gregory forgave Henry, but German nobles chose a new emperor which pope Gregory accepted the new emperor. c. Henry seized Rome and named a new pope, Clement III. i. Church cardinals continued electing their own popes during this time. 6. In 1122, a new German king and a new pope agreed that only the pope could choose Bishops, but only the king or emperor could give them government posts. a. This agreement was called, Concordat of Worms i. Signed in German city of Worms. ii. Concordat is an agreement between the pope and the rule of a country.