Transcript The Development of Feudalism in Western Europe

The Development of Feudalism in
Western Europe
The Dark Ages (?)
► On
a blank piece of paper, draw a mind map. Put
the words “Dark Ages” in the middle.
► After looking at the following images, write words
or phrases on lines coming out from “Dark Ages”
relating to feelings of decay and disorder:




3.2B
3.2C
3.2E
3.2F
What do you think?
► Now,
why do you think that in the early
15th century, some scholars referred to the
early Middle Ages as the “Dark Ages?”
Write your response on the back of your
mind map.
The Franks
 Germanic
people, living along the banks of
the Rhine river
 Society: small groups - loyal to kin
Medieval Europe:
Clovis
► 481
- one of the groups chose Clovis as ruler
► Clovis ambitious, self-interested, cruel
► Murdered kinsmen if thought to be competition
► Was a pagan - kept losing battles
► Wife was Christian - Clovis converted and won his
next battle
► Conversion unified his kingdom and gave him
support from the Pope, the Church, and Christian
Romans living among Franks
Medieval Europe:
After Clovis
►
►
►
Frankish Kings who
followed Clovis were poor
leaders
Next powerful ruler after
Clovis – Charlemagne
(Charles the Great)
Charlemagne had two
main goals:
 Unite all of western Europe
under his power
 Convert all Germanic people
to Christianity
Medieval Europe:
The Rise of Charlemagne
Saw himself as a soldier of Christ
 Set out to meet his objectives through
war
 Known as cruel and brutal:

 Fought pagans in north
 Fought Muslims of Spain in south
 According to his secretary, Einhard, in 782, after a
Saxon revolt, he had 4,500 Saxon rebel leaders
beheaded in one day
Medieval Europe:
The Rise of Charlemagne
 In
the end, his goals largely met; he almost
doubled the size of his kingdom and was
more powerful than any ruler western
Europe had seen since the time of the
Roman Empire
 Christmas Day, 800, Pope Leo III placed a
crown on Charlemagne’s head, declaring
him the new Holy Roman Emperor.
Charlemagne’s Rise to Power

Background on Franks:
 Germanic People
 Lived along Rhine River
 Loyal to kin
 Clovis converted to
Christianity in 481
► Charlemagne’s
 Created large empire
made of self-sufficient
manors
 Counts kept order in his
kingdom
 Made Aachen a new
center for learning
Charlemagne’s Rise to Power
► Steps to Charlemagne’s Rise
► Step 1: Converted Germans
to Power:
to Christianity
through war.
► Step 2: Prevented Muslims from expanding in
Europe
► Step 3: Brutally put down a Saxon revolt
► Charlemagne: large, heavy man with mustache &
bright blue eyes. Said to be 6 ‘ 3 ½ “ tall
► “God Himself has made me king”
► “By authority of the Church, I crown thee Holy
Roman Emperor”
Life Under Charlemagne
► People
taught in church to obey
Charlemagne
► Empire organized in manors, with counts
watching over them. Counts had three
main jobs:
 Maintain a small army loyal to Charlemagne
 Collect taxes
 Settle disputes
Life Under Charlemagne
►
►
Minstrels wandered from manor to manor performing
songs that glorified Charlemagne and his empire – helped
hold empire together by providing a sense of unity
Most people could not read or write. Charlemagne made
his palace at Aachen a new center for learning. Children of
royal officials trained to work in church or palace. Paid
scholars to come teach at this school.
Death of Charlemagne
► Charlemagne
died in 814
► His three grandsons divided the kingdom
into three parts. This eventually weakened
the empire and contributed to its collapse
► Geneology
of Charlemagne
The Vikings
► Also
called Norsemen – from Scandinavian
lands of northern Europe
► Seafaring
► Lived in small villages on coastlines
► In their language viking = pirate
► Traders and explorers as well as raiders
► Used large, dragon carved ships – very
intimidating
Viking Raids
► Who
were the vikings?
 Lifestyle: based on sea; viking = pirate; aviking=to go on overseas adventure; both sexes
wore long hair; married women respected
 Government: tribal units ruled by a jarl
 Values: culture of war; blood feuds common
 Education: not important
 Religion: worshiped many gods, used crop and
animal sacrifices
Viking Raids
► Where
did they raid and why?
 From Norway
 And Denmark
 Coastal villages throughout Europe, plundering, killing,
burning & taking prisoners
 Europe weak after Charlemagne’s empire fell apart
 Viking longships and weaponry intimidated people of
Europe
 Vikings were experienced sailors, traders & expolorers
Viking Raids
► What
was their impact on Europe?
Kept many Europeans in a state of terror
Europeans looked to local lords to protect them
Contributed to the development of feudalism
Viking culture influenced some aspects of life in
Europe
 “We could stop the Viking Raids if we had a
strong central government”




Medieval Castles
► Early
castles – motte and bailey
► Generally uncomfortable and crowded
► All earth and wood
► 12th & 13th centuries moved to stone walls
► Stronger, lasted longer, kept castle warmer in
winter
► Complete
description detail for notes using
overhead transparency
Why Feudalism?
► People
needed protection in war-like culture they
lived in without a strong central government
► Manor = castle and farming estate of feudal lord
► Feudalism=system in which services were given in
exchange for land
► Based on system of hierarch – justified by belief
that God intended some people to be superior to
others.
Structure of Feudalism
Clergy and Monarchs
Clergy: taught & spread Christianity
Monarchs: high authority
Nobles and Lords
Vassals (knights) – less powerful nobles
Peasants – majority were serfs
Monarchs
► Monarchs
– weaker after Charlemagne, but
still considered high authority
► Gradually lost power to lords and began
taking on position of powerful lord of more
than one manor
Lords and Nobles
► Lived
on manors in castles
► Included powerful clergy
► Hunted, defended manor, oversaw serfs,
and settled legal disputes
Vassals aka. Knights
► Nobles
but less powerful than lords
► Trained knights who began studying art of
warfare at age of 7
► Promised to follow code of chivalry
► Lord gave portion of land to vassal in
exchange for loyalty and service
► Lord also promised to take care of knight
Peasants and Serfs
► Some
peasants were free. They would pay
lord for use of land and could leave if they
wished.
► Most were serfs. Serfs were bound to land
– essentially prisoners. Not allowed to
move from land, own land, or even marry
without permission of lord.
► Lords couldn’t make serfs fight and could
not force serfs off of land.
William the Conqueror & the Norman
Invasion: Background
► Death
of Edward the Confessor:
 1066 – Edward the Confessor, King of England, died
without any heirs
 He had promised his throne to the Duke William of
Normandy (French)
► Harold
Godwinsson’s Claim to the English Throne:
 Anglo-Saxon assembly chose Harold Godwinsson,
Edward’s brother-in-law, instead (English)
 Harold Godwinsson had promised Edward he would
support William, but broke his promise
Harold Hardrada’s Claim to the
English Throne
►
►
Harold Hardrada, King of Norway, also had rights to throne
and wanted it (Norwegian)
His love of fighting (berserking) motivates him to attack
England
 Harold Hadrada described as:
The word berserk has survived from the Norsemen’s language. A
man who went berserk was seized by a battle-madness far beyond
courage; he killed and killed, without mercy, reason or fear, and
did not stop until there was nobody left to kill, or until he fell dead
himself…Harold, in one word, was berserk: the most celebrated,
feared, and admired berserker of that century.
Battle of Stamford Bridge,
September 1066
► Harold
of England met Harold Hardrada of
Norway at Stamford Bridge, Sept. 1066.
Hardrada was killed, his army defeated
William sneaks in
► Two
days after the Battle at Stamford
Bridge, William set sail for England across
English channel
► Harold’s men, tired from battle, had to
march 250 miles south & try to replenish
themselves before William got there
The Battle of Hastings, October 1066
► Harold’s
army relies on two-handed battle-
ax
► William’s army uses flurries of arrows
► Normans win by faking a retreat and then
turning and attacking Saxons
Importance of Battle of Hastings
► Norman
culture dramatically changed Saxon
traditions
► French words blended with Anglo-Saxon
language
► Established the feudal system in England
► Increased the power of the English monarch
Shift in Power to Monarch
► Monarchy
more powerful after William,
nobles didn’t like it.
► King Richard: used large sums of money to
finance crusade. During return trip,
kidnapped. English people forced to pay
large ransom to free him. Richard
eventually died in battle. Younger brother,
John assumed throne in 1199
King John and the Magna Carta
► King
John angered the lords and English
people by:
 Raising taxes & forcing them to buy goods at
high prices
 Ordering them to build his palaces
 Demanding money for his war with France and
which resulted in him losing land
 Engaging in a quarrel with Pope
King John and the Magna Carta
► King
John knew if he signed the Magna Carta he
would be giving power to the lords and the English
people.
What we know about King John
 came to the throne through the death of brother, Richard



nicknamed “Lackland” because he inherited no land
from his father
cruel, ignorant, and unpopular
nicknamed “Softsword” because poor military leader
King John and the Magna Carta
► Magna
Carta
 “Great Charter” limited monarch’s power by
mandating:
►No
imprisonment without jury trial
►Consultation with lords before taxing
►No interference with Church’s authority
►King had to choose competent officials who
understood and obeyed the law themselves
Your Assignment
► Create
a wanted poster for one of the individuals
presented in this powerpoint.
► The poster should list grievances against the
individual.
► The poster should list the benefit of either
capturing or forcing this person to do something
to rectify the situation he/she has created.
► The poster must include a drawing of the
individual.