Transcript Reigned 482 to 511 Founder of Merovingian Dynasty

Clovis to Lothair
A Fast Trip through some Very Early French
History!
Clovis
• Reigned 482
to 511
• Founder of
Merovingian
Dynasty
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Fun Facts about
Clovis
Born about 466
King of the Salic
Franks
Married to the
Christian, Clotilda,
Converted to
Christianity after the
battle of Tolbiac in
gratitude for the
victory.
Remigius, the Bishop
of Reims, baptized
him.
Reims Cathedral
Fun Facts about
Charles Martel
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Born about 688
Died at Quierzy on the
Oise 21 Oct 741
Led the Austrasians
against the Saxons
Defeated the Moslems
at Tour and Avignon
Fun Facts about
Charlemagne 747-814
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Daily diet of roasted
meats
Loved the Church
Loved stories about
brave heroes
Spoke Greek & Latin
but had trouble writing
Crowning
Charlemagne
Maps
Feudalism
• In the wake of Charlemagne’s death,
the Carolingian empire faced
monumental problems.
• The kingdom was divided into smaller
and smaller states.
• That wasn’t working because...
Invasions!
• Invasions by the Magyars
from the east,
• Vikings from the north
• Saracens from the south
The Great Landowners
• Raised their own armies
• Built castles to protect the open
country.
• That resistance increased their
authority and made them less
dependent on a central
government.
Ooh! What Happened
Next???
• The wave of invasions ended in the
10th century (900s) but recovery was
slow.
• The barbarians did become Christians
in England, Ireland and Normandy, but
in
• Eastern Europe, the tribes were more
difficult to absorb (remember Teutoborg
Forest?)
What that Means
• Local self-sufficiency, already strong,
was intensified by the needs of security
and protection.
• It was necessary that European society
be reorganized so that each area could
meet its minimum needs from its own
resources.
The Absence of
Central Government
• So there is no central government at
this time
• The twin threats of war & famine
contribute to the general awareness of
the need for security & protection.
• The institution of feudalism appeared in
this atmosphere of collapsing of central
authority, civil war, invasion and overall
economic stagnation. So --
• the term refers to that social, political
and economic system that emerged
from the experience of the 9th century
(800s).
• Feudal society: only men who could
guarantee immediate protection and
security from a war, invasion and
famine were the true lords.
• Feudal society was dominated by
warriors. People needed assurance
that they could depend on others.
• Feudal society was dominated by a vast
network of mutual relationships based
almost entirely on personal loyalty and
service. This practice grew out of two (2)
primary sources:
•1. Tribal bonds characteristic to
the invading tribes began to
decline due to their
Christianization.
•2. The fall of Rome and its
aftermath led to a general
weakening of loyalty to the
state, which was characteristic of
Rome in the later years of the
Empire.
The Arrangement
• Landed nobility (like kings) tried to
acquire as many vassals as they could:
there was strength in numbers.
• But paying them was a tough order so,
they granted the vassals land as a
“benefice” or “fief”.
• The vassals were expected to live on
the land, maintain their horses and
supply themselves with the weapons of
war.
• The fief was inhabited by peasants and
the crops they raised provided the
vassal with his means of support.