Transcript Middle Ages – Blog

Knights in shining
armor?
Misadventures?
Early Medieval Europe
500 AD – 1000 AD
Feudalism
 The Early Middle Ages:
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500- 1000AD
A period in European
history when learning and
civilization declined.
Rome has fallen. No other
central authority takes its
place.
Hard, subsistence farming
life for most.
People live in fear of
attacks by barbarians &
criminals
 Church properties –
monasteries & abbeys –
became centers of learning,
justice and community.
 Monasteries often ran
farms, provided medical
treatment, or allowed
travelers to stay for the
night
 The Church’s power later
also brought conflict with
Princes over political
matters.
 In the Frankish kingdoms
(France & Germany) - the
King often had little real
power
 The ‘Mayor of the Palace’
was the official in charge of
the household and the
estate.
 Often he commanded the
armies and made policy, in
effect he ruled the kingdom.
 Ruthless Frankish king -
his wife was a Christian.
 First to unite the
Frankish tribes - modern
France & Germany
 During battle he prayed
to God for help and won.
Then his 3,000 soldiers
were baptized. He
provided the church
with an army.
 Mayor of the Palace-
defeated the Muslims at
the battle of Tours – in
modern France
 The father of “Pepin the
Short” who succeeded
him as mayor of the
palace.
 Illiterate – he learned to
read as an adult.
Insisted all his children –
including girls – were
educated.
 Forced the “King” into a
monastery & became officially
the King of the Franks
 Formed an army with his nobles
and created an empire: all of
France & Germany, part of Spain,
and 2/3 of Italy.
 Divided his kingdom into
counties and assigned a count to
watch over each Shrewd alignment with the Pope
made him “Emperor of the
Romans.”
 Looked over the
counties created by
“Pepin the Short.”
 Son of Pepin - succeeds
as a warrior king &
administrator over the
many tribes of western
Europe.
 Keeps Spanish Muslims
out of Gaul (France)
 Continues Pepin’s deal
with Pope.
 Protects Italy in return
for coronation as
‘Emperor of Rome’
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http://www.history.com/topics/charlemagne/videos/thereign-of-charlemagne
 What successes influence future development of
Europe?
 What are three long term cultural & religious aspects
of this military success?
Following the death of Charlemagne, central government again
weakened and disappeared in Europe.
•Successors unable to provide protection against outside invasion.
• Trade and communication declined again.
•Communities forced to be self-sufficient & protect themselves.
•Result: new political, social, and economic system which provided
for the needs of local people - Feudalism.
•By mid 1000’s, feudalism is found throughout Western Europe.
Initial Division of
Charlemagne’s
Empire. Divides into
even smaller
kingdoms,
dukedoms, and
principalities over
time.
 Division of Charlemange’s
Empire weakens the
protections against attacks &
invasions.
 Seafaring traders who raided
and colonized areas of
Europe.
 Attacked and raided Britain.
 Video
Scandinavia
Feudalism began in France in the late 800’s
following the death of Charlemagne
Feudalism arose primarily as a means of
protection against invaders, especially the
Vikings
Feudalism spread throughout Europe over
the next two centuries
 A political system of local government and
military defense
 A social system of distinct class based on
land holding
 An economic system of self-sufficient
manors
Fiefs - Large tracts of
land granted to “Lords”
in return for service and
loyalty
Lords are “vassals” of the
Prince or King who
granted land
Lords must then provide
men & arms for the
Prince/King in war
King
Protection
King
Fiefs
Powerful Lord
Powerful Lord
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Protection
King
Fiefs
Powerful Lord
Lesser
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Powerful Lord
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Protection
King
Fiefs
Powerful Lord
Lesser
Lord
Knights
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Powerful Lord
Powerful Lord
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Lesser
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Lesser
Lord
Knights
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Protection
King
Service
Loyalty
Fiefs
Powerful Lord
Lesser
Lord
Protection
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Knights
Knights
Peasants
Lesser
Lord
Powerful Lord
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Lord Service
Lord
Loyalty
Knights
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Peasants
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King
Powerful Lords
Lesser Lords
Knights
Clergy
Serfs
Feudal Society
Upper Class
King - Owned all land
Powerful Lord - Royal Vassal of the King
Lesser Lord - Vassals of Powerful Lords
Knights - Lowest & largest group of nobles
Middle Class
Clergy - Priests, monks, nuns, bishops
Feudal Society
Upper Class
King - Owned all land
Powerful Lord - Royal Vassal of the King
Lesser Lord - Vassals of Powerful Lords
Knights - Lowest & largest group of nobles
Middle Class
Clergy - Priests, monks, nuns, bishops
Lower Class
Serfs - Bound to land through oath of loyalty to a lord.
Uneducated. Owed service on lord’s manor and in his army
The lowest level of nobility
Generally, sons of nobles trained as knights
beginning at an early age.
Eventually, the knight might become a lord after
inheriting the wealth and land of his father.
Others could become knights too.
Two Types of Knights
Knights of the Bath : Sons of nobles, Trained in three stages:
Page - Boys sent at 7to Lord’s castle to learn manners, hunting and
fighting skills by playing war games with other pages
Squire – At about 14, Pages became Squires.
Assisted a knight with weapons and armor;
Traveled with the knight into battle and practiced his skills.
 Knight - Finally, at about 21,
squires became full fledged
knights, after an elaborate bath
to wash away the impurities of
body and soul, a day of fasting
and a of night praying.
 Knights then took an oath of
homage to his Lord & knelt
before him. The Lord dubbed
him a knight by tapping him on
the shoulder with a sword.
Knights of the Field
A young man could occasionally become a knight
by showing valor on the battlefield. He could be
knighted by a lord without going through formal
training
 Improved during the
Middle ages thanks to
knights.
 Chivalrous competitions
or mock fights
 Jousting, single combat of
two knights riding at each
other, was a component of
the tournament, but was
never its main feature
Late in the period of feudalism, a code of conduct
developed that would change feudal life. This code,
called the Code of Chivalry stressed:
1. Loyalty to God and the knight’s lord
2. Protection of the oppressed and poor
3. Courage, courtesy, and generosity
4. Support of justice
5. Defense of Christianity
Technical Innovations in
Defensive Architecture
Before & After the Carolingian
Kings, there is little protection
from marauding bands of
barbarians – Goths, Huns,
Visigoths, Vikings & random
criminals.
Castle architecture develops as a
defense
The most important aspect of the feudal system
was the large estate called a manor. The manor
acted as a self-sufficient economic unit and
generally ranged from 500 to 5000 acres. The
economic system of feudalism is therefore
known as Manoralism
A typical manor consisted of the following:
Farm and Pasture Land
 The Lord’s land - best of the land. Usually 1/3 of the manor
 Serf’s land - Spread throughout the manor. Usually poor in fertility
The Lord’s Castle
 Center of political and military activity.
 Provided protection during attack
The Village
Contained serf’s huts, artisan’s shops, and the lord’s
wine press, flour mill, and baking ovens.
•Feudalism began to gradually disappear in the late 1100’s.
•Disease, ignorance, poverty, and superstition dominated the
feudal era and contributed to its demise.
•However, the two main reasons for the decline:
•The Crusades
•The Rise of Nation States.
 Four major religious wars.
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Europeans attempted to
reclaim the Holy Land
from Muslims.
Europeans were introduced
to eastern ideas and goods.
Demand for eastern goods
& trade increased, feudal
economies began to weaken
Towns & cities started to
develop
Serfs were free in cities- not
bound to a Lord
http://www.history.com/topics/crusades
 Harness for Horses – replaces oxen
 New, heavier type of plow.
 Move from two-field to three-field system.