Transcript Medieval History (Unit 8)

Medieval History
(Unit 8)
Merovingian Dynasty
Battle of Hastings
1500AD
500AD
1000AD
100yrs War
Charlemagne
I. Early French History (Barbarian
period)
a. Franks (Barbarian tribe that invaded Gaul)
• Leader that emerges Clovis (481-511) was very strong
and powerful. He married a princess of the
Burgundians (she was a Christian)
• Now Clovis becomes a Christian (forms close association
with the Pope)
• Establishes Paris as the capital, all the rulers that follow
him are weak----Son takes over
b. If they are so weak, how do they last so long?
Merovingian kings- 481-751
Known as the “do nothing kings.”
Comitatus were the King’s advisors, in exchange for
advice
they were given food, clothing and shelter.
Mayors of the Palace- 3 most important advisors
c. Mayors of the Palace got power hungry
1. Pepin II
Tired to dominate the other the two & became
so powerful that he made his position
hereditary.
2. Charles “the hammer” Martel—son of
Pepin II
He was worried about the spread of Islam
Wants the people to fight for him>>gave
them land
His army was called “Vassals of the Lord.”
732- defeated the Moslems (people of Islam)
at the Battle of Tours
Battle of Tours 732
Tours
3. Pepin the Short (Pepin III) - 741-768, Charles’s son
He asked, “If I am so strong, why am I not king.”
He did not want to overthrow because he would lose
popularity. He needed a better way.
Pope was the only one who could get rid of a king (nicely)
Pepin asked the Pope “who should be king”
Pope said the person “who maintains peace”
Pepin removed the king and placed him in a monastery
>Pope needed help- surrounded by the Lombards
(It was why he said he could get rid of him)
The Pope came to France and officially crowed the King
>Pepin defeated the Lombards and took the land
around Rome and gave it to the Pope (Papal StatesVatican) Donation of Pepin.
II. Carolingian Dynasty
a. Charlemagne or Charles the Great 768-814
Dynasty named after him
-Born in the city of Aachen (later named his capital)
-Father was Pepin the Short, mother was Bertha of the Big
Foot
Pepin divided the kingdom up when he died
½ to Charlemagne and ½ to Carloman II (his
brother, but he died unexpectedly leaving the whole
kingdom to Charlemagne)
-He takes over at the age of 29
-Could hardly read, write, but could build an
empire
-Great military leader and administrator
-6ft 4in, bearded and reddish-blond hair
b. Charlemagne Expanded his territory
1. Attacked Lombards in Northern Italy (killed brother’s wife
and children
2. Conquered Saxony (Northern GM) in a religious fight
Pagans v. Christians-if refused Baptism or converted back
were killed. (1/4 wiped out)
3. Southern GM and Southern France
4. Hungary and Yugoslavia (Avars>>relatives of the Huns)
5. Failed in Spain
***United most of Western Europe under his reign
close to the Pope but Charlemagne was more powerful.
c. Christmas day-800AD
Charlemagne was a very pious or religious man
In 795 the Pope died
New pope had to be elected & Pope Leo III was elected
(controversial) a lot of people did not support.
He was driven out of Rome and was restored by Charlemagne.
Charlemagne went to Rome for Christmas mass—800AD
Pope crowned him emperor-Did Charlemagne
know????
**Charlemagne now known as (Holy) Roman Emperor
But…Implies Pope is more powerful
Emperor has spiritual power
Struggle between Church and State that would go on for
centuries
d. Accomplishments of Charlemagne
1. Involved with education (Carolingian Renaissance)
2. Writing (capital letter fancy)
lower case letters
3. Spread Christianity
4. Built roads and bridges
5. Fairer laws (Before, commit murder-pay the family
Now, crime against the state)
6. Missi Domenici: eyes and ears of the king, spies
7. Aachen the new capital
8. Divided kingdom into counties
e. Charlemagne died (Now What?)
Only had one son and he was very religious (had two other
sons but they died shortly before Charlemagne’s death)
Louis the Pious 814-840
Charlemagne made it very clear that he was going to take
over>
Smooth transition
But>>>Louis had three sons
1. Lothair
2. Louis the German
3. Charles the Bald
Before he died, Louis the Pious divided it up among his
three sons Treaty of Verdun—to prevent any further
fighting
Treaty of Verdun
Louis the
German
Charles
the Bald
Lothair
Two younger brothers’ team up against the older and
divide up the land formally.
Lothair died and overtime this becomes the line or
boarder between Germany and France.
Lothair’s old territory had very rich land (Iron and
Coal) and both sides want it.
It became one of the causes of WWI about 1000yrs
later—Alsace-Lorraine
Emperor fell apart about 30 years Charlemagne’s
death
III. William the Conqueror
a. Duke of Normandy
-Duke William wanted to be king (felt he had a claim through a promise from
his cousin (Edward the Confessor)
-In order to be king, he needed to get rid of the current king (Harold of
Wessex)
-Ready with a fleet of 500 large ships loaded with armor, swords, wooden
crossbows, and at the last moment- horses
b. Battle of Hastings 9:00am October 14, 1066
At the time of the invasion, King Harold was in Northern England.
(just defeated brother & had to fight off an invasion from King of Norway)
Heard of the invasion and marched his troops where the two armies met
at the Battle of Hastings (town in Southern England).
They each had 7-8 thousand men.
Harold’s men had swords, spears, and battle-axes
Harold’s men stayed on the top of Senlac Hill. While the arrows
were shot Harold’s troops strategy was to interlock their shields
for defense.
Anglo-Saxon’s (Harold’s) fought on foot.
Word circulates that William’s dead. Some of the Norman’s fled
thinking their leader was dead. William stood up & pointed to
himself (psyched them up). Norman’s made it through he hill
because Harold’s men broke rank and ran after the previously
fleeing Norman’s.
Harold’s men pursued leaving holes for William’s troops.
To defeat the interlocking shields, they shot their arrows in a high
arch. When they went to protect their head, they left their body
open. They swept underneath.
Strategy before that was to charge, retreat, and then charge again
to break the shields.
King Harold was killed in the fighting and his army began to run
away.
c. William I
He became the King of England and he was crowned on Christmas day in 1066.
There still was unrest for 5 years before he controlled everything completely &
most of Harold’s men left the country
The Norman knights and lords became the rulers of England.
d. 2 people become 1
Norman’s and the Anglo-Saxons (English) shared one bond:
Religion
William got loyal subjects and he did not change English law or government.
Problem: Language
Both could not understand each other
Norman’s spoke French
Anglo-Saxons spoke Old English/Middle English
In time both languages mixed and became the language
that we speak today.
Anglo-Saxons and the Norman’s also married each other and mixed
the both cultures. (Children had their bloods mixed)
In the end the Norman’s and the Anglo-Saxons people became one and
hey made up the nation that we know today.
e. Other Results of William the Conqueror
1. Introduced Feudalism to England
2. Domesday Book -1086
It was a economic survey. Questions people’s life now and
how was there life during Edward the Confessor.
It was probably going to be used as information on taxation.
3. Bayeux Tapestry
IV. The 100 Years War & Joan of Arc
France vs. England
France in a war with England since 1337
All the fighting on France soil
a. Conflict started by English
Edward III (English) claimed French crown to protect his land
in France.
English held all of Northern France (North of the Loire River)
War was later known as the 100 years war.
Not continuous fighting –Fight takes a dramatic turn when????
King Charles VI or Charles the Mad (insane), left the
French crown to an English king (Henry V)
NOT HIS SON (Dauphin—Doe FAA), eldest son of a French
King
b. Joan of Arc 1412-1431
She came from the dark forest called the Wood of Oaks in a small village
called Domremy. She claimed that a great light burst forth in her father’s
garden. Saw angels one being the Archangel Michael. He urged her to
have greater faith. She kept hearing voices and seeing visions. She was
told to help the French Dauphin get restored and save France. God would
tell when the time would be right.
c. Joan was the Messenger of God
16 /17 years old & walked into a French stronghold and told the king that God told he
she would get the crown back to the rightful owner (Charles’s son).
d. War rages on
Room full of people: Joan went right up to the Dauphin while never seeing him
before. She said that her voices told her which one he was.
Council was very impressed because she was good looking, healthy, strong, smiling
English forces attacked Orleans (major French trading city- that if France lost, the
war would be over).
Joan convinced the royal palace to let her save Orleans & restore Charles
Two Goals:
-Restore the Dauphin
-Save Orleans
Given a Duke, an army (3-4000 men) and given armor.
e. Joan’s battle
Joan led the troops in the Battle of Orleans.
People felt that she was sent by God and it gave them hope.
Asked them to surrender and they laughed at surrendering to a girl
Joan’s forces eventually won the battle.
After several more battles and victories>>
She had the Dauphin crowned and he became
known as Charles VII. She restored the monarchy.
f. War not over
There were still troops in Paris and Joan wanted to go but Charles
VII refused.
Eventually went but Joan lost her advantage and lost.
She was then was captured by the Burgundians a short time later.
They opposed Charles VII.
g. Trial at Rouen
For months, Joan was questioned and heckled
Told she could not claim she knew God better then the Clergy.
She was called a sinner.
They wanted to prove that she was a heretic thus having Charles crowned by a heretic.
-Would not let her attend mass until she wore women’s clothes she refused,
wanted to be treated and dressed like a warrior
-They could not prove she was a witch but attacked her for cross-dressing.
-Signed a confession and then 3 days missing from the trial records
-Dressed like a man again
-Felt she was a witch and burned her at the stake
-King Charles did not lift a finger to save her
h. War ended 1453
War separated forever the ties between France and England
& would lead to many more conflicts
Before the war, England and France thought of themselves as
near relatives.
Now they saw themselves as two separate countries.