Transcript Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms

Charlemagne Unites Germanic
Kingdoms
The end of the Roman Empire (476 AD); the end of classical
antiquity
The Middle Ages or medieval period (500 – 1500 AD)
The Renaissance and the beginning of modern history
Roots of the Middle Ages
• The classical heritage of Rome
• The beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
• The customs of various Germanic tribes
Invasions of Western Europe
• Repeated invasions and constant warfare
in the western half of the Roman Empire
led to major changes:
– Breakdown of trade
– Downfall of cities; population becomes mostly
rural
– Decline of learning
– Loss of a common language; Latin no longer
part of everyday speech; new languages
evolved
Germanic Kingdoms Emerge
• 400 – 600 AD, small Germanic kingdoms
replaced provinces of the Roman Empire
• Government changed from the public
government and written laws of Rome to
the family ties and personal loyalties of
Germanic society
– No orderly government for large territories
Clovis Rules the Franks
• Franks held power in what is present-day
France
– Led by Clovis
– Converted to Christianity
– United all Franks into one kingdom
Germans Adopt Christianity
• By 600, many Germanic people converted
to Christianity
• Church built monasteries, religious
communities where monks and nuns lived
– Monks opened schools, maintained libraries,
and copied books, partially preserving the
learning of Rome.
• Pope Gregory expanded power of the
papacy (Pope’s office)
– Church became a secular (worldly) power
involved in politics
Illuminated manuscripts,
made by monks, were
copies of religious
writings decorated with
ornate letters and
brilliant pictures.
An Empire Evolves
• Europe was made up many small
kingdoms, of which the Franks were the
largest and strongest
• Charles Martel led Franks in early 700s,
expanded their territory and defeating
Muslim raiders at the Battle of Tours in
732
– Became a Christian hero
• His son began the Carolingian Dynasty
which ruled until 987.
Charlemagne Becomes
Emperor
• Martel’s grandson, Charlemagne, built the
Frankish empire into the largest empire
since Rome
– Spread Christianity
– Reunited western Europe
– Pope made him “emperor”
Charlemagne Leads a Revival
• Charlemagne strengthened his power by
limiting the power of nobles
• Encouraged education by ordering
monasteries to open schools to train future
monks and priests
• After his death, Charlemagne’s sons divided
the Empire into three kingdoms
– Led to breakdown of strong, central government
– Resulted in a new system called feudalism