Transcript Charlemagne Unites Germanic Kingdoms

Charlemagne
Unites
Germanic
Kingdoms
Chapter 13, Section 1
Setting the Stage
MAIN IDEA:
EMPIRE BUILDING
WHY IT
MATTERS NOW
Many Germanic
kingdoms that came
after the Roman Empire
were reunited under
Charlemagne’s empire
Charlemagne spread
Christian civilization
through Northern
Europe, where it had
a permanent impact
Invasions of Western Europe
• 5th century: Germanic invaders overran the western half of
the Roman empire
• Repeated invasions caused changes such as:
– Disruption of trade
– Downfall of cities
– Population shifts
– Decline of learning
– Loss of a common language
• *These changes altered the economy, government, and
culture of Western Europe!*
Germanic Kingdoms Emerge
• 400-600: Major upheaval; Germanic kingdoms
replaced Roman provinces
• Borders changed constantly with each battle’s
victory
• Concept of government changes: emphasis on
personal loyalties (unwritten rules & traditions)
• Germanic stress on personal ties made it
IMPOSSIBLE to establish orderly government for
large territories
Europe in the
th
6
Century
Clovis Rules the Franks
• The Franks, a Germanic tribe, hold power former Roman
province of Gaul
• Leader, Clovis, converts to Christianity to get divine help
with battle victories
• Church in Rome welcome’s Clovis’ conversion and
supports his military campaigns against other Germanic
peoples
• 511: Clovis has united the Franks into one kingdom
• *This strategic alliance between Frankish kingdom &
the Church was the start of a powerful partnership!
Spread of Christianity
• Church as an institution survived the fall of the
Roman Empire; provided security in times of
political chaos
• Church became secular (worldly) and involved in
politics
• Politics helped spread Christianity; Church &
Frankish rulers help many people convert
• Missionaries risked their lives to travel & spread
Christian beliefs
Christianity, continued
• Church built religious
communities called monasteries
• Christian men called monks
gave up their private
possessions and devoted their
lives to serving God by hard
work, prayer, and study
• Women who followed this way
of life were called nuns and
lived in convents
• Monks and nuns opened
schools, maintained libraries,
copied books & helped the poor
Illuminated Manuscripts
• Monks devoted much
time to making
manuscripts, beautiful
copies of religious
writings, decorated with
ornate letters and
brilliant pictures
• This was a way of
keeping learning alive in
a time when learning
wasn’t important
Charles Martel Emerges
• Major domo – “mayor of the palace”, an official that has more
power than the king
• 719: Charles Martel was major domo of the Frankish kingdom
united by Clovis
• Extended the Frankish kingdom to the north, south, and east
• Battle of Tours, 732: defeated Muslim raiders (extremely
important for Christian Europeans)
• Martel passed power to his son, Pepin the Short (wanted to be
king)
• Pepin cooperated with the pope; pope anointed Pepin “king by
the grace of God”
• Carolingian Dynasty: ruling family of the Franks 751-987
Charlemagne Becomes Emperor
• 768: Pepin the Short passes strong kingdom to sons
• Charles, “Charlemagne” (Charles the Great) rules
kingdom
• Built an empire greater than any known since
ancient Rome!!!
• Fought Muslims in Spain, other Germanic tribes, and
conquered new lands to the south and east
• Spread Christianity and reunited Western Europe
for the first time since the Roman Empire
Just a Question…
What do the
sword & cross
symbolize in
this painting of
Charlemagne?
Charlemagne’s Empire: 768-843
Charlemagne’s Excellent Reign
• Charlemagne strengthened his power by limiting the
power of the nobles
• Sent out royal agents to ensure counts (powerful
landholders) were governing their counties justly
• Regularly visited every part of his kingdom
• Encouraged learning!
– Surrounded himself with scholars
– Opened a palace school for upper class children
– Ordered monasteries to open schools to train future
monks & priests
Fall of the Carolingian Dynasty
• 814: Charlemagne on his deathbed; crowns son Louis the
Pious emperor
• Louis the Pious was very religious but an ineffective ruler
• He left the kingdom to his three sons, who fought each
other for power
• 843: the brothers signed the Treaty of Verdun, splitting
the empire into three kingdoms
• Central authority broke down & the last Carolingian
kings lost power
• Lack of strong rulers would lead to a new system of
governing and landholding… FEUDALISM