main points about the middle ages

The Middle Ages500-1500

When the empire fell, the Germanic people that had previously been hovering on the borders moved in to settled land formerly

ruled by Rome...

They brought their CULTURE and VALUES.

Angles

Saxons

The Angles were a Germanic tribe from modern day northern Germany. They travelled to and

conquered lands in the modern day United Kingdom.

The Saxons were a Germanic tribe from modern day northwestern Germany. They travelled to and conquered lands in the modern day United

Kingdom.

Franks

The Franks were a Germanic tribe from modern day southwestern Germany. They travelled to and conquered lands in modern day France, and their descendants became the kingdom of the French.

MagyarsThe Magyars were a tribe from western Asia,

probably modern day Mongolia/Kazakhstan.. They travelled to and conquered lands in modern day Hungary/Romania, and their descendants

became the kingdom of Hungary.

Vikings

Normans

The Vikings were Norse, a people from Scandanavia, in modern day Norway/Sweden. They travelled to and conquered lands all over Europe, but eventually some of them settled in

Normandy (as Normans) in modern day France.

Normans


Normandy in modern day France.

The Normans were a people of Norse descent that settled in France and adopted French

culture. They travelled to and conquered lands in modern day United Kingdom in 1066, becoming the

reigning monarchs of England.



Normans

The Normans were a people of Norse descent that settled in France and adopted French culture. They travelled to and

conquered lands in modern day United Kingdom in 1066, becoming the reigning monarchs of England.



Vikings

Magyars

The Magyars were a tribe from western Asia, probably

modern day Mongolia/Kazakhstan.. They travelled

to and conquered lands in modern day Hungary/

Romania, and their descendants became the

kingdom of Hungary.

Franks

The Franks were a Germanic tribe from modern day

southeastern Germany. They travelled to and conquered lands in modern day France, and their descendants became the kingdom

of the French.

Angles

Saxons

The Angles were a Germanic tribe from modern day northern

Germany. They travelled to and conquered lands in the modern

day United Kingdom.

The Saxons were a Germanic tribe from modern day

northwestern Germany. They travelled to and conquered lands

in the modern day United Kingdom.

The Middle AgesThe Major Points

•the major structure/government (ROME) that had been around for a long time has just fallen...

•there are no distinct countries...

•there are lots of different groups of people vying for power...

When talking about the Early Middle Ages, it is important to remember a few things:

The Middle Ages period refers to

500-1500AD.1

From: the fall of the Western

Roman Empire in 476AD To: the fall of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire in 1453AD.

Normans

Vikings

Magyars

Franks

Angles

Saxons

Lots of tribes were moving around Europe, trying to get

power.2

Franks FROM southeastern Germany. WENT TO/CONQUERED FRANCE.

Angles

Saxons

FROM northern Germany. WENT TO/CONQUERED the UK.

FROM northwestern Germany. WENT TO/CONQUERED the UK.

Where in Europe did the Germanic tribes come from?

N

Franks

Angles

Saxons

Q: When any group moves, what does the group bring

with it?

A: They bring theirCulture & VALUES

Warriors would gladly die for someone they

knew and respected, they wouldn’t obey a king they hadn’t

even met.

The Germanic tribes very highly valued personal ties.3

During the Roman Empire, all power came from one centralized place.

Centralized Government: A government which controls all aspect from one central location.

during Rome, personal ties was not the first priority.

VALUE OF PERSONAL TIES + SIZE OF EUROPE

=

CENTRALIZED GOV’T WON’T WORK

Because of the value of personal ties, centralized government

would no longer work in Europe.4

A new government system had to be established: FEUDALISM.

The Feudal system was the social, economic & political government

system of the Middle Ages.5

&In the Middle Ages,

there were two types of people with power:

Leaders in the ChurchWarriors with military strength

Warriors became Kings in name through agreements with and appointments by the Church.

Warriors conquered lands using their military strength.

“If you name me king, then my armies will protect you/

conquer lands in your name/go on crusade/etc”

“Sounds good.”

“I solemnly make you KING of [insert territory]

in the name of GOD.”

“I swear to protect you.”

“K.”

Warriors or Kings took control of lands

using strength.

But then they had to rule them.

Remember personal ties?

They were still important.

Feudalism was a system of government that developed over time as a result of:

1. Vast Territory to Rule

2. Value of Personal Ties

1. Political

Feudalism was:

2. Social

3. Economic

What did it look like?

is named king of his territories.

Say a warrior,

through agreements with the church,

Say this is his territory.

Vast territory.

Would it be possible for a King to know everyone in this territory personally?

How do you rule that vast a territory if you value

personal ties?

You cut it up...

and delegate power of each piece to a vassal in return for taxes and military service...

Each lord, in turn...

cuts up his land & distributes a piece to a knight(vassal) in return for service & taxes...

Who is strongest?

Each knight has to fight...

so he needs to get people to work the land. Enter peasants and serfs, who live on and work the land in exchange for protection from the knight and basic human needs.

Lord Knight PeasantKingin

exchange for...

Taxes &

Knights

Taxes &

Service

Place to Live & Work

Place to Rule

Place to bankroll

Taxes &

Labor

Land Land Land

$$ & work$$ & work$$ & work

Feudalism was a system of exchanges...

in exchange

for...

in exchange

for...

Though kings were gaining land, wealth & influence during the Middle Ages,

Christianity became the major power in Europe.6

Powerful People Proselytism Education

Christianity spread in three major ways:

His wife Clothilde was Christian.

Clovis was polytheistic (like most of the Franks).

Clovis was a Frankish leader. Powerful People

What happened?

He and 3,000 of his men were baptized shortly after.

papacy: the authority/office of the popesecular: no religious basis/connection

proselytize: getting other people to believe what you believe

Proselytism

Missionaries. People traveled the empire spreading the word and trying to convert others to the new religion.

Monasteries & Convents. The homes of monks and nuns, these religious communities became Europe’s most educated communities. Monks opened schools, maintained libraries, and copied books.

Education

And also, life was lacking for many.

Christianity is about COMPASSION.

Life was hard. People needed something to put faith in. The idea that this world wasn’t it... that there was something after this life to look forward to...

in short, people loved the idea.

Add to this, the lack of learning at the time:

Most people couldn’t read or write. Priests did the interpreting of religion for them, explaining exactly what they had to do to be saved. People wanted salvation. This opened up opportunities for the Church to become rich and powerful.

People began to think of the new European nations as a Christian Empire.

Though kings were gaining land, wealth & influence during the Middle Ages,

Christianity became the major power in Europe...7

732 AD: Battle of Tours Charles the Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party from Spain.

The new Christian Empire fought with other religious empires.8

751 AD: Battle of Talas As the territory of Islam had been growing east, for some time, the Tang Empire of

China had steadily been expanding west. The two empires came to blows at the Talas River in modern day Kyrgyzstan.

other religions, meanwhile, were

spreading to a variety of places.

Islam

Buddhism

Hinduism

✡Conservative

✝

✝

✝

Eastern Orthodox

Roman Catholic

1054CE

32CE Jesus Christ

1800BCE Abraham

1300BCE Moses

IsaacIshmael

✡

✡

☪Mohammed 640CE

Sunni

☪

✝Protestant

1517CE

Shi’a

☪ ✡Orthodox

✡Reform

1850sCE

early 1800sCE

let’s consider some history...

A bit about Islam...

Mecca

Medina

• Mohammad received his first revelation from the angel Gabriel in the Cave of Hira in 610 AD.

• 622 AD :Mohammed flees Mecca for Medina.

• Mohammad’s revelations were compiled into the Qur’an after his death.

Islam grew & spread quickly. Like Christianity, Islam had a many things that people liked:

•Easy to learn and practice•No priesthood - personal relationship with God•Taught equality•Easily portable - easy for nomads and those on the trade routes to practice

Also like Christianity:

•followers of Islam practice proselytism

A few more things about Islam... An Abrahamic tradition, it has many similarities:

•Strict monotheists•Believe in the Judeo-Christian God, who they call Allah•Believe that the Torah and the Bible are also the word of God, and that Jesus and Moses were also prophets... But that the Qu’ran is the truest form of the word of God and Mohammed his true prophet

In Europe, the Church gradually became the

political body that appointed kings.

Charles the Hammer wasn’t a king, but his son PEPIN wanted to be.

Power in Europe became a give and take between the Church and Kings.

So he made a deal.

...and the pope named Pepin king.

He agreed to go to war with his army in the name of the

church, fighting against their enemies...

Middle Ages KEY POINT #4

IN THE MIDDLE AGES, POWER WAS SHARED (AND OFTEN FOUGHT OVER) BY SECULAR

KINGS AND THE RELIGIOUS CHURCH.

KINGS HAD A LOT OF POWER, BUT AFTER ALL, THE CHURCH WAS THE ONE THAT

MADE THEM KINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

When Pepin died, he left a strengthened kingdom to his two sons, Carloman and Charles.

Rome

The Byzantine Empire

Carloman died, Charles took the kingdom.

We know him today as CHARLEMAGNE or Charles the Great.

Frankish Kingdom

Rome


Charlemagne’s Kingdom

Charlemagne impressed the church even more than his father...

HE...

fought the Muslims in Spain

conquered new lands to the east and south

expanded the Empire to the point that it was larger than the Byzantine empire

united Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire

AND SPREAD CHRISTIANITY THROUGHOUT.

Rome


Charlemagne’s Kingdom

And so the Church appointed him HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR,..

Effectively uniting the political and religious rule of Europe.

main points about the middle ages

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