Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Germanic Kingdoms United under Charlemagne

Main Idea:
    - many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire
    - Charlemagne spread Christian civilization

Setting the Stage
    - Middle Ages = medieval period
    - AD 476 - AD 1453

This is a new society
  - has roots in
    - classical heritage of Rome
    - beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
    - customs of various Germanic tribes

5th Century Germanic invaders
  - overrun half of Roman Empire
  - causing:
    - disruption of trade
    - downfall of cities
    - population shifts to rural areas

Effects of Invasion
  - decline
    - tribes could't read Greek or Latin
    - French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian
    - few besides priest were literate

Germanic Kingdoms emerge: AD 400-600
  - warriors' loyalty is to the lord of the manor
    - he provides them food, weapons, treasure
  - result
    - no orderly government for large area
    - small communities rule

even so ... Clovis rules the Franks
    - Clovis rules Gaul, know as Franks
    - 496, battlefield conversion, he and 3000 warriors become Christian
    - 511, Franks are united into one kingdom, Clovis and Church

Spread of Christianity
    - Church + Frankish rulers = rise in Christianity
    - 520, Benedict writes rules for monks
        - vows of poverty
        - chastity
        - obedience
    - sister Scholastica, writes similar rules for nuns
    - operate schools, maintain libraries, copy books

Pope Gregory and Papal Power Play
    - Pope Gregory 1 goes secular
    - Church revenues are used to help the poor, build roads, and raise armies
    - theocracy
    - Christendom extends from Italy to England, from Spain to Germany

Who's Running Europe
    - Clovis rules the Franks in Gaul until his death 511
    - rest of Europe smaller kingdoms
    - descendants include Charles Martel, Charles the Hammer
    - Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party fromSpain at the Battle of Tour in 732

How do you follow the Hammer
    - Charles Martel's son is Pepin the Short
    - ling by the grace of God
    - Pepin the Short dies in 768
    - 1 son Carolina dies in 771
    - 2 son Charles, Charlemagne
    - six feet four inches of rocking ruling warriors greatness

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