Clements World Part III, Sec 1
- 1. Part III Sec. 1: The Rise of Europe
- 2. End of Roman Rule The Germanic people ended Roman rule in the west and started a new civilization They had no written laws and no cities Lived in small communities with kings whose chief role was to lead them in war Europe became fragmented, isolated
- 3. The Early Middle Ages 400-700 Germanic invaders carved Europe into small kingdoms 800 Charlemagne built an empire stretching across France, Germany, and Italy He revived learning, extended Christian civilization into northern Europe blending German, Roman, and Christian traditions Set up a strong, efficient government
- 4. Life After Charlemagne Charlemagne died in 814 resulting in a power struggle for 30 years Muslims, Magyars (Hungarians), and Vikings began to overrun territories held by Charlemagne’s heirs Kings and emperors were took weak to maintain law and order In response to that basic need for protection, feudalism evolved
- 5. Feudalism Under feudalism, powerful local lords divided their large landholdings among lesser lords In exchange for land and protection the lesser lords, or vassals, pledged service and loyalty to the greater lord The lord granted the vassal a fief, or estate It included the peasants who worked the land Feudalism gave strict order to medieval society
- 6. Feudalism Feudal lords battled constantly for power Many nobles trained from boyhood for future occupations as a knight, or mounted warrior Knights adopted a code of conduct called chivalry Required knights to be brave, loyal, and true to their word Knights had to fight fairly and be generous to their enemies Stone castles were made to protect lands from being seized
- 7. Medieval Economy A manor is the lord’s estate Most manors included one or more villages and surrounding lands Most peasants on the manor were serfs, or people bound to the land Serfs couldn’t be bought or sold but worked the land in return for a bit of land for subsistence farming and protection
- 8. The Medieval Church After the fall of Rome, the Christian church split into an eastern and western church The west was headed by the pope and became known as the Roman Catholic Church Became the most powerful secular, or worldly force in medieval Europe Church officials were appointed to high gov’t positions because they were the only educated people Pope claimed to have authority over all secular rulers
- 9. The Medieval Church The church also controlled the spiritual lives of Christians in Europe Christians believed that all people were sinners and that many were doomed to eternal suffering Only way to avoid hell was to believe in Christ and participate in the sacraments Church performed all sacraments and had absolute power in religious matters Success brought problems to the church because as wealth grew, discipline weakened.
- 10. Economic Expansion and Change By the 1000’s advances in agriculture and commerce spurred economic revival Iron plows to improve farming and windmills to grind grain into flour Adoption of the three-field system enabled peasants to leave only a third of their land unplanted and thus expanded crop production New trade routes increased wealth Local trade fairs Merchant guilds, or associations came to dominate life in medieval towns Merchant, traders, and artisans formed the new social class – middle class