Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne

Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne

Germanic Kingdoms Arise• German warriors were not loyal to emperors &

administrators whom they had never met• Instead, loyalty rested with personal ties• Made establishing an orderly gov’t impossible

Clovis I and the Franks• Clovis was leader of Germanic people of Gaul,

known as the Franks

- Converted to Christianity

- United Franks into one kingdom

Germans Adopt Christianity

The Church & Monasteries

- Monks gave up possessions to live in these religious communities

- Women = nuns

• Italian monk Benedict wrote book describing rules for monasteries– Scholastica wrote book for nuns

• Monasteries became Europe’s best-educated communities

1) Opened schools

2) Maintained libraries

3) Copied books

Pope Gregory I• Broadened authority of the papacy• Made papacy secular (worldly) power

involved in politics• Church $ used to raise armies,

repair roads, help poor• Idea of churchly kingdom

ruled by pope was central theme of Middle Ages

An Empire Evolves

• Franks controlled the largest & most powerful of Europe’s kingdoms

• Official known as major domo, or mayor of the palace, became most powerful person

- Charles Martel (the Hammer) was major domo

- Defeated Muslims in Battle of Tours

The Carolingians• At his death, Charles Martel gives power to

his son, Pepin the Short• Pepin cooperated w/pope because he

wanted to be king- Agreed to fight the Lombards who threatened Rome

• Pope anointed Pepin “king by the grace of God”

• Thus, the Carolingian Dynasty began

Pepin.

Short.

Charlemagne Becomes Emperor

• Pepin’s son Charles the Great ruled the kingdom after his death

• Built great empire

- Fought Muslims and Germanic kingdoms

- Conquered new territories & spread Christianity

Charlemagne Becomes Emperor

• Crowned emperor by the pope

Charlemagne Leads a Revival• Strengthened his royal power by…

limiting the authority of nobles• Sent out royal agents to ensure that landholders

(counts) governed justly• One of his greatest accomplishments was the

encouragement of learning- Opened palace school- Schools for future monks & priests

Illuminated Manuscripts

Charlemagne’s Heirs• Charlemagne crowned son

Louis the Pious as emperor before his death

• Louis was ineffective as ruler• Louis left three sons to bicker

over control of the Empire• Treaty of Verdun divided

empire into three kingdoms- Resulted in loss of power & authority Emergence of feudalism