Medieval Europe

Franks Rule Western Europe

After the Western Roman Empire collapses, the Germanic tribes establish small kingdoms for themselves.

• The Franks are the most important:o Settle in northern Gaul (modern day

Belgium and Netherlands).

Clovis and the Merovingians

Clovis becomes King of one tribe of Franks (481 CE)• His family line is called Merovingians.

• Brutal and cruel, but a great military leader.• Conquers other Franks, controls all of northern Gaul.• Conquers southern Gaul. (France=named after Franks.)• Accepts Christianity after winning a battle, and orders

3,000 of his soldiers to be baptised.• After his death, the kingdom is divided. Kings are weak;

real power lies with the mayor of the castle (they make all the decisions). o Pepin II (700 CE) makes mayor hereditary position.

Charles Martel

• Charles Martel succeeds Pepin II.• 732 CE: Moors invade France, but are halted

by Martel and his cavalry.o This stops the Muslim expansion into

Europe.

Remember, he and his family are still the mayors of the castle, not royalty!

Pepin III

• Pepin III (Pepin the Short): takes over in 741. • 751: throne taken from Merovingians, and given to

Pepin III. • Pepin crowned by Pope "King by the grace of God"

• Later popes claim this event gives them the precedent to install and depose kings.

• Pope seeks help from Pepin to remove a Germanic tribe from central Italy.

• Pepin does this and then gifts the land to the pope (The Donation of Pepin) which establishes the Papal States.

• Began an alliance between Franks and pope that strengthened both sides.

Charlemagne• Heir to Pepin the Short: Rules from 768-814• Spent much of his early reign at war, added

area to his empire.• 800 CE: Crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by

Pope Leo III because he had united most of Europe.

• Regarded as the successor to the emperors of Rome.

• Starts Carolingian empire.

Charlemagne’s Government• Organized into several hundred regions, each ruled by

a representative• Missi dominici=“the lord’s messengers”= officials he

appointed to travel throughout the kingdom and monitor local laws, evaluate needs, etc.

• No direct taxes.• Everyone in the kingdom contributed to the military

• Wealthy provided horses, gear.• Poor served as soldiers for part of the year.

Education:o Very interested in education; invited scholars to visit, established a school

for his own childreno Ordered the bishops to copy books to create libraries

Decline of the Frankish Empire

• Louis the Pious inherits the throne: does an okay job

• After Louis’ death, his 3 sons sign the Treaty of Verdun

• Treaty of Verdun: Divides Charlemagne’s empire into 3 sections (western, middle, and eastern kingdoms)

• This signals the decline of the empire—basically all the kings are too weak to rule and there is too much in-fighting for them to defend against the numerous invaders.

Vikings

• Most feared of all the invaders.• Viking gov’t had Kings and nobles, but was also very

democratic for the time.• HIGHLY value bravery and hard work.• Assemblies of landowners made the laws-almost

everyone had land and worked.• 800s: Food shortage in Scandinavia sends many Vikings

to search for food/treasure.• Trade w/ the strong, pillage the weak.• Enjoyed battle, complained of peace: “peace lasted so

long that I was afraid I might come to die of old age, within doors, on a bed.”