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