Frankish Kings
List at least three conditions in Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire
Western Europe was broken into many smaller Germanic kingdoms
Lack of of centralized Roman government led to breakdown of law and order, as well as constant chaos and warfare
Trade stopped and the economy collapsed
Education all but vanished (only church clergy could read and write)
Roman infrastructure (roads, bridges, aqueducts, etc) fell into disrepair
People moved away from cities and into rural areas closer to water sources
Buildings became smaller and less elaborate
In general, society in Western Europe regressed as a result of the fall of Rome
What is feudalism?
A highly decentralized form of government that stressed mutual alliances and obligations between kings (or other powerful landholders) and their vassals.
What social or political roles did the Roman Catholic Church take on after the fall of Rome?
Unified people in a time of chaos; people looked to the Church for guidance; provided social services such as helping the poor and orphans, and providing medical care; because clergy knew how to read and write, they also provided education; also used these skills to copy old books and preserve the classical knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome
What is the significance of William, the Duke of Normandy?
Was one of three claimants to the throne of England after it’s previous king, Edward the Confessor, died with no heirs. William invaded England in 1066 with 6000 soldiers and defeated the last of his rivals at the Battle of Hastings, thus becoming the new king.
What were the Crusades?
A series of military expeditions by Western European Christians to try and reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control. They consisted of 9 wars that were fought over the course of about 200 years.
Who were the most important and powerful Germanic Group in Western Europe after the fall of Rome?
The Franks
How did feudalism became a the dominant political system in Western Europe?
Feudalism became the dominant political form in Western Europe as centralized governments became weaker (fall of the Frankish Empire)
What is ‘lay investiture’ ?
The practice of political leaders (like kings or nobles) using their authority to appoint high ranking church officials like bishops.
What was the significance of the ‘Great Council’ in England and what it will eventually become?
After becoming king, William the Conqueror established the ‘Great Council’ as a body of nobles and Church officials who would help advise him as he governed. The Great Council would eventually evolve into Parliament, which today is the lawmaking body of England’s government.
Why did the Crusades begin?
The Byzantine Emperor Alexios asked the pope to rally Western European knights and soldiers to help him fight off an invasion by the Seljuk Turks. The Turks had also captured Jerusalem and closed the city to Christians.
What was the significance of Clovis I?
Clovis conquered a large kingdom in what is present-day France and parts of Germany - founder and first ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. Later converted to Christianity, becoming the first major Germanic ruler to do so.
What is a vassal?
Within the feudal hierarchy, a vassal is anyone who serves someone of the next higher rank. So for example, knights who had been granted land by their lord were his vassals. Vassals owed loyalty and service to their lords in exchange for the land they had been given.
How did the Church try to fix the problems of lay investiture?
The Church Council in 1059 decided that only the pope could appoint bishops, cardinals, abbots, etc, while only the cardinals would be allowed to select a new pope
What was the Magna Carta? What did it do?
English Nobles forced King John to sign it in 1215. This document placed limits on the power of the English King. It prevented him from collecting new taxes without the consent of the Great Council, and also ensured that people could not be arrested, imprisoned, or otherwise punished without a trial by jury.
What was the outcome of the First Crusade?
First Crusade - successfully captured Jerusalem and the cities of the Holy Land. Afterwards, a number of Crusaders stayed and established European-style feudal kingdoms.
What is the significance of Charles Martel?
On October 10th, 732, Charles Martel defeated the invading Muslim army at the Battle of Tours, thus halting their advance into Western Europe, and possibly saving Christianity.
What is the relationship between lord and vassal under feudalism?
The king (or any other powerful landholding lord) would grant land to nobles (or lesser nobles or knights). These people would now become vassals. The vassals could govern the land and use it to generate wealth, and in return would pledge loyalty to the king and provide knights and soldiers for the king’s armies.
What is ‘heresy’ ?
The denial or challenging of basic Church teachings
What kind of government will England become?
limited monarchy
What was the outcome of the Third Crusade?
after Jerusalem fell back into Muslim control in 1187, a new Crusade was launched. King Richard I of England fought the Muslim leader Saladin in several great battles, but could not gain a decisive victory. By 1192 Richard and Saladin signed a peace treaty that kept Jerusalem under Muslim control, but allowed Christians access to the city.
What is the significance of Charlemagne and what is the Carolingian Renaissance?
Charlemagne expanded the Frankish Kingdom into a Frankish Empire. His conquests united most of Western Europe under one Government for the first time since the fall of Rome. In 800 AD, the pope crowned Charlemagne as the ‘new emperor of Rome’ or ‘Holy Roman Emperor
Carolingian Renaissance was a period of economic and cultural revival in Western Europe under Charlemagne and his successors. This time period saw a resurgence of education, trade, the arts, and architecture. Unfortunately, it would not last.
What is the relationship between commoners (peasants and serfs) and lords under manorialism?
Under the feudal manor system, or ‘manorialism,’ the landholding nobles and lords would allow common people like peasants and serfs to live on their lands and provide them with protection. In return, the common people would work on the lord’s land and pay their way through their labor or whatever goods or services they produced. So a farmer would pay his way by farming the lord’s land, while a blacksmith might pay his way by making weapons, horseshoes, etc.
What is excommunication?
The act of being expelled from the Church - this meant that a person could not attend church and thus not receive the sacraments. People believed that this would prevent them from being able to achieve salvation. Excommunication was often used as a punishment against those accused of heresy
How did the Magna Carta influenced the United States?
There are some specific ideas from the Magna Carta that are present in the US constitution, while its two main themes, Limited Government and Representative Government, form part of the foundation on which the US government system is built.
Surprise! Return of the Kings Question:
What kind of government was formed in France?
Absolute Monarchy