Western+Europe+and+the+Dark+Ages

Notes:

Impact of Christianity (490-600)

MI: The Christian Church began controlling beliefs, ideas, and attitudes. Charles Martel(600-755): MI: Charles Martel was a Frankish ruler who stopped the Muslim invasion from Spain, perhaps preserving Christianity's hold on Europe. Viking Raids (600-755) Rise of the Franks: Feudalism:
 * As Europe became more fragmented, and interactions between cultures lessened, with large amounts of land being ocntrolled by uneducated tribes (Germanic), the Clergy monopolized knowledge of the world.However, the clergy uses this to further their religious doctrine, and often suppressed outside knowledge, science and art.This strengthened the Dark Ages.
 * Kings aligned with the3 church would recieve backup from church authority and the Pope, allowing the church great political powers.In a manner similar to the chinese "Mandate of Heaven", the Church provided an absolute authority to strengthen the monarchy, lessening the chance of rebellions.
 * Martel was the first Frankkish leader to consolidate power, making the Frankish kingdoms the strongest in Europe at this time.Under Charles Martel, the Franks began to expand eastward submitting the Germanic tribes to their rule.
 * Charlemagne also pioneered new stirrups which allowed riders to use their swords without danger of falling off. He also introduced many concepts of Heavy Infantry, and a permanent army.
 * Warm weather around the seas at this time allowed for easier long-distance travels. Scandinavia became overpopulated, and farming couldn't support the population.
 * Scandinavians were ont discouraged by social/religious traditions which would stop them from pillaging.
 * Vikings mainly raided unprotected coastal areas of Britain and mainland Europe., often monasteries, as they were ususally unguarded and many valuables were kept there.
 * Military superiority(Franks took Germanic technology and improved on it) They had the first standing army since rome.
 * Strong government/leadership- Under the leadership of the charismatic Charles Martel, Clovis, and Charlemagne, the Franks prospered. The Franks also taxed the conquered people less than the Romans had, making them popular.
 * Centralization- As with many tribes, the Franks split property among children. Clovis killing all his brothers/sisters enabled him to take complete control of the Frankish empire.
 * After the death of Louis 1, his Kingdom was split between his three sons, causing europe to deteriorate further, eventually leading to the rise of Feudalism.
 * The Feudalist economy was entirely land-based. The feudal system is organized as such.[[image:http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/images/feudalsystem.gif width="373" height="361"]]

Effects of Christianity, and the Holy Roman Empire: Effects of the Crusades, and Norman conquest of England Golden Horde/ Black Plague The Golden Horde (Mongols) were able to conquer large amounts of Europe because: Feudalism and Manorialism Mindomo:
 * The power of religion can transcend physical borders. This allowed Christianized empires like the Byzantines and the Holy Roman empire to easily expand, being that most of Europe was Christianized.(in areas including but not limited to Bohemia, Italy, Austria, and Burgundy)
 * The christian crusades would revive interest in Asia, with promises of salvation, glory, and even tresure. They also stimulated asian trade and introduced Islamic ideas into Europe.
 * Though the HRE remained decentralized, Otto 1(1st leader of the HRE) conquered many lands, and appointed many clergy, through government influence, though he declared papal independance.
 * Normans from Normandy (Area in France where the Norse settled) conquer what is now England, and become the ruling class.
 * After NObles in ENlgand reach a breaking point with the king(after losing territory in France) the Magna Carta is signed, the first step to democracy since the Fall of ROme.
 * THe pope approved a Northern Crusade to deal with pagans. German duchies such as Saxony felt the need to invade border areas, subjugatethe local population, and force their conversion to christianity and obedience to the pope.
 * THe Balts territory was drastically reduced by these crusades, but they weren't totally eliminated.
 * Strong military technology- due to their nomadic lifestyle, the Mongols were able to gain many new technologies, and overall had excellent archers and mounted soldiers.
 * Strengthening numbers while in conquest- Mongols absorbed the population of conquered areas into their army, with the basic principle "Join, or die"
 * Diplomacy- Mongols controlled lands vital to European trade increasing their wealth, sophistication, and scientific abilities.
 * THe black death had greatly weakened Europe(killed half the population), especially in overpopulated areas, lead to internal discord, like the persecution of Jews, peasant revolts, weakening of papal power, etc...

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Summary of Feudalism and Manorialism:

MI:Feudalism was a system of government in medieval europe which was introduced by King William the Conqueror to England .Manorialism was specifically, the Economic aspects of the Feudal system.
 * Most people were serfs, living on the self sufficient agricultural estates called Manors.Serfe were agricultural workers who recieved some protection and administration of justice from their landlords, however, they were obligated to give the lord some of their income, . They were lowest in the feudal class system.however, they were not considered slaves, and some serfs did manage to escape landlord control via their modest earnings.
 * The Manorial system originated in the late Roman Empire, and it was strengthened by the decline of trade, and the lack of large political structures in europe during the Dark Ages.
 * The serfs were protected by the knights, who lived by an honor system called Chivalry.Knights were given land by a Baron in return for military service when demanded by the King. They also had to protect the Baron and his family, as well as the Manor, from attack. The Knights kept as much of the land as they wished for their own personal use and distributed the rest to serfs.
 * Barons leased land from the King. They were known as the Lord of the Manor and were in complete control of this land. They established their own system of justice, minted their own money and set their own taxes. In return for the land they had been given by the King, the Barons had to serve on the royal council, pay rent and provide the King with Knights for military service when he demanded it. They also had to provide lodging and food for the King and his court when they travelled around the country.
 * The King was in complete control under the Feudal System. He owned all the land in the country and decided who he would lease land to. He therefore only allowed those men he could trust to lease land from him. However, before they were given any land they had to swear an oath to remain faithful to the King at all times.

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Documentary: "The Dark Ages" Notes:

After the fall of Ancient ROme, the Dark ages occurred. When the ROman empire crumbled, Europe was beseiged by famine, war, and plague.More than half of the population died due to the Plague/August 24 410 AD Rome falls. For the 1st time in 800 years, Rome was under seige directly. FOr 3 days, the capital was razed. and the citizens were helpless against the Visigoths.WHen he was not promoted, ALorick attacked the empire afgter helppingthem invade. 2 years earlier, Alorick had arrived at the doorstep of rome, out of the desperation that they would starve. They surrounded rome, and blocked all supplies to Rome, and they slowly beseiged the city. Power and glory were replaced by cannibalism. At the order of a ROman aristocrat, the gates were opened, the city was looted. As early as the 3rd century AD, the empire was controlled by bad emperors, who were more interested in personal gain than public welfare.As a result of Rome's great trading system, they slowly lost the ability to protect themselves due to diseases like smallpox.This caused a heavy dependance on Germanic mercenaries. The next 7 centuries went to crap due to uneducated barbarians taking control.The great architectural monuments were destroyed, and used as quick building materials. Dark Ages was coined by Plutarch.Inspite of it's upheaval, the dark ages forever changed the path of Europe. The king of Europe's new barbarians Clovis, pledged allegiance to the Pope and converted to christianity for purposes of Uniting his people.Warfare, feud, and vendettas were common, as political problems snowballed into military problems, and peasants were caught in the middle. Christianity offered hope of eternal peace in times of great Chaos, making it very attractive.After Clovis converted, he couldn't obey the commandment, using Christianity as pretense for work. At the age of 15, Clovis had inherited a small amount of soldiers from his father. He elevated all the people he conquered into his soldiers to make his army stronger. The King ordered a Dark age practice called the "Ordeal" Where people would be boiled, or thrown into water to see if they were lying or not.The Roman empire endured through Byzantium, and Justinian intended to capture all western territory which had been captured by Barbarians. The West and East became like night and day. By the 5th century, Justinain was very well disliked.THousands stormed the palace and held justinian hostage, but his wife Theodora didn't want to go. She says "I am an empress, I am not running away. Purple is a wonderful color for a funeral."He called in his troops and slaughtered all enemies and rioters.In Italy, Byzantine armies are fighting for Justinian, and blazing their way towards Milan. 1000 Miles away. he created the Hagia Sofia, in dedication to his dream of the Roman Empire's resurrection.Symptoms began with fever, increased weakness to light, muscle spasms. Many fell into a coma, and there was mass vomiting. As a result of the plague, Justinian became paranoid, and his mind was greatly weakened.Many citizens blamed Theodora, believing trhe disease to bew an act of God to punish her for her promiscuity.With Justinina and Theodora dead by the 7th century, Europe's economy was once again dependant on agriculture, and was constantly bombarded by war and disease. As it had been before the rise of Rome.Tales of witches and wizards spread, and while the Catholic Church condemned such stories as pagan nonsense, the reality faced by many people was not much brighter.Manuscripts written by Christian monks are the main link to this time, though the Church burned many books which contradicted Catholicism.

** ESPIRIT Chart ** You must include main ideas and details in each category

Civilization/Nation/Group_Western Europe

Time PeriodDark Ages

> with only a few obligations to their landlords. it's classical borders the heavily Christianized Europe. affairs by feudal lords > of religious officials) > arose, Faith was stressed by opposing parties as the only manner of recieving God's Truths through religion.
 * E || MI: Improvements in agriculture after 900CE brought important new characteristics to Rural life.
 * Some peasants were able to shake off themore sever constraints of Manorialism, becoming nearly free farmers
 * Urban Growth allowed more specialized manufacturing and commercial activities.
 * Spearheaded by Italian Merchants, banking and long distance exchange of money and goods spread. (Ex- The Hanseatic league)
 * The use of money spread steadily, which irritated traditional christians, who preferred the simpler ,more direct interactions of traditional society.
 * The Crusades furthered trade and cultural interactions, allowing Europe to regain the ancient Roman knowledge it had lost.
 * This last source discusses the life of one such trader-merchant, Goderic, who in time became a saint. Reginald of Durham: Life of St. Goderic [12th Cent], []. ||
 * S || MI:The increasing complexity of Medieval life under the Feudal System created deep schism between those in power and the lower class serfs.
 * Serfs began to organize into guilds, which attempted to get some more rights for them.
 * While Women's work became more important in most families, and the emphasis of the Christian equality of all souls, provided an alternative to marriage for women in Western society.
 * Urban women however, did not have property rights, though they did often control some craft guilds, and play other commercial roles. ||
 * P || MI: Stronger monarchies did not develop evenly throughout Europe. THe West remained politically divided and diverse.
 * Late in the 13th century, this feudal balance lead to the creation of Parliaments (representative bodies) made of priests and nobles
 * The growth of monarchy cut into aristocratic power, as the Aristocracts still had powerful independant voices due to military strength.
 * As war dragged on, Kings preferred building their own armies, as opposed to the previous reliance on the Lords, causing the political aspects of the Feudal system to fall apart. ||
 * I || MI:During the period of political development and economic advance, Western Europe began to expand again beyond
 * Population growth, religious justification, and memories of Rome's greatness spurred this new expansionism.
 * The Crusades (started by Pope Urban II) were particularly strong examples of religious justification for war.
 * 100 Years War between England and France
 * Vikings - seagoing traders who routinely raided coastal areas and monasteries.
 * King William the Conqueror, Clovis, and other medieval conquerors controlled vast tracts of land, which were predisposed to fragmentation over time ||
 * R || MI: During the Dark Ages, religion underwent many reforms as the Catholic Church vied for political and military power in
 * Pope Gregory VII tried to purify the church by preventing priests from marriage to stop interference in Church
 * Gregory VII also quarreled with King Henry IV of England about the State practice of Investiture (state appointment
 * The Crusades were prime examples of Church asserting political power. ||
 * I || MI: Due to the Church's great political control, they became the center of learning and knowledge.
 * However, any books contradicting the Church's ideology were burned.
 * After the 13th century, Scholasticism (based in schools) was dominant medieval philosophy.
 * Many Christians looked to logic to rationalize religion, notably Peter Abelard, however, much opposition
 * Crusades also furthered interactions between Arabian Peninsula and Europe. ||
 * T || MI: After the fall of the Roman Empire, technological progress in Western Europe was very limited.
 * For example, the Moldboard plow allowed for a more efficient system of farming.
 * 3-field System was used for better crop production
 * Gothic Architecture became very popular, especially among churches of the time (Ex- Notre Dame)
 * In Europe by 900, there were significant changes in the production of iron. The above ground reduction furnace had been developed; this furnace allowed for the easier creation of iron. This iron could then be forged by local smiths into "parts for plows, spades, pitchforks, and horseshoes ([])
 * Of the crafts, the largest one was in cloth making. And, it is in cloth making that the first industrialization occurred during the Middle Ages. By the Middle Ages, the location of textile production was usually a household where the man was the weaver and the women prepared and spun yarn for the loom. All cloth was woven by hand on a loom and the most common materials of this time period were wool, cotton, silk, and linen. Each of these materials had its own production and most of them required the contributions of more than one individual. Manufacturing techniques remained unchanged over a long period of time.
 * Lack of irrigation and running water systems allowed for the black Death to spread more easily due to poor hygeine. (It was transmitted by rats.) ||

Decline of Medieval Synthesis:

MI: Western Europe began to face problems with overpopulation and disease after AD 1300.
 * The Hundred Years War (Britain and France) proved to be both the cause and result of larger problems.As a result, the Kings began to create their own armies, rather than relying on the feudal lords for military power (decline of the feudal system based on obligation).
 * A devastating series of diseases starting with the Black Plague in 1348 further strained the European social system by causing mass deaths (2/3 of the population). Because serfs were no longer easily replaceable, it gave their demands much more weight.
 * Breakdown of intellectual and artistic synthesis greatly suffered, as church officials became less tolerant of intellectual daring after the death of Thomas Aquinas.The church was also greatly weakened by shifting power between Avignon and Rome, decentralizing the papacy.While the Pope was eventually reinstated to Rome, it was clear that the church had been weakened.
 * At this time, the elaborate ceremonies of chivalry began to lose hold, without bewing clearly replaced by a new set of values.