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While the Byzantine Empire survived as a center of classical culture, significant changes occurred in Western Europe. Historians sometimes refer to this period of history, from the fall of Rome in 476 A.O. to the 1400s, as the "Middle Ages" or medieval period - the period between ancient and modern times.
THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS
Beyond Rome's frontiers lived Germanic tribes like the Goths. Vandals, Lombards, Burgundians, and Franks. The Romans considered these people to be uncivilized "barbarians." The Romans considered anyone to be a barbarian who came from a foreign, non-Roman culture.
In the 4th century, a war-like tribe known as the Huns moved from Central Asia to Europe. As the Huns moved into Europe, they forced the Germanic tribes to move westward. These Ger manic tribes, in turn, pushed forward into the Roman Empire.
The Visigoths permitted the Romans to enter the empire to escape the Huns. Later, the Visigoths turned against the Romans. The Visigoths defeated the Roman army and sacked the city of Rome in 410 A.D. They were assisted in defeating the Romans by the many Germanic slaves inside the city.
After a period of invasions, Germanic tribes then established their kingdoms in many parts of the former Roman Empire. The Angles and Saxons invaded England; the Visigoths moved westward to Spain; the Lombards occupied northern Italy, and the Franks took Gaul (present-day France).
The constant warfare of this period disrupted trade across Europe. Travel became unsafe because of violence. Bridges and roads fell into disrepair. Cities and towns were abandoned. Bandits roamed freely. Life became increasingly rural and unsafe. Wealthy families moved out of towns to the safety of fortified homes in the countryside. People gave up their interest in learning. Shortages of food and goods grew. Churches and monasteries became the only places where people could read and write.
THE RISE OF THE FRANKS
The Franks established the largest of the new Germanic kingdoms in what is now France. Charles Martel, a powerful nobleman, helped unite the Franks. In 732, at the Battle of Tours, Martel stopped the advance of Islam from Spain into France.
In 751, his son Pepin seized power and became King of the Franks. With the pope’s support, Pepin marched across the Alps and took control of Northern Italy. Frankish kings created a powerful army by granting lands to their nobles in exchange for service in the king's army with their knights
THE REIGN OF CHARLEMAGNE
Pepin's son, Charlemagne, became king in 768. Charlemagne expanded the practice of giving land to his nobles in exchange for their promises of loyalty and service. At the same time, his nobles gave land to their knights in exchange for similar promises. Peasants gave up their rights to their local lords for better security. They offered services "in kind," providing firewood, livestock, and crops.
Charlemagne enlarged his kingdom to include France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Northern Italy. Charlemagne established a new capital at Aachen, which he turned into a learning center. He constructed a beautiful palace in imitation of the imperial court of Rome. He used riches from his conquests to attract scholars to his palace school for children of the nobi1ity.
At the request of the Pope, Charlemagne has crowned "Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire" in 800. This step announced to the world that Western Europe was now independent of the Byzantine emperor. The coronation of Charlemagne also signified the new political and religious unity of Western Europe under the concept of Christendom. After Charlemagne's death, his empire was divided among his sons.
EUROPE FACES NEW THREATS
The division of Charlemagne’s empire occurred just as Europeans faced new threats. From the east, Slavs and Magyars invaded the lands of Germany, France, and Italy. From North Africa, Muslims attacked Southern Italy. The greatest threat came from the Viking’s fierce warriors and sailors from Scandinavia in Northern Europe. They sailed south in search of trade, loot, and land.
Between 800 and I000, the Vikings launched repeated assaults on the coasts of Western Europe, often committing brutal atrocities. Although spreading fear and destruction, the Vikings also created new trade routes. Their longboats were easy to maneuver and could sail in heavy seas or close to the land. In many places, they created new settlements - such as the Danelaw in Northern England, Normandy in France, and their communities on the island of Sicily
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