Dark Ages 13-1

In this section you will:

1. Explain how Frankish rulers gained control of Europe. (Lesson 13-1 A)

2. Discuss the rise and decline of Charlemagne’s empire.

3. Explain why the Magyars and Vikings were able to invade and destroy the Frankish Empire.

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Focus Questions:

1. What steps did Charlemagne take to help assure that his officials ruled effectively and honestly?

2. Why were groups such as the Magyars and Vikings able to invade the Frankish Empire successfully?

(Find the answers below)

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Vocabulary

Middle Ages: Period in western European history between the 400s and the 1500s, or between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the beginnings of the modern world

medieval: Term that describes the period of western European history known as the Middle Ages

Charles Martel: Commander of the Franks who defeated the Spanish Moors, halting the Muslim advance in Europe at the Battle of Tours in 732 CE.

Charlemagne: Frankish ruler who united most of western Europe and was crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by the pope

Section 1 Summary

Centuries of disorder followed the breakup of the Western Roman Empire. Waves of barbarian invasion brought new customs and lifestyles. The period between the 400s and the 1500s is known as the Middle Ages, or the medieval period in Europe. It is the time between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the beginnings of the modern world. Among the Germanic tribes invading Europe were the Franks.

In 481 Clovis became king of one of the Frankish tribes. Clovis and his successors were called Merovingians because they descended from an ancestor named Merovech. Clovis conquered other Frankish tribes and controlled Gaul. Merovingian kings after Clovis were weak. The chief of the royal household, known as the “mayor of the palace,” became the real ruler. One of these was Pépin II. Pépin and his successors united the Frankish kingdoms. Pépin’s son, Charles Martel, became mayor of the palace.

His cavalry defeated the Moors (Spanish Muslims) int 732 at the Battle of Tours (link to more information on the Battle of Tours) when they invaded France in the 700s, halting the Muslim advance in Europe. Charles Martel’s son, Pépin III, overthrew the last Merovingian king and became king of the Franks. He established the Carolingians, a new line of rulers. The pope’s blessing strengthened the dynasty. In return, the pope sought Pépin’s help against the Lombards, who were attacking central Italy. Pépin’s army defeated the Lombards and gave the territory around Rome to the pope. This gift created the Papal States, ruled by the pope. It strengthened the alliance between the Franks and the church. Pépin’s son Charlemagne became the greatest Frankish king. A devout Christian, he brought civilization, order, and learning to Europe during the 800s. He spent much of his life waging war.

In 800, the pope crowned Charlemagne Holy Roman Emperor, “Emperor of the Romans.” Charlemagne had united western Europe for the first time since the Romans. Charlemagne divided his empire into regions, each governed by a count. All officials had to swear faithfulness to Charlemagne. Officials called missi dominici or “the lord’s messengers” traveled through the empire as Charlemagne’s representatives. They heard complaints, investigated officials, and determined the effectiveness of laws.

Charlemagne started schools for young nobles taught by European scholars. He encouraged subjects to convert to Christianity, sometimes by force. Charlemagne’s son, Louis the Pious, was well educated and religious but a weak ruler. Louis’s descendants, instead of uniting to overcome enemies, fought among themselves. Powerful lords became increasingly independent. Muslims from Africa and Slavs from the east invaded Europe. The nomadic Magyars, who settled in what is now Hungary, also terrorized Europe. The most feared invaders in the 800s and 900s were the Vikings, who were Germanic peoples from Scandinavia. Vikings were ruled by kings and nobles, but a democratic assembly of landowners made the laws. Vikings farmed, gathered, fished, and hunted. They sailed along the British and European coasts and up rivers as far as the Baltic, raiding settlements and capturing slaves for their farms. Their use of axes and dogs struck terror, and their skill at sieges could capture even well fortified towns.

Answers to the focus questions above

1. What steps did Charlemagne take to help assure that his officials ruled effectively and honestly?

To help assure that his officials ruled effectively and honestly, Charlemagne divided his empire into regions, each governed by a count. Counts and other officials had to swear faithfulness to Charlemagne. Officials called missi dominici traveled through the empire as Charlemagne’s direct representatives. They heard complaints, investigated officials, and determined the effectiveness of laws.

2. Why were groups such as the Magyars and Vikings able to invade the Frankish Empire successfully?

The Magyars and Vikings were able to invade the Frankish Empire successfully because the successors to Charlemagne divided the empire and then fought among themselves instead of uniting to overcome invaders. Also, the Vikings were very effective warriors.