1. The Middle Ages period refers to 500-1500AD, spanning from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the fall of the Byzantine Empire. 2. During this time, many Germanic tribes like the Angles, Saxons, Franks, and Vikings migrated throughout Europe, bringing their culture and values with them as they established kingdoms in places like Britain, France, and parts of eastern Europe. 3. A feudal system developed in Medieval Europe to allow kings to effectively rule their vast territories through a hierarchy of vassal relationships in which land was exchanged for military service and loyalty. At the same time, Christianity grew to become the dominant religion and major power across Europe.

1. The Middle Ages
500-1500

2. When the empire fell, the Germanic people that had previously
been hovering on the borders moved in to settled land formerly
ruled by Rome...
They brought their CULTURE and VALUES.

3. The Angles were a Germanic tribe from modern
day northern Germany. They travelled to and
conquered lands in the modern day United
Kingdom.
The Saxons were a Germanic tribe from modern
day northwestern Germany. They travelled to
Angles and conquered lands in the modern day United
Kingdom.
Saxons

4. The Franks were a Germanic tribe from modern
day southwestern Germany. They travelled to and
conquered lands in modern day France, and their
descendants became the kingdom of the French.
Franks

5. The Magyars were a tribe from western Asia,
probably modern day Mongolia/Kazakhstan.. Magyars
They travelled to and conquered lands in modern
day Hungary/Romania, and their descendants
became the kingdom of Hungary.

6. Vikings
The Vikings were Norse, a people from
Scandanavia, in modern day Norway/Sweden.
They travelled to and conquered lands all over
Europe, but eventually some of them settled in
Normans Normandy (as Normans) in modern day France.

7. The Vikings were Norse, a people from
Scandanavia, in modern day Norway/Sweden.
They travelled to and conquered lands all over
Europe, but eventually some of them settled in
Normans Normandy (as Normans) in modern day France.
Normandy in modern day France.
The Normans were a people of Norse descent
that settled in France and adopted French
culture. They travelled to and conquered lands in
modern day United Kingdom in 1066, becoming the
reigning monarchs of England.

8. The Angles were a Germanic The Vikings were Norse, a people from
tribe from modern day northern Scandanavia, in modern day Norway/Sweden.
Germany. They travelled to and They travelled to and conquered lands all over Magyars
conquered lands in the modern Europe, but eventually some of them settled in
day United Kingdom. Normandy (as Normans) in modern day France.
Vikings
Angles
The Magyars were a tribe
Saxons from western Asia, probably
modern day Mongolia/
Kazakhstan.. They travelled
Normans Franks to and conquered lands in
modern day Hungary/
Romania, and their
descendants became the
kingdom of Hungary.
The Normans were a people of
Norse descent that settled in The Saxons were a Germanic
The Franks were a Germanic tribe from modern day
France and adopted French
tribe from modern day northwestern Germany. They
culture. They travelled to and
southeastern Germany. They travelled to and conquered lands
conquered lands in modern day
travelled to and conquered lands in the modern day United
United Kingdom in 1066, becoming
in modern day France, and their Kingdom.
the reigning monarchs of England. descendants became the kingdom
of the French.

9. The Middle Ages
The Major Points

10. When talking about the Early Middle Ages,
it is important to remember a few things:
•the major structure/government (ROME)
that had been around for a long time has just
fallen...
•there are no distinct countries...
•there are lots of different groups of people
vying for power...

11. 1
The Middle Ages period
refers to
500-1500AD.
From:
the fall of the Western
Roman Empire in 476AD To:
the fall of the Eastern Roman
(Byzantine) Empire in 1453AD.

12. Magyars
Vikings
Angles
Saxons
Normans Franks
2
Lots of tribes were moving
around Europe, trying to get
power.

13. N
FROM northern Germany.
Angles WENT TO/CONQUERED the UK.
Saxons FROM northwestern Germany.
WENT TO/CONQUERED the UK.
Franks FROM southeastern Germany.
WENT TO/CONQUERED FRANCE.
Where in Europe did the Germanic
tribes come from?

14. Q: When any group moves,
what does the group bring
with it?
Angles
Saxons
Franks
A: The
y brin
Cultu g thei
r
r e & VA
LU ES

15. The Germanic tribes very highly
3 valued personal ties.
Warriors would
gladly die for
someone they
knew and
respected, they
wouldn’t obey a
king they hadn’t
even met.

16. During the Roman Empire, all power came from one
centralized place.
Centralized Government: A government which controls
all aspect from one central location.

17. during Rome, personal ties was not the first priority.

18. Because of the value of personal
4 ties, centralized government
would no longer work in Europe.
A new government system had
to be established: FEUDALISM.
VALUE OF PERSONAL TIES + SIZE OF EUROPE
=
CENTRALIZED GOV’T WON’T WORK

19. The Feudal system was the social,
5 economic & political government
system of the Middle Ages.

20. In the Middle Ages,
there were two types
of people with power:
&
Leaders in the Church
Warriors with military strength

21. Warriors conquered lands
using their military strength.
Warriors became Kings in name
through agreements with and
appointments by the Church.
“If you name me king, then
my armies will protect you/ “Sounds
conquer lands in your good.”
name/go on crusade/etc”
“I solemnly make you
KING of [insert territory]
in the name of GOD.”
“I swear to “K.”
protect you.”

22. Warriors or Kings
took control of lands
using strength.
But then they had to
rule them.
Remember personal
ties?
They were still
important.

23. Feudalism was a system of government that
developed over time as a result of:
1. Vast Territory to Rule
2. Value of Personal Ties

24. Feudalism was: 3. Economic
1. Political
2. Social

25. What did it look like?

26. Say a warrior,
through agreements
with the church,
is named king of
his territories.

27. Say this is his
territory.

28. Vast territory.
Would it be possible for a
King to know everyone in
this territory personally?
How do you rule that vast
a territory if you value
personal ties?

29. You cut it up...
and delegate power of each piece to a vassal in return for taxes and military service...

30. Each lord, in turn...
Who is
strongest?
cuts up his land & distributes a piece to a knight(vassal) in return for service & taxes...

31. Each knight has to fight...
so he needs to get people to work the land. Enter peasants and serfs, who live on and
work the land in exchange for protection from the knight and basic human needs.

32. Feudalism was a system of exchanges...
Place to Place to Place to
Rule bankroll Live & Work
Land Land Land
in in
King Lord Knight Peasant
exchange in
exchange exchange
for... for... for...
$ &wr
$ ok $ &wr
$ ok $ &wr
$ ok
Taxes Taxes Taxes
& & &
Knights Service Labor

33. Though kings were gaining land, wealth & influence
during the Middle Ages,
6Christianity became the major power in Europe.
Christianity spread in three major ways:
Powerful People Proselytism Education

34. Clovis was a Frankish leader. Powerful People
His wife Clothilde Clovis was polytheistic
was Christian. (like most of the Franks).

35. What happened?

36. What happened?

37. He and 3,000 of his men were baptized
shortly after.

38. Missionaries.
People traveled the empire spreading the word and trying
to convert others to the new religion.
ely tism
Pros
Monasteries & Convents. Educa
tion
The homes of monks and nuns, these religious
communities became Europe’s most educated
communities. Monks opened schools, maintained
libraries, and copied books.
papacy: the authority/office of the pope
secular: no religious basis/connection
proselytize: getting other people to believe what you believe

39. And also, life was lacking for many.
Christianity is about COMPASSION.
Life was hard. People needed something to put faith in. The idea that
this world wasn’t it... that there was something after this life to look
forward to...
in short, people loved the idea.
Add to this, the lack of learning at the time:
Most people couldn’t read or write. Priests did the interpreting of
religion for them, explaining exactly what they had to do to be saved.
People wanted salvation. This opened up opportunities for the Church
to become rich and powerful.

40. Though kings were gaining land, wealth & influence
7 during the Middle Ages,
Christianity became the major power in Europe...
People began to think of the new European nations
as a Christian Empire.

41. The new Christian Empire fought with
8 other religious empires.
732 AD: Battle of Tours
Charles the Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party from Spain.

42. 751 AD: Battle of Talas
As the territory of Islam had been growing east, for some time, the Tang Empire of
China had steadily been expanding west. The t wo empires came to blows at the
Talas River in modern day Kyrgyzstan.

43. other religions,
meanwhile, were
spreading to a variety of
places.
Islam
Buddhism
Hinduism

44. Orthodox
Shi’a Reform ✡ ✡
Roman Catholic
☪ Protestant ✝
Conservative
early
✝
✡
1850s
1800sCE 1517CE
Eastern
Orthodox
✝
CE
Sunni
☪
1054CE
Mohammed 640CE
☪
✝ 32CE Jesus Christ
✡ 1300BCE Moses
Ishmael Isaac
let’s consider
1800BCE Abraham some history...
✡

45. A bit about Islam...
• Mohammad received his first
revelation from the angel Gabriel in
the Cave of Hira in 610 AD.
•622 AD :
Mohammed flees Mecca for Medina.
• Mohammad’s revelations were
compiled into the Qur’an after his
Medina
death.
Mecca

46. Islam grew & spread quickly.
Like Christianity, Islam had a
many things that people liked:
•Easy to learn and practice
•No priesthood - personal
relationship with God
•Taught equality
•Easily portable - easy for
nomads and those on the trade
routes to practice
Also like Christianity:
•followersof Islam practice
proselytism

47. A few more things about Islam...
An Abrahamic tradition, it has
many similarities:
•Strict monotheists
•Believein the Judeo-Christian
God, who they call Allah
•Believethat the Torah and the
Bible are also the word of God,
and that Jesus and Moses
were also prophets... But that
the Qu’ran is the truest form
of the word of God and
Mohammed his true prophet

48. In Europe, the Church
gradually became the
political body that
appointed kings.

49. Charles the Hammer wasn’t a king, but
his son PEPIN wanted to be.

50. So he made a deal.
Power in Europe became a give and
take between the Church and Kings.
He agreed to go to war with
his army in the name of the
church, fighting against their
enemies... ...and the pope named Pepin king.

51. Middle Ages KEY POINT #4
IN THE MIDDLE AGES, POWER WAS SHARED
(AND OFTEN FOUGHT OVER) BY SECULAR
KINGS AND THE RELIGIOUS CHURCH.
KINGS HAD A LOT OF POWER,
BUT AFTER ALL, THE CHURCH WAS THE ONE THAT
MADE THEM KINGS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

52. Frankish Kingdom
Rome
The Byzantine Empire
When Pepin died, he left a strengthened kingdom to his two
sons, Carloman and Charles.
Carloman died, Charles took the kingdom.
We know him today as CHARLEMAGNE or Charles the Great.

53. Charlemagne’s Kingdom
Rome
The Byzantine Empire

54. Charlemagne impressed the church even
more than his father...
HE...
fought the Muslims in Spain
conquered new lands to the east and south
expanded the Empire to the point that it was larger than the Byzantine
empire
united Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire
AND SPREAD CHRISTIANITY THROUGHOUT.

55. Charlemagne’s Kingdom
Rome
The Byzantine Empire

56. And so the Church appointed him
HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR,..
Effectively uniting the political and
religious rule of Europe.