Medieval Europe geography, Spread of Christianity, and Charlemagne

2. North European plain
• To understand war in Europe, we must
understand geography in Europe. One
of the primary aspects of European
geography is the great north European
plain. The plain stretches from southern
France, to the Ural mountains in Russia.
The plain has no good natural borders,
leading to constant warfare and
changing borders.

5. The Alps are mountains in Europe
eThe Alps are one of the great mountain ranges in
Europe . They stretch from Austria and Slovenia
in the east all the way through Italy, Switzerland
and Germany to France in the west.

8. Mt. Blanc in the Alps
e Highest mountain in the Alps: 15,771 feet

9. Atlantic Ocean
• The Atlantic ocean- a body of salt water
covering approximately one-fifth of
Earth's surface and separating the
continents of Europe and Africa to the
east from those of North and South
America to the west.

10. Atlantic Ocean

11. English Channel
• The English Channel is a body of
water that separates the island of Great
Britain from the rest of Europe

12. Mediterranean Sea
• an intercontinental sea that stretches
from the Atlantic Ocean on the west
to Asia on the east and
separates Europe from Africa.

13. Mediterranean Sea

14. North Atlantic Current
• The North Atlantic Current is a warm
ocean current in the northern part of the
Atlantic Ocean. It is a continuation of
the Gulf Stream

17. How does the NAD affect
Europe
• The warm waters of the North Atlantic
Drift (NAD) are responsible for
moderating the climate of
western Europe, so that winters are
less cold than would otherwise be
expected at its latitude. Without the
warm North Atlantic Drift, Europe
would be as cold as Canada, at the
same latitude.

19. The Alps. mts

20. • Goal/Objective – We will be able to
understand the role monasteries
played in preserving knowledge and the
spread of Christianity beyond the Alps.

21. • To understand Christianity, we must first
understand where Christianity came
from and who Jesus was.
• Jesus was a Jew (religion and race) and
lived under the Roman Empire in 33AD.
• He was born in Israel

22. • Romans did not like the Jews because
they would not worship the emperor as
a god. But the Jews' religion
commanded them to worship only one
god tolerance
• Jesus began to teach in the Jewish
tradition. He preached love and
tolerance and he was also believed to
have performed miracles of healing the
sick, walking on water, and even raising

23. • Jesus was crucified for his believes and
actions towards the roman government.
• Although Jesus had died, his message
had not. Word of his teachings spread
to Jewish communities across the
empire. This was helped by energetic
apostles, such as Paul and Peter by the
modern communications of the Roman
Empire.

24. • Christianity spread throughout the
Roman Empire. Mostly because of Paul
and Peter.
• Constantine makes Christianity Rome's
official religion.

25. • Monastery A secluded community
where men called monks focus on
prayer and scripture
• Monk a member of a religious
community of men typically living under
vows of poverty, chastity, and
obedience.
• Convent A religious community for
women called nuns
• Convert To change from one belief
system to another

26. • When Rome fell in late 400s,
Christianity was mostly confined to
southern Europe.
• • By about 600ad, Christianity had
spread northward into other parts of
continent
• • Conversion of Anglo-Saxons
, Franks helped make western Europe
into largely Christian society

27. • Monks ran Schools that trained some
of finest minds of Middle Ages
• Copied ancient manuscripts, helped
preserve knowledge of Greece and
Rome.
• Monks lived apart from society in
monasteries.
• The monks had to follow rules that told
them how to dress and what to eat
• Monasteries became centers of
power, Wealth .

28. Charlemagne and the Franks
We will be able to identify effects of the fall
of Rome as well as the rise of Charlemagne
and the Franks.
Students will be able to identify and/or
define the following terms:
Effects of the Fall of Rome
Franks
Charlemagne
Feudalism

29. E. Napp
The fall of Rome brought many important
changes to Western Europe.

30. Effects of the Fall of Rome
• Germanic tribes took over Roman
lands.
• Hundreds of little kingdoms took the
place of the Western Roman Empire in
Europe.
• Initially, there was no system for
collecting taxes.
• Kingdoms were always at war with one
another.
• People lost interest in learning.

31. E. Napp
Warfare increased. Trade decreased.
The “Dark Ages” began.

32. The “Dark Ages”
• Historians call the period following the
fall of Rome the “Dark Ages.”
• Formerly(Now), this period is known as
the beginning of the Middle Ages.
• It was a time of increased warfare,
decreased trade, and a decline in
learning.

33. Clovis was
an important
king of the
Franks. The
Franks were
one of the
largest
Germanic
tribes.

34. E. Napp
Clovis and the Franks
• In A.D. 481, Clovis united the Franks
and became their king.
• Clovis converted to the Roman Catholic
faith.
• Essentially, the Franks blended
Germanic and Roman cultural practices.

35. Charlemagne
became king
of the Franks
in 768 A.D.
He conquered
a vast empire
and tried
to recreate
the glory of the
Roman
Empire

37. E. Napp
Charlemagne
• Charlemagne became king of the Franks
in 768 A.D. He tried to recreate the glory
of the Roman Empire.
• He conquered a vast empire and was
proclaimed Emperor of the Holy Roman
Empire by Pope Leo III.
• He gave land to his nobles in exchange for
their loyalty and military service.

38. E. Napp
Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne “Holy
Roman Emperor”.

39. E. Napp
During his reign, Charlemagne tried to
recreate the Roman Empire. However,
after his death, the empire declined.

40. The Rise of Feudalism
• While Charlemagne’s descendants
were not able to recreate the glory of
the Roman Empire, the Franks did
greatly affect life in the Middle Ages.
• Indeed, the Frankish practice of giving
land to nobles in exchange for loyalty
and military service spread throughout
Western Europe.

42. E. Napp
Questions for Reflection:
• Why did historians call the early Middle
Ages the “Dark Ages”?
• Who was Clovis and how did his
conversion affect the Franks?
• Why did Pope Leo III crown
Charlemagne “Holy Roman Emperor”?
• Define feudalism.
• How is feudalism different from other
political systems?