1. ISN pg 74 title: Charlemagne & the Vikings
Preview: Finish each sentence:
During the Middle Ages…
Feudalism was important during the Middle Ages because…
During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church…
Life for peasants on the manor…

2. Charlemagne & the Franks

3. Franks
After the decline of the Roman Empire, the territory of Gaul was ruled by the Franks:
Charlemagne (Charles the Great) became the greatest king of the Middle Ages by doing something no other king was able to do
He created an organized empire
See how dangerous it was during the Middle Ages!!
By defeating Germanic Saxons & Lombards

5. One king controlled all this & had power over feudal lords
Look at this massive, well-organized empire! This is the EXCEPTION rather than the rule during the Middle Ages!!
One king controlled all this & had power over feudal lords

6. Charlemagne was called the “strong hand of God”
Charlemagne’s accomplishments:
Greatly expanded the Frankish empire
Spread Christianity through missionaries & violence
Divided this large empire into counties
Began schools for church members

7. Age of Invasions
From 800 A.D. to 1000 A.D., Europe was constantly attacked by foreign armies:
Muslims attacked Europe from the northern Africa
Magyar warriors attacked Europe from the East
Vikings attacked Europe from the Scandinavia in the north

8. See how dangerous Europe was!!! So, why was Feudalism necessary??

9. The Age of Invasions:
This is the 2nd major wave of invasions into Western Europe:
the 1st were the barbarians who attacked Rome in 450
those barbarians are now the people who have settled in Europe & become feudal serfs, lords, kings…and are being attacked by outside barbarians

10. Vikings
Vikings were Scandinavians who invaded Europe because of overpopulation, looking for better climate & better farmland
They were excellent invaders & explorers
They were able to sail in deep oceans and shallow rivers because of their excellent ship design

11. Vikings Because of their war ships, the Vikings were able to:
Claim parts of England, Ireland, Russia, Iceland, Greenland,
They reached Constantinople & the Mediterranean Sea
They were the 1st Europeans to “discover” America (Canada)

18. Holy Roman Empire

19. Holy Roman Empire
Germans expanded into Frankish territory after Charlemagne died
Otto the Great became the greatest king of Germans in 936
He ended foreign invasions
Controlled the Catholic Church within Germany
Expanded German territory & created kingdom known as the Holy Roman Empire

20. Otto the Great & other Holy Roman kings were NEVER able to control the feudal lords in this territory

21. Holy Roman Empire But…the Holy Roman Empire is poorly named:
It is not Holy (because it was not controlled by the Pope, although Christianity was the dominant religion)
It was not Roman (the Romans were conquered long ago)
It was not an Empire (because the kings never had control over the feudal lords)