THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEUDALISM IN EUROPE

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEUDALISM IN EUROPE
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KEY TERMS FOR FEUDALISM

• Fief grant of land from a lord to a vassal
• Lord a nobleman who gives a grant of land (fief)
  to a lesser nobleman in exchange for military
  service and a pledge of loyalty
• Vassal a lesser nobleman who is given land after
  he publically takes an oath of fealty (loyalty)
  to support his lord.

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The Collapse of Romes Empire

• Rome fell in 476 as a result of Germanic
  invasions
• Central government breaks down and trade is
  disrupted
• Cities are abandoned and population centers shift
  to rural areas

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Filling to void left by Rome

• Christianity remain a major unifying force
  throughout most of Western Europe
• The lack of centralized government created a need
  for a new social order.
• Ties of loyalty and family bound Germanic people
  together

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• The common need for economic self-sufficiency and
  local protection led to a new pattern of govt
  based on land ownership.
• The manor (castle) becomes the main economic
  unit.
• The feudal system develops with a king at the top
  and a system of mutual obligations linking lords
  and vassals.

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Well, there's not much in it for me
Surly Peasant