Early Middle Ages Europe

1
Early Middle AgesEurope
500-1000 AD
2
England after the Romans

• After the Romans left the control of England was
  divided into realms.
• Wessex became the most dominant under the
  influence King Egbert
• Romans had installed a sophisticate system of
  government but it soon dissipated after the
  Romans left.

3
The Vikings in England

• In the 8th century the British Isles were
  attacked by the Vikings.
• The influence of the Vikings stretched form
  Newfoundland and France.
• The only English region that remained was Wessex.
  They continued top fight off the Vikings under
  Alfred the Great.

4
Alfred the Great

• After his treaty with the Danes, Alfred reformed
  his army and continued to advance his military
  technology.
• He wanted to fight of the Danes and take control
  of England.
• In 878 Alfred the Greats army defeated the
  Danish general Guthrum, and signed the Treaty of
  Wedmore that stated that Wessex was free from
  Danish control. But the Danes still controlled
  much of the northeast.

5
The Franks

• Originally from Germany soon migrated as far west
  as Paris.
• The Frankish leader Clovis after defeating rival
  tribes, turned to Christianity.
• This was a significant event because it was
  cemented the relationship between the Franks and
  the Church of Rome. After his acquisition of
  Gascony and Aquitaine formed a large Empire in
  the heart of Europe.

6
Charlemagne

• Arguably the greatest figure in the middle ages.
• Charlemagne was always under the influence of the
  pope. When he conquered people he made it his
  duty to convert them to Christianity. Although
  his army was powerful he was defeated by the
  Muslims in Spain.

7
Charlemagne

• Again under the influence of the church, he was
  asked by Pope Leo III to help restore order in
  Rome in 799.
• In 800 he was crowned Emperor of Rome by the Pope
  Leo III.
• But the extensive land could not be governed by
  Charlemagnes system of wealthy families that
  traveled around. The Vikings were plundering the
  Northern towns. Charlemagne and his successor
  were able to check them but soon weak leaders
  were in power and could not sustain the empire.

8
The Fall of the Carolingians

• Due to excessive in fighting for the throne the
  weakened government could not defend itself
• Magyars from the East, Vikings from the North and
  Muslims from the south all attacked the weakening
  Frankish empire.
• Charlemagne's Missi Dominici form of government
  combined religious and non-religious officials to
  supervise the people.
• The empire started to collapse after
  Charlemagnes death in 814 when the empire was
  divided between his 3 grandsons

9
Feudalism

• Based own the reciprocal arrangement between two
  groups of society, the lords and vassals.
• Lords had the power and the vassals had nothing.
• The method of quid-pro-quo had lords give land to
  vassals in return for the crop and large sum of
  money. This method was only profitable for the
  lords.
• The early days of feudalism had lords protect
  vassals and provide them with tools to farm the
  land. In return the vassal pledged complete
  loyalty to the lord.

10
Middle Age Agriculture

• Land was readily available but many of the
  farming techniques were crude and inadequate.
• Many peasants experienced extremes of either
  famine or surplus depending on disease and
  weather.
• The most successful agricultural system was
  Manorialism. A lord owned a huge manor in which
  he used many vassals to work the land. It was a
  self sufficient food supply.

11
Asia in the Middle Ages

• Area known now as Russia
• Northern and Southern Slavs and the Byzantines
  all lived in Russia.
• The Slavic groups counted on the Vikings to
  protect their trade routes around the Baltic Sea.
• The Slavs asked the Viking general, Rurik the
  Rus, to come and restore order to the country. He
  accepted the invitation and took control.
• After his arrival his attempt to consolidate, was
  thwarted an many independent principalities were
  formed

12
China

• The Tang dynasty(618-907) in China grew into the
  most powerful of all the past dynasties.
• This period of time the Tang dynasty spread its
  borders across Mongolia and Tibet.
• Confucianism was the religion promoted by the
  Tang. Though every religion was tolerated.

13
Africa

• The most prevalent of the cities in Africa was
  Ghana. It was on the western coast.
• It used its geographic location to make itself a
  trading and commercial power. But through
  internal problems by the 12th century Mali was
  taking control
• Mali was another commercial kingdom wealthy
  because of vast amounts of gold and agricultural
  items. Timbuktu and Gao were prominent port
  cities.