The%20Birth

1
The Birth

• Of
• France and Germany
• And
• The Formation
• Of the
• European Continent

2
France and Germany

• The collapse of the Carolingian Empire left a
  political vacuum in Europe.
• It resulted in the emergence of the Capetians and
  the Ottonians as the new ruling dynasties.
• After the Carolingian dynasty died out in the
  male line in East Francia in 911, Conrad I, the
  first of a series of territorial dukes, was
  elected king.

3
France and Germany

• Conrad was followed a vigorous line of ambitious
  Saxon rulers the most successful Saxon was Otto
  I
• Claimed the Lombard Kingdom in Italy
• Defeated an Hungarian (Magyar) army in 955AD
• Had himself crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome in
  962AD.

4
France and Germany

• In contrast in West Francia the last of the
  Carolingian rulers was succeeded by Hugh Capet,
  or the Capetian dynasty.
• Ruled in mostly the River Seine valley and Paris.
• Though powerful in their local regions, mostly
  overshadowed by other stronger territorial Lords
  and Barons. Essentially shared power with other
  castellans or castle dwellers.

5
France and Germany

• East Francia would be different, Otto I managed
  to avoid sharing power.
• And, for a time became the strongest Christian
  Dynasty on the European continent
• The Ottonians became the corner stone of the Holy
  Roman Empire They hijacked the emperor title for
  themselves and their heirs.

6
France and Germany

• Each section developed different identities
• Different political and social structures
• Different nationalist identities
• They became uniquely German and French

7
France and Germany

• As the Carolingian Empire eroded into memory
  Various local aristocrats began to seize local
  power forming small familial dynasties
• This dissolution of Carolingian power is known as
  Devolution. Power in the hands of the Counts not
  Carolingian Rulers everyday power now held at
  lower level
• West Francia (France) would always be weaker for
  the most part than East Francia (Germany)

8
France and Germany

• 64 question is how and why did each geographical
  region develop the way it did?
• It begins with the Treaty of VerdunFrancia is
  divided equallythree in the beginning, but
  quickly became just two regionseast and west.
• 9th century Carolingians lost control and loyalty
  of the west to the Counts, especially the
  Capetians at first.

9
France and Germany

• Counts essentially seized power
• Recall Charlemagne gave each Count a county to
  administer, as did Louis the Pious
• However, the sons wishing to attract alliances
  gave Counts several counties to administer for
  their loyalty
• This backfired on them

10
France and Germany

• The Counts exacted a hereditary order to the
  office or title of Count
• Charlemagne and Louis had always appointed the
  countsso they could fire them
• Now the Count title would be passed on to male
  heirs no longer accountable to Carolingian rulers

11
France and Germany

• These Counts would take Gavelkind to the next
  level
• They assumed all royal lands, property, estates
  for themselves Passed along in primogeniture and
  entail
• Stopped paying tribute, fines and taxes to the
  Carolingian rulers
• Assumed control of the ecclesiastical
  appointments created their own law courtsused
  to be kingly powers were now held in the hands of
  the Counts at the local level Devolution of
  power.

12
France and Germany

• First true creation of the landed gentry and
  Aristocracy would from then always be a thorn in
  any Monarchs side
• how does one gain respect of the peasantryone
  must first now gain respect of the Aristocracy
• Louis XVI-be his undoing

13
France and Germany

• By 900AD, there were over 30 independent
  principalities in West Francia mostly
  squabbling
• No longer answered or acknowledged Carolingian
  rule
• Carolingian Rulers were not welcomed in their
  area of influence.

14
France and Germany

• East Francia developed very differently
• Dukes became administers of Duchies Duchies were
  an area consuming several counties
• Dukes over saw several Duchies this limited the
  amount of devolution of power
• They too, appointed Bishops and Abbotts
• Essentially east Francia did not fragment as much
  as West Francia, where West had over 30 political
  units, the East had five or six easier to
  manage and colelctively secure.

15
France and Germany

• Devolution stopped with the Dukes in the east
• A family dynasty emerged Otto I (10th century)
• Germans have always accepted regimentation and
  authoritarianism more easily than other Europeans

16
France and Germany

• Political structure and devolution did encourage
  differences and fragmentation
• Need more explanation The Viking Raids were
  more severe in the West Rivers in the west were
  more navigable and entered big trade centers
• West Francia bordered Al-Andalus (Spain) not
  easy rivals mostly warred against one another

17
France and Germany

• East Francia, less navigable rivers, less Viking
  interference
• Frontier with illiterate Pagan Slavs the slavs
  were fragmented into many villages and
  principalities they were difficult to conquer
  but easy to raid
• So inward bellicosity could always be turned
  outward, away from internal Civil War

18
France and Germany

• Unexpected Castellans
• As the Counts ousted the Carolingians, the
  castellans erected castles and essentially ousted
  the Counts, at least as the dominant power
• Castellansomeone who possessed a castle or
  several castles.

19
Castellans

• Castellans and their Knights were considered the
  lowest rank of European Aristocracy however,
  wielded great military power.
• Charlemagne, if he found a castle, he destroyed
  it and punished one for erecting it a castle
  was viewed as a direct challenge to the
  Carolingian rule
• To own a castle was akin to owning a tank
  powerful and dangerous. Counts saw these as a
  challenge to their rulewhat goes around

20
Castellans

• As did the Counts, the Castellans seized
  property, monasteries, land and the local courts
  and placed them under their jurisdiction or armed
  influence
• For instance, if your Manure Cart was speeding
  through castellan lands, one did not go to the
  Counts courts for fines, it was done under the
  authority of the castellan and enforced by hid
  Knights
• How did, Castellans secure this power? Im glad
  you asked.

21
Castellans and Knights

• He established a Seigneurial Dues
• List of taxes and fines to be paid by all in his
  jurisdictional areausually 15-20 mile radius of
  the castle
• Still enforcement was an issue he hired armed
  Thugs (or muscle) to strong arm and enforce this
  so-called protection and police force.
• Knights were more closely resembled to Tony
  Soprano than Sir Lancelot.

22
Castellans and Knights

• Knights did not work for free
• They were given a parcel of land to support
  themselves a Fief or Feudum
• This became known as the Feudal Revolution so
  many castellans hired so many Knights for
  enforcement, large increases in feudal Fiefdoms
• Also created internal jealousy and strife.

23
France and Germany

• West Francia would be a political mess for many
  years
• Eventually the Capetians would after a long
  tenure of mediocre power establish a claim to the
  French thrownfor a while the counts and
  castellans agreed the king as a superior title,
  but they disregarded any king as worth their
  time.
• Hughs Capet eventually established a line that
  would rule France for hundreds of yearshis reign
  began in Parisbut would take many years before
  gaining monarchical power.

24
France and Germany

• East Francia developed somewhat differently
• German aristocracy elected one of its own named
  Conradhe was ambitious, but spent too much time
  fighting other German Aristocrats he ignored a
  big problem, the eastern frontier and the Magyar
  invasion
• Henry I confronted the Magyar issue and became
  the true first Ottonian King he negotiated a
  truce with the Magyars paid a tribute for peace

25
France and Germany

• Just buying time, and in933AD at battle of Riade
  he defeated the Magyars(related to the Huns)
• Crushed them in 955AD Battle of Lechfeld
• Ottonians a legitimate ruling dynasty and very
  much Christian

26
France and Germany

• Otto very ambitious sought Pope to coronate him
  as Holy Roman Emperor birth of the Holy Roman
  Empire he defeated the Lombard's in northern
  Italy and negotiated a deal with the Pope
• To assure his eminence over the Pope, Otto issued
  a charter, the Ottonianumgave Monarchical ower
  over the Popefor a Pope to be elected, he first
  would have to notify the King of Germany and
  await the Kings approval before undergoing
  consecrationin fact before a Pope could be
  elected, one must be approved by Otto.

27
France and Germany

• Jealous Italian families, however, murdered many
  German appointed Popes
• East Francia became the new Kingdom of Germany
  (1st Reich)
• No longer the regnum Francorum now the regnum
  Teutonicum.

28
Conclusion

• East Francia or now the Kingdom of Germany had
  succeeded in consolidating power and established
  a Holy Roman Empire that looked to be successful
  for centuries to come
• West Francia, fragmented and squabbling, looked
  to be weak and negligible at best
• But West Francia, or the Kingdom of France would
  become the most powerful Kingdom on the European
  continentwho woulda thunk!!