Western+Europe



__**Impact of Christianity (490-600)**__
 * Everything was brought under the power of the church, although it happened more in Western and Central Europe. The church was now in control of everything that happened in terms of science, politics and general knowledge keeping these things to themselves and thrusting Europe into the Dark Ages. Kings would often give alliance to the church as affliation with the Pope would only strengthen their power. Italy, France and Spain would give their alligiance to Christianity as it would give them support of the people that longed to be affliated with the greatness of Rome.

__**Reign of Charles Martel & Viking Raids (600 - 755)**__ __**The Rise of the Franks (755-850)**__ __**Feudalism (840 - 967)**__ __**Christianity and the High Middle Ages & Expansion of Holy Roman Empire (967 - 1060)**__ __**Effects of the Crusades, Norman conquest of England and Magna Carta (1060-1240)**__ __**Why the Golden Horde was able to dominate Europe and the Black Death Plague (1240 - 1350)**__
 * Charles Martel was the grandfather of Charlemagne and would create the Frankish Dynasty of the Carolingians. He would expand Frankish borders to one of its peaks of the time and would create a stirrup that would allow soldiers to effectively take out their swords without falling off.
 * The Vikings did not have enough farming land and the temperature was warm enough for long sea fairing trips so they raided monasteries as they had riches and were often unprotected. Slaves were also taken
 * The military might and the political leadership of the Franks would aid them to conquering lands that were to come from their surroundings.
 * Leaders like Charlemagne would know how to effectively tax his people without making them feel as if they were under foreign rule.
 * Fuedalism was an economic system. The king would tax the aristocrats to which they awarded large plots of land too. These aristocrats would in turn subdivide their land even further and give it to military leaders which would be known to be knights. Knights in turn would have surfs and peasants working for them and would pay their taxes in the form of the crops. The peasants were of very low social standings and there was virtually no social mobility.
 * Christianity would help convert the barberic Germanic tribes to be more civilized and the raids ended.
 * This in turn would call for the outlet through which these skilled soldiers could use their talents.
 * The Crusades gave them promises of glory and richness.
 * The Normans from Normandy invaded and became the leading class in England.
 * Roughly two hundred years later, the nobles would come to believe that the king was abusing his power and forced him into signing a document that basically assured the rights of citizens. Would become a model for many constitutions to come.
 * The loyalty to the Church would ultimately damage relations with the Jews and the Muslims of the area.
 * These crusades weakened the Byzantine Empire which opened up Eastern Europe to the conquering of the Ottoman Turks.
 * The Mongols were called the Golden Horde because it was said that their tents were Gold and that it continued for miles and miles.
 * They would eventually be able to conquer Eastern Europe due to their:
 * Military dominance
 * Bubonic plague which may or may not have been introduced by them.
 * Famine would strike along with the Black Death plague.
 * With their immune systems weakened, about 75 million or half the population of Europe died as a result.
 * This would ultimately weaken Papal power and in turn lead to an Enlightenment.

**__Manorialism__**
media type="custom" key="7512781" __So What?__ It was this sort of social structure that would plant the seed for a long chain of abuses and ursurpations which would in turn, develop a system in which the citizens could keep the governments in check.
 * __Manorialism-__** The system of manorialism was basically an economic system that controlled the average small community in Western Europe. There would be landlords that derived their power from the monarch, and they would have to provide military protection to the people that worked his or her land. The people that worked the land were called serfs. Serfs lived under slave-like conditions but where not actually considered to be slaves. Things could be passed on through the serfs through inheritance. They could not be sold or bought.

**__Feudalism__**
media type="custom" key="7512793" __So What?__ This gap that grew between the rich and the poor would build tensions until revolutions came and set them into place.
 * __Feudalism__**- The system where there was a division of power strictly tied together with the land. It was very similar to the bureaucracy of Han China. The kings would give power to the nobles and they would give power to the knights which would give land to the serfs. Clergy would often be considered part of the noble class. This would give power to the noble class to keep the kings in check and make sure that they did not abuse their power. However this would stratify the social structure and upset the lower class.

**__Notes: Dark Ages__**
 * 410 CE Rome fell to sweaty dirty thugs. Sack of Rome took two years.
 * They constricted the trade routes.
 * Small pox and measles weakened part of the Roman Empire due to trade.
 * There was no powerful leadership and the lack of it forced the peoples to fight to take part of the power that was up for grabs.
 * Clovis baptized himself in a move to unite his people. The Frankish people.
 * 511 CE, Clovis died.
 * Economic activity died down during the plague.

ESPIRIT Western Europe

E S P I R I T
 * Feudalism was the division of land and a system of taxes.
 * Manoralism would have a lord that would provide military protection as a payment to the serfs that worked their land.
 * Improvement in the technology of farming would allow family work of agriculture to become less strenuous.
 * There was a hindering of learning because the dominance of Christianity.
 * Troubadour- traveling bards that told stories, sang, and told poems.
 * Merchants gained presence in society.
 * William the Conqueror (1066) Conquered England from Normandy. Tied the courts of England to bonds and loyalty.
 * Capetian Royal Family- exploited their positions as regional feudal lords. Gained money and attempted to establish their beaucratic government.
 * Charles Martel defeated the Muslims in the Battle of Tours in 732. This would create the line of the Carolingians. The battle assured that Muslim forces were contained only to Spain.
 * Clovis converted the Franks to Christianity in 496. This would end up uniting the area.
 * Holy Roman Empires got their power from the pope. It would represent a connection to the greatness which was Rome.
 * Magna Carta 1215 was a result of the abuse of power from King John. This was a way to keep the power of the Monarch in check.
 * There would be three estates: Church, Nobles, and Urban Leaders
 * Would be plagued by the Crusades.
 * These Crusades would ultimately hurt Muslim and Jewish relations with the Christians.
 * Christianity was the dominant.
 * Benedictine and Franciscan monastery systems, would be the educational system until the rise of revivals.
 * Celebration of New Saints like Virgin Mary, Saint Clair of Assisi
 * Peter Abelard wrote Yes and No and demonstrated the logic of proving the existence of God
 * Bernard of Clarivaux stated that Abelard was inaccurate he stressed that God's message was only achieved through faith.
 * Thomas Aquinas stated that faith was above all and through knowledge, people could learn about God.
 * Scholasticism was introduced due to the opening of universities- idea that one could apply logic to faith.
 * Oldest universaties founded on theology.
 * Moldboard, a metal plate curved that would plow the fields a lot easier.
 * Gothic architecture which mainly consisted of arch windows.

Western Europe had started by converting to Christianity which led to a more uniform culture and as feudalism and manorialism was introduced more uniform society was developed. Clovis had converted France to Orthodox Christianity when he conquered lands and territories. He ruled the people with an iron fist and murdered those who who went against his ideals.The fight over the Holy Land shows the tensions between the spread of Islam and the spread of Christianity Also, the Magna Carta revolutionized people's rights and law.
 * Summary:**