Unit 4: Medieval Europe
Fall of Rome
o It was difficult to manage such a large area (at its
height, the Roman Empire was 3 million square
miles!)
Fall of Rome
The Germanic tribes constantly invaded
 Germanic groups: Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks, and
Vandals.
 Germanic people had been living on the northern borders
of the Roman Empire for years.
 Rome became weak from the constant invasions as the
Germans moved into Roman territory
 In 476, Emperor Augustus was dethroned and exiled by a
German warrior which completed the fall of Rome.
The Early Middle Ages
Aka: The Dark Ages
Western Europe was split into many separate
Germanic kingdoms
Increase in
warfare
(dangerous
time; people
don't feel
safe)
Decline in trade; downfall of economy
People lost interest in learning
and in Greek & Roman culture
No more cities; People live in rural
villages and farms
• The Dark Ages video: (watch 0:00-13:00)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2i3rg5Vc
-8
VOCAB
Create Flash Cards:
Side 1: word
Side 2: definition & picture
Feudalism
A political & social system in which less powerful people promise
loyalty and service in return for land and protection.
Vassals
A lesser lord who was granted land by a powerful lord, to whom he
owed loyalty and service
Knights
A mounted warrior who was a vassal of a feudal lord
Serfs
A peasant in feudal society who was tied to the land of a lord, to whom
he or she owed service in exchange for protection
Fief
Land granted in exchange for loyalty and service
Manorialism
The Medieval Economic system in which people lived in self-sufficient
communities run by feudal lords
Manor
A self-sufficient community consisting of a village and surrounding
lands run by a feudal lord
Chivalry
A code of behavior the knights had to follow (courage, honesty,
kindness, respect, keep faith, protect and cherish women)
The Middle Ages Defined
• After the fall of Rome, Western Europe
entered a period known as the Middle Ages,
also known as The Medieval Period, which
lasted from 400 – 1400 A.D.
The Middle Ages or
Medieval Period
400-1400
500 B.C – 476 A.D
The Roman Empire
The Renaissance (Rebirth)
Begins around 1400
The Middle Ages Defined
• In general, the Middle Ages are defined by a
lack of central government, decline of
trade, population shift to rural areas,
decrease in learning, and a rise in the power
of The Roman Catholic Church.
The Rise of Feudalism – Political and Social
Organization of Medieval Europe
The Problem: You are one of many kings ruling various kingdoms in Western
Europe during the Middle Ages. You are also the proud owner of large
landholdings in your area. However, you are struggling to control the nobles in
your kingdom who are fighting each other to expand their landholdings and
increase their power (in turn, threatening yours). In addition, you are concerned
about increasing barbarian attacks from the east. What can you do to create
structure in your kingdom and ensure order?
Your Solution:
Feudalism
• A political & social system in which land is
exchanged for loyalty and service No social
mobility!
• Your place in the feudal pyramid was
determined by birth.
Why Feudalism?
• After the fall of Rome, Western Europe was
a scary place!
• There wasn’t a strong, central government
to raise a large army, so there was no
protection from invaders.
• The Feudal system emerged as a means to
create
– Social/political order and stability in society
– provide a system of protection
Loyalty & knights
King
Land (fief)
Nobles
Loyalty & military
service
Land
Vassals &
Knights
Labor & food
Peasants & Serfs
Land &
protection
Code of Chivalry
• To fear God and maintain His
Church
• To serve the liege lord in valor
and faith
• To protect the weak and
defenseless
• To give help to widows and
orphans
• To refrain from the wanton
giving of offence
• To live by honor and for glory
• To despise pecuniary reward
• To fight for the welfare of all
• To obey those placed in
authority
• To guard the honor of fellow
knights
• To eschew unfairness, meanness
and deceit
• To keep faith
• At all times to speak the truth
• To persevere to the end in any
enterprise begun
• To respect the honor of women
• Never to refuse a challenge from
an equal
• Never to turn the back upon a
foe
Manorialism:
The
Medieval
Economic
System
Manors:
• A village and
the land
surrounding
it
• The manor was completely self sufficient meaning that
everything that was needed was on the manor.
• Very little reason to leave or travel beyond your manor.
The Manor System – The Medieval
Economic System
• The self sufficient manor contributed to the
decline of learning. No new ideas were
exchanged.
• Technology was slow to progress.
• Little use of money. Wealth based on land.
THE CRUSADES
•
•
Watch (36:30-46:03) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWxn6fkBOBM&index=4&list=PL6
7H7asWbCwkTcSFd3DWEb8tZl7qBfOvQ
(YouTube “Mankind: The Story of Us- Warriors” )
THE CRUSADES
A Quest for the Holy Land
Background: During the Middle Ages, the power
of the Church had greatly increased. People
were very concerned with the after-life and
became increasingly involved in the church
By this time, Rome had fallen.
Take notice of where the Byzantine
Empire is and where the
Arab/Islamic Empire extends
Crusades
• A long series of wars
between Christians
and Muslims over
control of the holy
land (Jerusalem)
Start of the Crusades
• The Seljuk Turks (Muslims) invaded the
Byzantine Empire and took over the Christian
holy land, Jerusalem
• Christians pilgrims were no longer allowed to
visit the holy land and were sometimes
attacked
• The increase in Muslim power threatened the
Capital of Constantinople
The Call to Arms
• Pope Urban II
called on all
Christians to take
back the holy
land from the
Muslims
Feudal lords, knights and peasants fought
because they wanted:
• To win land and wealth
• To escape troubles at home
• Adventure
• To have their sins forgiven
The First Crusade (1096-1099)
• Peasant army
– Untrained
– Lacked military
equipment
– Many killed by
Muslim Turks
• Knights
– Succeeded in
capturing Jerusalem
Second Crusade (1147-1149)
• After victory many Christians went back
home.
• The Turks eventually took back much of
the territory.
• King of France and Emperor of Germany
sent troops to stop the Turks.
Second Crusade (1147-1149)
• Saladin leads the
Muslim Turks to
victory, defeating
the Christians
• * He was considered a very
wise ruler. He was known for
his sometimes kind treatment
of fallen enemies. Many
Christians saw him as a model
of knightly chivalry.
Third Crusade (1189-1192)
• King Richard of
England convinces
the Turks to allow
Christians to visit
the Holy Land
Crusades Continue Through 1200’s
• Several more crusades attempted with no
victories for the Christians
• Children’s crusade, - 30,000 soldiers many of them under 12 years old – Never
made it to the Holy Land
Results of the Crusades:
(IF Turks Traveled they would Trade)
• I = Improvements – Ships, Maps, Explorers
• F = Feudalism declines because Feudal lords die or
spend too much money on military.
• T = Turks still rule the Holy Land
• T = Travel – Europeans want to travel and learn more
about the world
• T = Trade – increased between Europe and the Middle
East which leads to an increase in CULTURAL
DIFFUSION
Mankind: The Story of All of Us
The Plague
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfQ0Ri
ulQTs
• (Watch 13:00-36:00)
Music Video
Black Death (“Holla Back Girl”)
by historyteachers
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZy6Xil
XDZQ (