Middle Ages Timeline: 476 A.D. to 1300 A.D.

• Middle Ages Timeline: Medieval Period from 476 A.D. to 1300 A.D.

Dark Ages 476-800 AD

• The Western Roman Empire fell, subsequently the next 900 years were known as the Middle Ages or Medieval Period
• Germanic barbarian tribes raced to fill the power void and fought with each other
• Cities and towns are abandoned due to being targeted and not protected
• Trade disappeared from Western Europe
• Constant war, disease, and starvation threatened lives
• Life on Earth was miserable, seen as a waiting room for heaven
• People looked to the church for help and guidance
• Survival was the focus for the majority of people
• Education was forgotten
• Only the clergy could read and write; monks did most of the writing

Rise of the Franks

• The Franks were the first tribe to try and unite Europe
• King Clovis received help from the Pope after being baptized, becoming Christian
• The church needed an army for protection
• King Clovis needed help controlling the people and organization
• The church helped with writing laws
• The Pope threatened excommunication to control people
• Former Romans supported Clovis
• The Frankish army protected the church and spread Christianity
• Kingdom was split up among Clovis' sons, who were poor rulers
• Kingdom was run by the Mayor of the Palace
• Frankish nobles were now doing the job of the king
• Charles "The Hammer" Martel gained more power by defeating the Muslims at the Battle of Tours in 732
• The Muslims retreated over the Pyrenees Mountains, controlling Spain for the next 700 years
• Charles Martel's son, Pepin, was crowned king by the Pope
• Pepin didn't have royal blood, which subsequently changed the royal family

Charlemagne

• The Franks united most of Europe under Charlemagne’s rule, also known as Charles the Great
• Charlemagne conquered most of Western Europe and spread Christianity, forcing people to convert
• There was 40 years of war
• Charlemagne was given the title "Holy Roman Emperor" by the Pope
• Eastern Romans, also known as Byzantines existed in Eastern Europe
• Charlemagne improved education and law, which started the end of the Dark Ages
• Charlemagne had difficulty defending and controlling all the land, leading to the development of the feudal system
• The land needed help from nobles for loyalty

Vikings

• Vikings attacked most of Europe from Scandinavia from the North
• Their long boats allowed them to go into shallow water and attack anywhere on the coast or near a river
• Vikings mostly hit and ran raids, focusing on villages, monasteries, and churches
• Viking boats were also useful for open sea exploration
• Eric the Red discovered Iceland and Greenland
• Leif Ericson discovered North America around 1000 AD
• Leif Ericson didn't get credit for discovering North America because the Vikings never stayed
• There were also no written records available

Battle of Hastings

• They took over part of the Franks territory called Normandy
• King Edward of England died without sons or heirs
• William Duke of Normandy, Edwards cousin in law, attacked England in the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and defeats the new King Harold in law
• William had royal blood, but the English did not want a foreigner as their king
• The Bayeux Tapestry tells the story
• William used feudalism to control the English and gives land to Norman Lords
• William used the Domesday book to carry out a census to find out how much land each landowner owned in land and livestock, so he knows how much to tax them

The Church

• The church was the center of daily life and gave the Pope real power
• A College of Cardinals chose a Pope for a life-long term
• Life on Earth was difficult and boring and seen as a waiting room for heaven
• Christianity was spread by monks, who were missionaries, as well as the conquering Franks.
• The clergy had the power to forgive sins or condemn someone
• The clergy were the only ones who knew how to read and write
• The Bible was written in Latin, and the clergy speak Latin
• Some people joined the clergy for religious reasons, but many joined for wealth and power
• The church gained money by collecting 10% from everyone
• Many wealthy people donated land to get into heaven

A Church Divided

• In 1054, differences between the Church in the west and the Church in the Byzantine Empire led to the "The Great Schism"
• After Rome fell, the Byzantine Emperor took religious powers and chose a Patriarch
• The Church had two leaders
• The East didn't like the use of icons because they were afraid they would become idols
• The West needed their people because they couldn't read or write
• The Pope and Patriarch fought with each other and excommunicated each other

Church Problems

• The church in the west became Roman Catholic
• The church in the east became the Eastern Orthodox Church, or the Greek Church
• Kings often fought with the Pope over who had more power
• Kings were allowed to pick Bishops, and would sell positions or give them to friends who were not religious
• Many people lost respect for the church
• In 1073, Pope Gregory VII opposed the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and said only the Pope only had the power to choose the bishops, and not him
• Gregory VII excommunicated Henry, winning the argument

Crusades

• In 1095, Pope Urban II called for the first of four main crusades, or holy war, against the Muslims
• The Pope wanted to unite the churches
• The Pope also wanted to stop the fighting in Europe and gain control of the Holy Land, and Jerusalem
• The crusaders were fighting for money and land
• The first crusade was the only successful one
• Muslims were surprised and divided
• Crusaders conquered Jerusalem and killed everyone
• They split the territory into Crusader states to control, and built strong castles
• In the Second Crusade, Muslims were led by Saladin, and he took back Jerusalem
• The Third Crusade is known as the "Crusade of the King"
• The Crusade was led by the Kings of Germany, England, and France
• Crusaders could not work together and fought with each other
• Germans never got there and France went home
• Saladin defeated Richard the "Lion-Hearted"
• King John signed the Magna Carta, weakening the power of the King
• The Fourth Crusade was all about money
• Crusaders from Venice attacked Constantinople
• The attack should not have happened because Constantinople was a Christian city
• In 1291, the Muslims took back the last city they lost in the First Crusade
• After 200+ years of crusades, trade increased and towns grew
• The feudal system was weakened because many knights were killed and lords lost their lands
• Europeans needed to be educated to compete with the Muslims
• Kings gained power, and governments became more centralized

Decline of the feudal system

• Trade increased, being sparked by the crusades which caused towns to grow
• Peasants and serfs left their manors, making farming the long the center of economy
• The crusades weakened the lords because wars were too expensive, leading to less control over peasants
• Kings gained power because countries started forming, causing national pride
• Higher taxes on trade increased power
• The plague from Asia changed Europe and was known as the Black Death
• The plague was transmitted by fleas carried on black rats
• There were fewer peasants to work, so they demanded higher wages
• Revolts were successful because knights had died as well
• People started to question the church
• Developments in technology in weapons came from China
• The invention of gunpowder led to the invention of early guns and cannons
• Castle walls could easily be destroyed
• English long-bows and crossbows could pierce armor knights were useless

100 Years War

• The 100 Years War was between England and France
• Joan of Arc was a French peasant girl who believed God and saints were talking to her
• The French started winning when they listened to her
• The English captured her and burned her at the stake for heresy
• France was motivated even more as a result, and won the war