WORLD HISTORY
CHAPTER 9
GERMANIC KINGDOMS
BOARD QUESTIONS
1) WHAT GERMANIC TRIBE RULED SPAIN?
2) WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
ROMAN LAW AND GERMANIC LAW?
3) WHY DID CLOVIS BECOME CHRISTIAN?
4) WHERE DID THE FRANKISH KINGDOM
RULE?
5) WHAT GROUP IN 500 C.E. CONTROLLED
BRITAIN?
BOARD QUESTIONS
1) WHAT IS A KNIGHTS JOB?
2) HOW DO YOU BECOME A LORD?
3) WHAT IS A FIEF?
4) WHAT ARE VASSALS?
5) WHAT IS THE FEUDAL SYSTEM?
FALL OF ROME
• BY 500 C.E. THE VISIGOTHS OCCUPIED
SPAIN AND THE OSTROGOTHS HAD
TAKEN OVER ITALY FROM THE
ROMANS.
• THE WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE HAD
BEEN SPLIT UP IT SEVERAL GERMANIC
KINGDOMS.
• THE VISIGOTHS AND OSTROGOTHS
KEPT THE ROMAN STRUCTURE OF
GOVERNMENT.
THE FRANKS
• THE FRANKISH KINGDOM WOULD
LAST THE LONGEST OUT OF ALL THE
GERMANIC KINGDOMS.
• CLOVIS WAS THE RULER OF THE
FRANKS AND HE WAS A STRONG
MILITARY LEADER WHO AROUND 500
C.E. BECAME THE FIRST GERMANIC
RULER TO CONVERT TO CHRISTIANITY.
FRANKS
• CLOVIS WAS IN A BIG BATTLE AND IT
LOOKED LIKE HE WAS GOING TO BE
DEFEATED, SO HE PRAYED THAT IF
GOD GAVE HIM THE VICTORY HE
WOULD MAKE HIS KINGDOM A
CHRISTIAN KINGDOM AND HE WON.
CLOVIS
• CLOVIS WENT ON TO CREATE A VAST
FRANKISH KINGDOM SPANNING
MODERN DAY FRANCE AND WESTERN
GERMANY.
• CLOVIS AFTER TURNING CHRISTIAN
FOUND A NEW FRIENDSHIP WITH THE
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WHICH
WAS LOOKING FOR A STRONG KING
TO HAVE A FRIENDSHIP WITH.
CLOVIS
• AFTER CLOVIS’ DEATH HIS SONS IN
GERMANIC TRADITION SPLIT UP HIS
KINGDOM AMONG THEMSELVES.
• THIS BEGAN A VERY PROBLEMATIC
CYCLE THAT WILL LEAD TO THE
FRANKISH KINGDOM BEING SPLIT
INTO OVER ONE HUNDRED
KINGDOMS.
GERMANIC SOCIETY
• IN ROMAN LAW IF A PERSON
COMMITS A CRIME THAT CRIME IS
AGAINST THE STATE AND SOCIETY.
• IN GERMANIC LAW BECAUSE THEIR
FAMILY BOND IS SO CLOSE. A CRIME IS
PERSONAL AND IS DEALT WITH BY THE
FAMILY IN A VIOLENT WAY.
GERMANIC SOCIETY
• THIS LEAD TO VIOLENT BLOOD FEUDS.
ONE FAMILY AGAINST ANOTHER
WHICH COULD LAST YEARS.
• TO END THIS THE CONCEPT OF
WERGILD WAS ESTABLISHED MEANING
MONEY FOR MAN.
GERMANIC LAW
• IN GERMANIC LAW THEY BELIEVED
DIVINE FORCES WOULD NOT ALLOW
AN INNOCENT PERSON TO BE
HARMED.
• SO THEY WOULD USE TACTICS LIKE
HOLDING A RED HOT IRON OR
OTHER PHYSICAL TRIALS THAT WOULD
DECIDED A PERSONS INNOCENTS
KNOWN AS ORDEALS.
THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH
• DURING THIS PERIOD THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH BECOMES VERY
IMPORTANT TO SOCIETY.
• MONKS WERE WELL EDUCATED AND
WERE AMONG THE FEW CITIZENS
THAT COULD READ AND WRITE.
THE ROMAN
CATHOLIC CHURCH
• BISHOPS WERE SENT TO THE
DIFFERENT KINGDOMS TO GUIDE
THEM IN THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
• THE POPE WAS THE HEAD OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH AND BELIEVED TO
HAVE THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN PAST DOWN FROM PETER.
CHARLEMAGNE AND
THE CAROLINGIANS
• IN THE 600 AND 700 C.E. THE HEADS OF
THE KINGS HOUSE HOLD IN THE
FRANKISH KINGDOMS BEGAN TO TAKE
POWER FROM THE KING.
• PEPIN ONE OF THE HEADS OF HOUSE
HOLD FINALLY TOOK KINGSHIP FOR
HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY.
• PEPIN’S SON TOOK HIS RIGHTFUL SPOT
AS KING AFTER HIS FATHERS DEATH.
CHARLES THE GREAT
• CHARLEMAGNE WAS A VERY
DETERMINED AND DECISIVE MAN
WHO WAS HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND
CURIOUS.
• CHARLEMAGNE GROW HIS EMPIRE TO
COVER ALL OF CENTRAL AND
WESTERN EUROPE.
CHARLES THE GREAT
• TO GOVERN HIS KINGDOM HE GAVE
NOBLES HIGH POSITIONS CALLED
COUNTS. THEY WERE LIKE KINGS IN
THEIR LOCAL TOWN.
• TO KEEP AND EYE ON THE COUNTS
CHARLEMAGNE MADE ANOTHER
POSITION FOR TWO PEOPLE CALLED
THE MESSENGERS OF THE LORD KING
( MISSI DOMINICI).
CHARLEMAGNE
• IN 8OO C.E. WITH CHARLEMAGNE
HAVING SO MUCH POWER IN EUROPE
HE WAS NAMED EMPEROR OF THE
ROMANS.
• CHARLEMAGNE DURING HIS RULE
REVIVED CLASSICAL STUDIES,
PRESERVED LATIN CULTURE, AND
ESTABLISHED MONASTIC AND PALACE
SCHOOLS.
THE VIKINGS
• NORSEMEN OF SCANDINAVIA OR
BETTER KNOWN AS THE VIKINGS.
• THEY WERE OF GERMANIC DESCENT.
THEY WERE GREAT SHIP BUILDERS AND
A FIERCE PEOPLE.
• THEY BEGAN TO GET TO LARGE OF A
POPULATION FOR THE AMOUNT OF
FOOD THEY COULD GROW IN
SCANDINAVIA.
THE VIKINGS
• IN THE MID 900’S C.E. THE VIKINGS
BEGAN TO STEAL FROM VILLAGES IN
FRANCE ALONG RIVERS.
• THE VIKINGS DRAGON SHIPS WERE
VERY FAST FOR THEIR TIME AND WERE
ABLE TO MOVE IN SMALL AREAS.
THE VIKINGS
• THE FRANKISH KING GROW TIRED OF
THE VIKINGS ATTACKS, SO HE GAVE
ONE VIKING LEADER A PIECE OF LAND
ON THE SEINE RIVER KNOWN AS
NORMANDY.
• THE FRANKISH KING USED THESE
VIKINGS AS PROTECTION FROM
OTHER VIKING GROUPS AND ALSO
TAUGHT THEM CHRISTIANITY.
THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
• KING - RULER OF A LAND
• KNIGHT - PROTECTOR OF THE KINGS
LAND AND LORD OF HIS LANDS
GIVEN HIM BY THE KING.
• LORD - RULER OF A PORTION OF
LAND GIVEN BY THE KING.
• VASSAL - SERVANT OF A LORD
• SERF - NOT A SLAVE BUT BELONGED
TO THE LAND
THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
• FIEF - A PAYMENT OF LAND FROM A
LORD TO A VASSAL
• FEUDAL CONTRACT - A STATEMENT
OF LOYALTY FROM THE VASSAL TO THE
LORD.
• A VASSAL WOULD HAVE TO SERVE
PROTECTIVE DUTIES FOR THEIR LORD
ABOUT 40 DAYS A YEAR.
THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
• WHEN SUMMONED A VASSAL WOULD
HAVE TO SHOW UP TO A LORD’S
COURT TO GIVE ADVICE TO THE LORD.
• CHIVALRY - A CODE OF ETHICS THAT
KNIGHTS WERE SUPPOSED TO
UPHOLD.
THE FEUDAL SYSTEM
• UNDER CHIVALRY KNIGHTS SHOULD
ONLY FIGHT FOR GLORY NOT
MATERIAL GAIN.
• TO KEEP THEIR SKILLS SHARP, KNGHTS
WOULD COMPETE IN COMPETITIONS
ALL OVER EUROPE IN DIFFERENT
KINGDOMS TO SEE WHO WAS THE
BEST KNIGHT.
NORMAN
CONQUEST
• OCTOBER 14, 1066 - WILLIAM OF
NORMANDY LANDED ON THE COAST
OF ENGLAND AND DEFEATED KING
HAROLD AND HIS FOOT SOLDIERS AT
THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS.
• WILLIAM WAS CROWNED KING OF
ENGLAND.
KING WILLIAM OF
ENGLAND
• KING WILLIAM - GIVE HIS KNIGHTS
PARCELS OF LAND IN ENGLAND AS
FIEFS.
• IN RETURN KNIGHTS HAD TO SWEAR
LOYALTY TO KING WILLIAM AS SOLE
RULER OF ENGLAND.
KING WILLIAM OF
ENGLAND
• THE RULING CLASS OF ENGLAND
NOW SPOKE FRENCH.
• NORMAN AND ANGLO-SAXON
NOBILITY GRADUALLY MERGED INTO
A NEW ENGLISH CULTURE.
• KING WILLIAM DEVELOPED A BETTER
TAXATION SYSTEM AND ROYAL
COURT SYSTEM.
DOMESDAY BOOK
• KING WILLIAM TOOK A CENSUS, THE
FIRST CENSUS IN EUROPE SINCE THE
ROMAN TIMES.
• DOMESDAY BOOK - THE RECORDING
OF THE CENSUS, IT INCLUDED, PEOPLE,
MANORS, AND FARM ANIMALS.
HENRY II
• HENRY II INCREASED ROYAL POWER
BY TRING CRIMAL AND PROPERTY
CASES IN ROYAL COURT RATHER
THAN LOCAL COURTS.
• COMMON LAW - LAWS THAT WERE
COMMON TO THE WHOLE KINDOM,
THESE BEGAN TO REPLACE LAW
CODES THAT VARIED FROM PLACE TO
PLACE.
HENRY II
• KING HENRY BELIEVED THE ROYAL
COURT SHOULD BE ABLE TO TRY
CLERICS FOR WRONG DOING.
• THOMAS BECKET THE ARCHBISHOP OF
CANTERBURY, STATED ONLY THE
ROMAN CATHOLIC COURT COULD
TRY CLERICS.
POWER OF THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH
• KING HENRY II SHOUTED IN RAGE
CAN ANYONE RID ME OF BECKET.
• 4 KNIGHTS TOOK HIM UP ON THIS
AND RODE TO CANTERBURY WERE
THEY KILLED BECKET.
• THIS OUTRAGED THE PUBLIC AND
HENRY WAS FORCED TO BACK DOWN
IN HIS FIGHT AGAINST THE CHURCH.
MAGNA CARTA
• THE NOBLES OF ENGLAND WERE MAD
AT THE ONGOING GROWTH OF
POWER BY THE KING.
• 1215 C.E. - THE ENGLISH NOBLES
DEFEATED KING JOHN AND FORCED
HIM TO PUT HIS SEAL ON THE MAGNA
CARTA OR GREAT CHARTER.
MAGNA CARTA
• MAGNA CARTA - A FEUDAL
DOCUMENT, FEUDAL CUSTOM HAD
ALWAYS RECOGNIZED THAT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KING AND
VASSALS WAS BASED ON MUTUAL
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS.
MAGNA CARTA
• THE MAGNA CARTA GAVE WRITTEN
RECOGNITION TO THAT FACT AND
WAS USED IN LATER YEARS TO
STRENGTHEN THE IDEA THAT A
MONARCH’S POWER WAS LIMITED,
NOT ABSOLUTE.
PARLIAMENT
• UNDER EDWARD I BEGAN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT.
• PARLIAMENT - TWO KNIGHTS FROM
EVERY COUNTY, TWO PEOPLE FROM
EVERY TOWN, AND ALL OF THE
NOBLES AND BISHOPS FROM
THROUGHOUT ENGLAND.
PARLIAMENT
• LATER PARLIAMENT WILL BECOME THE
MAJOR SOURCE OF POWER IN
ENGLAND.
• HOUSE OF LORDS - NOBLES AND
CHURCH LORDS.
• HOUSE OF COMMONS - KNIGHTS AND
TOWNSPEOPLE.
• THE PARLIAMENT GRANTED TAXES
AND PASSED LAWS. (LIKE CONGRESS)
THE MAKING OF
FRANCE
• AFTER THE NORMAN CONQUEST
ENGLAND RULED MUCH OF FRANCE.
• THIS LEFT FRENCH KINGS VERY WEAK
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE MUCH
MONEY FROM TAXES DO TO THE
SMALL LAND MASS THEY RULED.
• PHILIP II WAGED WAR AGAINST
ENGLISH RULE IN FRANCE AND
GAINED BACK MOST OF THE
TERRITORY TAKEN BY THE ENGLISH.
MAKING OF FRANCE
• BY THE 13OO C.E. FRANCE HAD
ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS THE LARGEST
AND BEST GOVERNED MONARCHICAL
STATE IN EUROPE.
• PHILIP IV ESTABLISHED A NEW
GOVERNING BODY IN FRANCE
KNOWN AS THE ESTATES GENERAL.
ESTATES GENERAL
• ESTATES GENERAL - ESTABLISHED IN
1302 - THE FRENCH PARLIAMENT. MADE
UP OF THE THREE SOCIAL CLASSES OF
FRANCE.
• ESTATE ONE - CLERGY
• ESTATE TWO - NOBLES
• ESTATE THREE - TOWNS PEOPLE AND
PEASANTS.