The fall of the Carolingian Empire

9^th and 10^th centuries: second century of invasion. Some of the Carolingian collapse had to do with struggle within royal family. There was a division of the empire in the Treaty of Verdun. Charles the Bald given western (France), Louis the German given eastern kingdom (germany) and Lothair is screwed with the middle territory. He also inherits title of emperor. But he has problems at all sides. Middle kingdom is in the high up alps which splits Lothair’s kingdom in half. Difficulty in communication, which brings cultural differences. Each brother aspires to reunite the kingdom, but circumstances prevent that from happening. Franks territory invaded by north from Norse, East by Avars and Magyars and a renewed Islamic invasion. Vikings are the most famous of the invaders. Vikings were from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Support in Scandinavia was dense. Scandinavians develop naval technology, including very seaworthy/raiding vessels. Called dragon ships. Scandinavians range all over. As Vikings gain knowledge of the land, they move from being raiders to being settlers. One of the principle regions that they settle is called the Danelaw, the northeastern portion of England. Louis III. Charles the Simple: 898-922. A Danish cheiftan named Rollo conquered the northern region of France then colonized what we know as Normandy. Rollo ordained duke of Normandy. Rurik, prince of Kiev, crystallized first Russian state. The Norwegians travel across the north Atlantic developing settlements all over. Why do the Scandinavians travel across north Atlantic and stop? The ice shield of Greenland. Leif Erickson – October 9^th. Age of Feudal Relations (or whatever). Discovery of a new paradigm, a new way of doing things. Kings become weak, unable to do what government is supposed to do, namely provide security. If king cannot protect people, the people have to protect themselves. So Europe begins to fragment into localities. And whatever protection is provided is on a local basis by local elites. Elites come to power out of ability to defend local populations and because of their ability to control local places. A key to this power is the fort, a measure of protection. An era of castle building. The people with castles are the people with power. Castles afford some protection. Agreements begin to be made. Lords and Vassals. I’m loyal to you because of my oath of loyalty. There is a ceremony. Many vassals receive castles in return for military service. That is fiefdom. Fief is the land received conditionally in return for military service. Vassals are not farmers, they are soldiers. That is land to rule. Tenant farmers farm your crops.

Around 800, he has himself crowned roman emperor. But why? As the ruler of the west, he didn’t want to concede anything to the ruler in the east. Secondly, we tend to define progress as moving forward, something new. They think progress is going backwards. Memory of success, to be successful is to be like Romans. Takes mental construct of roman empire an puts himself as the new emperor. In some ways he was kidding himself. First of all, geographical differences. From Mediterranean to continental. Charlemagne had no standing army, had very small advisors. Lacks the economic base of Roman empire. Charlemagne lived in an under populated agrarian Europe. Little money in circulation. Charlemagne was discovered to be 6’4” tall. They try to tie people down with obligations. Vassi dominici – military men who had the obligation to fight where and when needed, because they were given landholdings. He has more vassals than anyone because he has a ton of land. Counts set out to rule districts in his name. They are pretty much on their own, so Charlemagne has to bank on their loyalty. There was a sort of transition period. He spends the offseason traveling the empire, visiting vassals and counts. Missi Dominici – visiting party. Missi – those who have been sent forth. Missi are pretty much wined and dined. System was cheap. Seemed to work because Charlemagne was successful in forming bonds of obligation between himself and the Frankish soldiers serving for him. This loyalty does not easily pass on through generations. Charlemagne realized his regime was fragile. He knew he needed to establish some kind of institutional base for power. The first thing he knew he needed was a literate bureaucracy. He needs this to communicate in a short period of time. You need a common language. This was something of a concern because the world of Charlemagne was multicultural including dozens of different languages. Deliberately revives Latin. Instruct some individuals in the reading and writing of Latin. Small network of schools started. Seats of the bishop. Charlemagne calls upon bishops to organize small schools to create a literate group of people in service not only of church, but also state. Central school at Aachen which is to train officials for the central administration. In order for school to be good enough, he brings in an outside expert. Sets Alcuin of York to overlook the building of the schools. In order to instruct in Latin, people are going to have to read. One book at a time. Carolingians revolutionize how books are written. If you write quickly, it may be illegible. Carolingians introduce a new medium for writing. The ancients wrote on papyrus. Carolingians couldn’t get the Egyptian papyrus because of Muslims and money. They use prepared and scraped animal skins – parchment. Carolingians introduced spacing and lowercase letters. Carolingian renaissance. Einhard writes the life of Charlemagne. Great lesson is that there is no going back. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t organize Europe like Rome. 843 – Terminal date of the empire. Two grandsons want to divide it. France and Germany result from the Treaty of Verdun of 843. Like the Roman Empire it fell apart because of internal and external problems. Charlemagne’s descendants are unable to maintain obligations. Externally, the frontiers of empire come under military pressure from the north (Norse) and south (Muslims) and from the east (avars and mayar Hungarians). Louis the pious s Charles sole surviving son. Charlemagne had a group of sons, but because he lived to a relatively old age, only his youngest son survives him. Louis inherits entire empire. Also known as Louis I. His problems come from three directions. The Vikings become a serious concern. Secondly, he was fertile, but he had 3 sons. Louis was more educated the Charlemagne, he intends to give everything to Lothair. Charles the bald and Louis the german revolt against that. He was pious, not scary, so personal relationships between vassals and counts and missi, because he was weak.

Clovis and Charlemagne

Merovingian infrastructure beginning to collapse. 481-511. Dagobert was last good Merovingian and the successors were called the Do Nothing Kings. Carolingians – beneficiaries of Mero violence. Pepin of Landen – mayor of the palace of Austrasia. Austrasia was a region of the Frankish kingdom. Uses his position to advance the wealth and position of his family. He hands his position to a descendant, Pepin II of Heristal, who invades northern Gaul (Neustria). He then hands his position down to his son, even though he had many wives, and many children. Charles Martel gets all of it, not just a portion. Charles expands kingdom into South (Aquitaine and Burgundy) and he moves east into South-Central Germany, especially around Bavaria. Battle of Tours 732. St. Boniface and Germany. No last names, so named after distinguishing characteristics. Martel is from Latin word for hammer. The Hammer of the Franks. Charles leaves two adult sons, Pepin III, the Short and Carloman. He divides kingdom between two. Pepin in North, Carloman in south. Brothers cooperate with each other and after six years, Carloman voluntarily enters a monastery. Pepin is tired of the Do Nothing Merovingian kings. Kings claim to be called of God to be king. Consecrated as king, 751, Pope Stephen II. In 755, he takes army into Lombard, and takes authority of bishop of Rome over Rome. Called the Donation of Pepin. He spends next 17 years conquer and dividing. Two sons, Charles and Carloman. He divides the kingdom in half and gives them up. Carloman was out hunting, and in the woods, one of his entourage hits Carloman with an arrow and is killed. There is no evidence Charles had anything to do with it. Charles claims entire realm for himself. Charles, Carolus Magnus, Charles the Great, Charlemagne. Frankish power comes to a peak in his reign. Gains power and holds on for some 45 years. Conquers Lombards in northern Italy. They had promised to keep their hands off Rome with Pepin III. When Pepin died, Lombards tore up treaty and resumed military offensive in Rome. In a short campaign in 773-4 he defeats Lombards and crowns himself King of the Lombards (the iron crown of the Lombards). He then conquers Saxony in Germany. Engages in a long and bloody war against Saxons. War lasts 30 years. The Saragossa and Barcelona in Spain. Lost at Saragossa (Roland protected the Frankish as it passed Pyrenees).