1. Europe’s Geography
Diverse landscape, mountains, farmlands, coastal areas
Navigable rivers
Warmer climate from the - North Atlantic Drift
All this in a relatively small area

2. The Germanic Kingdoms No written laws (customs)
No Cities (small villages)
No written laws (customs)
A.D. Larger Kingdoms start to take shape
The Strongest of these Kingdoms was the Franks
In 481, Clovis, King of the Franks took over Gaul (France)

3. The Germanic Kingdoms
In 496, Clovis (a pagan) prayed to the Christian God for a victory…..he won…….
On Christmas Day, he and 3,000 of his warriors were baptized
Now Clovis had a new ally - The Roman Catholic Church

4. The Germanic Kingdoms The Hammer Charles Martel (686-741)
Charles Defeated the Muslims (Moors) at the Battle of Tours (732) keeping them out of Europe (other than Spain)

5. Charlemagne 747 - 814 defeated Lombards in N. Italy Saxons in Germany
King of the Franks
defeated
Lombards in N. Italy
Saxons in Germany
Muslims in S. France & N. Spain
Avars & Slavs in the East

6. Charlemagne
……then in 800, Pope Leo III called on Charlemagne to help put down a rebellion of Roman Nobles
Charlemagne came to the rescue.

7. Charlemagne HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR
On Christmas Day 800, Pope Leo III crowned him, the….
HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR
united Christian Europe
tied Pope to western leaders
began a rife with Eastern Europe

8. Charlemagne Controlled his huge Empire through nobles and land grants
he sent out….
Royal messengers who kept tabs on 200 nobles
missi domenici

9. Charlemagne Built his capital…..
……Aachen, this was to be the 2nd Rome, and it was here that he established new schools with Latin as the model going forward

10. Charlemagne “Charles the Great” Central Government Spread Christianity
Model for future kingdoms
Education
Preserved records
Blended cultures

11. Charlemagne Charlemagne dies in 814…..
His son “Louis the Pious” rules from , when he died war between his 3 sons breaks out for 2 years