1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF FEUDALISM IN EUROPE

2. KEY TERMS FOR FEUDALISM
Fief: grant of land from a lord to a vassal
Lord: a nobleman who gives a grant of land (fief) to a lesser nobleman in exchange for military service and a pledge of loyalty
Vassal: a lesser nobleman who is given land after he publically takes an oath of fealty (loyalty) to support his lord.

3. The Collapse of Rome’s Empire
Rome fell in 476 as a result of Germanic invasions
Central government breaks down and trade is disrupted
Cities are abandoned and population centers shift to rural areas

4. Filling to void left by Rome
Christianity remain a major unifying force throughout most of Western Europe
The lack of centralized government created a need for a new social order.
Ties of loyalty and family bound Germanic people together

5. The common need for economic self-sufficiency and local protection led to a new pattern of govt based on land ownership.
The manor (castle) becomes the main economic unit.
The feudal system develops with a king at the top and a system of mutual obligations linking lords and vassals.

7. Well, there's not
much in it for me
Surly Peasant