Recovery in England & Germany

(Originally written February 24, 2006 in Book 24)

Class Notes

Recovery and Revival

Western Europe AD 1000 - 1200

Early Middle Ages (AD 500 - 1000)
-Decentralized Government
-Spain: Visigoths
-Gaul: Franks: The highpoint of Frankish kings is Charlemagne; A.D. 800
-Feudalistic government
-Feudalism is threatened by the Scandinavian tribes at the end of the reign of Charlemagne
-Scandinavian tribes convert similarly to the Germanic tribes
-Germanic kings worked hard to consolidate large "kingdoms" through feudalism. After generations of consolidating the Scandinavian invasion causes everyone to break ties to their lords and defend their lords and defend their own land. This causes further political instability and more decentralized of government.
-The Danes (Scandinavian) caused serious problems in Anglo-Saxon Britain. The Norsemen set up a strong kingdom in Normandy (Northern France). Britain suffers constant invasion from the Danes and Normans.
-The Scandinavians completely destroy the stability that Charlemagne created.

Political Recovery of England

End to invasion
-Norse/Viking

Alfred the Great of Wessex
- consolidating rule and fighting vikings 879-896
- brings scholars from the Carolingians

Edgar (959-975)
-Unified Anglo-Saxon monarchy
- Centralization of government, reestablishes stability by conquering the Vikings

Harold Bluetooth

Swein Forkbeard conquered England in 1014, son Cnut followed him in 1016

Last Anglo-Saxon king: Edward the Confessor

-William the Conquerer, a Norman conquered Britain in 1066

Political Recovery of Germany

Political recovery stems from an economic revival (which coincides with the miniature ice age lifting and important technological advancement)

End of Invasions
-Magnus (Hungarian)

Otto I
- Battle of Zechfeld, 955
- Supported missions to Scandinavia and Slavs
- Anskar, bishop of Bremen and Hamburg
- Strong alliance with bishops and abbots
- New bishoprics (diocese) along eastern border: gave bishops authority to collect revenues and call men to arms.
- Bishops in this area answered to the German king.

In 962 the Pope crowns Otto I as the first Holy Roman Emperor since Charlemagne.

Charlemagne's Empire Post-Death

Divided between Charles (France), Lothar, and Louis (Germany)

France expands westward, Germany eastward and squeeze out the Lothar Kingdom.