Charlemagne unites Germanic Kingdoms

1. Charlemagne unites Germanic Kingdoms Standard 2.6 E.Q. How did Charlemagne unite the German Kindgom?

2. Middle Ages • Medieval Period. • Spanned the years from about 500 to 1500. • Roots in: • Classical heritage of Rome • Beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church • Customs of various Germanic Church

3. Invasions of Western Europe • Germanic invaders overran the western half of the Roman Empire. Constant warfare causes changed that altered the economy, government, and culture.

4. Invasions of Western Europe • Disruption of Trade: Merchants faced invasions from sea and land, businesses collapsed, money scarce. • Downfall of Cities: Fall of the Roman Empire, cities were abandoned as centers of administration. • Population shifts: When the Roman centers of trade and government collapsed, nobles retreated to the rural areas. • City dwellers also fled to the countryside and grew their own food.

5. Decline of Learning • Germanic invaders who stormed Rome could not read or write. • Even the Romans that survived level of learning sharply. • Greek language that was long important to Roman culture; nearly lost. • Germanic tribes, had a rich oral tradition of songs and legends, but they had no written language.

6. Loss of a Common Language • German – speaking peoples mixed with the Roman population and language changed. • Latin was still an official language, but no longer understand. • Different dialects developed as new words and phrases became part of everyday speech. • By 800’s French, Spanish, and other Roman – based languages had evolved from Latin. • This would show a breakup of a once – unified empire.