Charlemagne's Europe

In the Middle Ages Charlemagne singularly governed the largest area in Europe. It was the largest territory to be governed by a single ruler in those ages. Present day Belgrade, was ruled by the Avars in 791-796. Charlemagne basically eliminated them from that territory. Charlemagne played a great role in Europe’s growth, even though his empire did not last very long after his death. Offices that Charlemagne shaped and modified persevered for many years with the little changes that dukes and counts made across Europe.

Another thing was that he developed a money system using pounds and shillings; this system was used in Europe all the way up until the 1970’s. He also established a school system that became the 12th century renaissance. The Carolingian script that was established is now the lower case letters that we use present day. Aachen was known as Charlemagne’s favorite town, he had a palace and a cathedral built there. Aachen is where Charlemagne died, and it’s where he was buried.

Aachen is the town that held every emperors coronation up until the 16th century. Basically Charlemagne was a trendsetter for the Rulers that came after his time. He inspired Otto the Great to combine his territory making the Holy Roman Empire.

Basically what Feudalism was, is a form of government, which was founded on the holding of land by military service. Feudalism was developed after the Carolingian Empire fell, and the countries of Western Europe were confused as to what comes next.

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The main idea of feudalism is that all land belonged to the king of the country, who got this land from ‘God’. Basically the king could not take care of all the land in a whole country so what he would do was give it to whoever he wants. The problem this created was that the kings would not give land out accordingly or equally, he would just give it to anyone he feels like giving it to.

In return for land citizens of a country would usually promise to be faithful to the king and to support him and stand beside him in time of war. With a combination of many citizens indebted to the kind the feudal system was a great way to maintain an army that the country benefits from. This army costs the country almost no money. The downsides of the Feudal system were that it was impossible to have a strong central government. It created a lot of confusion, and many small kingdoms were developed under one big kingdom. Also feudal lords had absolute power, he had power of life and death over the citizens that owned land. Basically everyone was a soldier, unless they were in the lower classes, which made them ‘workers’. Feudalism set up this new system of classes.

Romanesque was the first and only artistic and architectural style in the 12th century. Gothic came right after, but they did not follow the same elements. Gothic style was first used and advanced in France and England in the 12th century, but it quickly spread to Germany. These two artistic styles were some of the only indication of civilization in the Middle Ages. Romanesque style was made more for protective purposes, and gothic cathedrals were made more for aesthetic purposes.

Characteristics of Romanesque architecture: Large internal spaces, rounded arches on doors and walls, thick walls, barrel vaults, gargoyles (fear and dread.) Gothic architecture: big windows of stained glass, ribbed vaults, dramatic spires, and an emphasis on light. A significant characteristic of gothic architecture is height. However, the higher the wall, the more force there is pushing in an outwardly direction. Romanesque buildings are lower, because that era is more primitive, so builders had less technological advances.

Western European society in the Middle Ages was very inventive. They were a culture that was eager for change, and always seeking new things. The people had technical skills that they were constantly trying to change and improve. The heavy plough was invented in the 5th century AD. Heavy ploughs set the stage for increased food production and a population that increased significantly as a result of that. Tidal mills were invented in the 7th century AD, and the hourglass in the 9th century.

The hourglass was one of the only few reliable methods used to tell time. They usually used it when they were travelling at sea, and it is said to have been used up until the 11th century. Advances in shipbuilding included multi-masted ships with lateen sails. The also had established new navigational techniques with the dry compass. European technical advancements in the 12th to 14th centuries were either built on long-established techniques in medieval Europe, originating from Roman and Byzantine antecedents, or adapted from cross- cultural exchanges through trading networks with the Islamic world, China, and India.

The scholars of the high middle ages used to live ‘religiously in a studious manner.’ Each scholar would form his own judgments and would use them to convince others that they are true. Education was usually offered to the clergy and a few members of the ruling class. In the 5th and 6th century all they focused on primarily was translating, organizing, copying, and codifying sacred texts from the classical era. Usually education was held in cathedral and monastery schools. The wealthy would receive education privately in their homes.

The teachers were usually clerics, and the curriculum was filled with doctrinal themes and perspectives. Scholars and would-be scholars were expected to delve into the explanatory studies of sacred texts by the church fathers in exercises known as patristic exegesis. Some of the earliest institutions of higher education to emerge in the early part of the middle ages were those in eastern Europe: the university at Constantinople was founded in 2 C.E. and others existed during the same period in cities such as Alexandria, Antioch and Athens. In England various different colleges were established in Oxford between 1167-1185, and in 1209 the first college of the University of Cambridge was established.