Rise of the Franks

After the Fall of Rome the Germanic tribes took over. In the Roman province of Gaul (present day France and Switzerland) the Franks held power. Their leader, Clovis, would bring Christianity to the region. According to legend his wife, Clothide, urged him to convert to her faith. When Clovis led his army against another Germanic tribe, he feared defeat. So he appealed to God. The Franks won that battle. Afterward Clovis and 3,000 of his soldiers got baptized. The Church in Rome welcomed Clovis' conversion and supported his military campaogns against other Germanic tribes.

Fall of Rome

A question we were asked in school was, "What was the cause of the fall of Rome?" I think this answer will suffice.

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Rome fell because its empire was too large. Some other reasons why Rome fell are:

• There was a drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a rise in prices.
• Over centuries Roman soldiers became less loyal. The government began to recruit mercenaries in order to defend themselves against threats.
• Diocletian, a strong-willed army leader, became emperor. He severely limited personal freedom. However he restored order and increased its strength. He also doubled the size of the empire and sought to control the inflation by setting fixed prices for goods.
• Diocletian divided the empire into Greek-speaking East and Latin-speaking West. Because of this a Civil War broke out.
• Constantine gained control and moved the capital from Rome to Byzantium.
• There were constant invasions from Germanic tribes such as the Franks, Visigoths, Huns, Ostrogoths, Vandals

So... Did Rome fall or was it pushed?

Crusades

What is a Crusade? Who launched the 1st? What were the goals? The answers are all here.

• A Crusade can be described as a holy war.
• The first Crusade was launched by Pope Urban II to gain control of the Holy Land. The next 300 years were littered with Crusades against the Muslims. An army of 12,000 men approached Jerusalem and besieged the city for about a month. They managed to capture the city in 1099. Their victory was a narrow strip of land.
• The newly reformed Christian states were vulnerable to Muslim counterattack. In 1144, Edessa was reconquered by the Turks. The second Crusade was organized to recapture the city. The attempt in 1187. Jerusalem had been captured by Saladin, a Muslim leader.
• The third Crusade was led by three of Europe's most powerful monarch, Phillip of France, Fredrick of Germany, and Richard the Lionhearted of England.
• The most common goal of the Crusades was to gain Holy Land. Other goals were: for younger sons to gain land, and for rulers to get rid of some unruly soldiers.

Renaissance

As I'm sure you know the Renaissance was a time of rebirth. When art, music, trade, etc. flourished. The economic, social, and artistic changes of the Renaissance began in Florence, Italy. In 1425, Florence was an independent city-state with a population of 60,000. The city had no sea trade, but artist guilds and banking made Florence a very rich place. Many families also built their fortunes on banking. The gold coin of Florence, called the florin, was so pure that it became the currency of Europe.

Religion!

Henry VIII
Martin Luther


Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a monk who was disappointed with the way the Church was teaching the public. In order to take action he posted the 95 thesis. Martin Luther stated that "buying pardons is a matter of free will not commandment." I think the video will explain all.


Henry VIII

Henry VIII had 6 wives. His 1st wife was Cathrine of Aragon, she bore his 1st daughter Mary. After Henry developed affections for Anne Boleyn she was banished from his court.
His 2nd wife, Anne Boleyn, bore his 2nd daughter Elizabeth. After failing to bear a male heir, she was arrested and accused of adultery, incest, and high treason, and executed.
His 3rd wife, Jane Seymour, bore him a son, Edward, soon to be Edward VI. Shortly after, she died of an infection.
Henry's 4th wife, Anne of Cleves, was said to have been utterly unattractive. He wished to annul the marriage in order to marry someone else.
Henry's 5th wife, Cathrine Howard, was Anne Boleyn's first cousin. Soon after their marriage however, Cathrine had an affair with Thomas Culpeper and Francis Dereham. She was charged with adultery and executed.
His 6th and final wife, Cathrine Parr, helped him reconcile with his daughters, Princess Mary and Lady Elizabeth. She was the only wife to not be divorced or beheaded.

YES A BENCHMARK!!!!!!

Are you ready to take the World History benchmark? Is that a "no" I hear? Well you're already taking it!