THE DARK AGES AND THE BLACK DEATHNO FUN ALL THE TIME!!

AFTER JUSTINIAN’S PLAGUE

• RELIGION TAKES CENTER STAGE• Bede• St. Benedict• Church is the Dominant force in Europe

• Islam on the rise across North Africa• Conquers Iberian Peninsula• Intent on taking over all of Europe

• Charles Martel v. Abdul Racman

CHARLEMAGNE:THE GREATEST KING

• Establishes Economy

• Education• Builds schools for all children• Learns to read and write

• Expands Empire

• Bloody verdict of Verdun• Embrace Christian God or else• 4500 in one day

• Establishes 350 counties under his control

VIKINGS ARRIVE ON THE SCENE

• LINDESFARNE MONESTARY: JUNE 8, 793• Want the wealth of England• Pay “protection money” setback for Europe

• IVAR THE BONELESS (dies 873)• York• Great Heathen Army

• Alfred the Great• Built fortresses• Vikings- no siege technology--- lose (25 years)

VIKINGS OUT---NEW THREAT IN!

• Knights: Gangsters.• No war to fight• Hired on by Lords • Force peasants to yield to the Lords

• Church steps in to stop the Lords• Peace of God

• Leave Peasants , widows, and priests alone• No fighting on certain days• No fighting around Christmas or Sundays.

CRUSADES• God Wills It!

• Puts Knights to work for God instead of Lords

• 9 crusades over 200 years• No victories• Brought back knowledge

• Books• Medicine• Ancient works of Greeks

• Crusades awakened Europe to the rest of the world• New stone buildings• New roads to get to battle• Tales of the “East”• Trade (Marco Polo)

EUROPE BEGINS TO GROW

• Mini- Ice Age ends around 1000 AD.

• Warmer weather• Longer growing season• More abundant harvests• More people

• New mini-Ice Age comes on the scene (1300-1850)

GREAT FAMINE OF 1315-1317

• BY 1300, POPULATION FINALLY RECOVERED FROM JUSTINIAN’S PLAGUE

• VIKINGS GONE

• CRUSADES OVER

• POPULATION RISES WITH RISING FOOD PRODUCTION

• NO MARGIN FOR ERROR

BAM! CLIMATE CHANGES—CROPS FAIL5 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS RAINFALL

• 1315• WET SPRING

• CANNOT PLOW THE FIELDS• HEAVY SUMMER RAINS

• SEED GRAIN ROTS• FOOD RESERVES GONE

• PEOPLE GO INTO THE FORESTS• ROOTS• BERRIES• PLANTS• GRASSES• NUTS

• PEOPLE WEAKENED BY MALNUTRITION

AND SO IT CONTINUES

• 1316• COLD AND WET SPRING AND SUMMER• PEOPLE AFFECTED

• NO ENERGY• NO FOOD RESERVES

• 1317• DRAFT ANIMALS EATEN• SEED GRAIN EATEN• CHILDREN ABANDONED TO DIE• OLD PEOPLE STARVED THEMSELVES FOR THE REST OF THE FAMILY• CANNIBALISM (HANSEL AND GRETEL)

TOO LATE!!

• SUMMER OF 1317• WEATHER RETURNED TO NORMAL BUT PEOPLE COULDN’T REBOUND• NEEDED MORE SEED THAN AVAILABLE• NO ANIMALS TO HELP PLANT• PEOPLE TOO WEAK• OTHER ILLNESSES TOOK OVER

• PNEUMONIA• BRONCHITIS• TUBERCULOSIS

• 1325• FINALLY RECOVER BECAUSE LESS PEOPLE TO FEED• PEOPLE ARE VIOLENT TOWARDS EACH OTHER NO TRUST• “The Mouse Tower of Bingen.”

THE BLACK DEATH 1347-1351

• Things were getting better• Less people- enough food• Population recovers

• Trade with East along Silk Road

• Caffa siege• Monguls hit by Plague• Toss dead over the wall• People flee to Genova

BIG OOPS ON THAT ONE!!!

GREAT SCHISM FOLLOWS

• 1309 Pope moves to Avignon, France• King of France pushes hard on Pope• Moves back to Rome 1377

• King elects own Pope to rule from Avignon• People confused: which Pope do we listen to?

• AVIGNON:FRANCE, SICILY, SCOTLAND, CASTILE, ARAGON, PORTUGAL• ROME: ROME, FLANDERS, POLAND, HUNGARY, GERMANY

• 1409: LET’S HAVE ONE GUY DO IT ALL!• COUNCIL IN PISA ELECTS NEW POPE TO UNITE• OTHER TWO POPES DISAGREE: THREE POPES!

• 1417 ONE POPE AGAIN!• ROMAN POPE RESIGNS• POPE MARTIN V AND THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS!

QUESTIONS???????????????