Middle Ages

(p.250)

• the era from about 500-1500 CE
• also known as the Medieval period of European history

Chalemagne

(p. 252)

• AKA "Charles the Great"
• Carolingian ruler form 786-814
• Reestablished centralized imperial rule in Gaul
• The building of the Carolingian empire was in large measure his personal accomplishment
• Established a court and capital at Aachen
• Maintained diplomatic relations with the Byzantine and Abbasid caliphate

Germanic kingdoms

(p. 250)

A series of kingdoms a successor states in place of the roman empire

Clovis

(p. 252)

• Ruled the Franks from 481-511
• Under his rule, the Franks became the preeminent military & political power
• Wiped out the last vestiges of Roman authority in Gaul
• Imposed his authority on the Franks
• Fought campaigns against neighboring Germanic peoples

missi dominici

(p. 253)

• A new group of imperial officials instituted by Charlemagne
• Traveled yearly to local jurisdictions & reviewed the accounts of local authorities
• "Envoys of the lord ruler"

Vikings

(p. 255)

• Norse seafarers who used their skills toward raiding
• Sailed shallow-draft boats that could withstand rough seas but also navigate many rivers
• Raided London, Paris, Balearic Islands, Sicily, southern Italy, and Constantinople

Alfred

(p. 257)

• Lead the efforts for the series of small kingdoms in England to merge into a single larger realm
• King who ruled 871-899
• Built a navy to challenge the Vikings at sea and constructed fortresses on land to secure areas that he conquered from invaders

Otto I

(p. 256)

• The most successful local lord in Germany
• Ruled from 936-973
• Ended the Magyar threat
• His realm was more of a kingdom; less of an empire
• Imposed his authority throughout Germany