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Heirs to the Roman Empire: Europe, 500 to 800 AD. World History - Libertyville HS. Effect of Disintegration of W Roman Empire. Germanic tribes settled throughout old Roman Empire Ostrogoths – Italy Saxons – England / NW Germany Visigoths – Spain Vandals – North Africa Franks - France. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Heirs to the Roman Empire: Europe, 500 to 800 AD
World History - Libertyville HS
Effect of Disintegration of W Roman Empire
• Germanic tribes settled throughout old Roman Empire– Ostrogoths – Italy– Saxons – England /
NW Germany– Visigoths – Spain– Vandals – North
Africa– Franks - France
Effects of Fall
• Changes in government form– Citizenship less
important (less obligation)
– Now, personal loyalty is most important (requires high obligation to leader)
– German chiefs led bands of warriors personally loyal to him
Effects of Fall of WRE
• Economic Effects– Cities shrank as
law, order broke down
– Trade shrank as l & o broke down
– Travel became unsafe (bandits)
Effects of Fall of WRE• Loss of knowledge,
learning– Incomers were illiterate
(no written language)– As cities shrank, so too did
the “literacy line” decrease• Represents where people
have opportunity to get educated
• Roman times = throughout Empire
• Early MA = around monasteries, a few towns
– People didn’t have time to learn to read (survival!)
Effects of Fall of WRE
• Population shifts– Roman nobility
moved to countryside
– Intermarried with incoming Germanic leaders
– Became future nobility of Europe
Effects of the Fall of WRE
• Political Effects– Almost all (Roman)
political institutions FAIL• Examples of political
institutions?
– Results in a power vacuum
– Power goes to those who control land
Effect of Fall of WRE• Power to those who
control land– Shift of power from
Southern Italy to N. Europe
– Less wealth in N = less to loot = less destruction
– Development of heavy plow
– Larger populations developed more quickly in N than S
– More population = more specialization
Who benefits from Fall of Rome?
• Rise in power of local warlords – whoever had military strength, seized and controlled land
• Rise in power of Church– Only Roman institution to
survive fall of Empire– Provided continuity / link
between WRE, post WRE world
– Something for regular people to hold on to
– Preserved knowledge of Romans, some Greeks
Power of Church
• Remnants of Roman authority used to bolter own authority– The past was very important
for commoners to look to– They were no longer
important, themselves
• Conversion of incomers key– Church came to terms with
invaders (blended old, new ways)
– Conversion key b/c w/ their conversion, more power to church