EUROPE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE WORLD WARS

• Augur was a Roman priest who attempted to predict the future.
• Consul was the title of the leaders of the Roman Republic elected every year by citizens.
• To depose means to remove from political office.
• Fascist is a system of government with a dictator who has unlimited power.
• Patrician was a Roman of high rank or wealth.
• Plebeian was a common Roman citizen.
• Resilient is the ability to rebound or continue after a setback.
• Rome has grown since its humble beginnings that it is now overwhelmed by its own greatness.
• The Middle Ages began when Odoacer deposed the last western Roman emperor in 476 AD.
• Europe had a lot of woods, rivers, and mountains that created natural borders.
• As a result, Western Europe quickly divided into small kingdoms and tribes.
• The Catholic Church was the one common factor among Europeans.
• Germanic tribes—the Franks—migrated into modern-day France and set up a society called Francia [FRAHN-see-uh].
• The Franks embraced Christianity.
• In the 7th century, the Arab conquest brought Islam to Spain and Portugal.
• The Islamic invaders’ rapid advance threatened all of Europe.
• Frankish ruler Charles Martel defeated the invaders at the Battle of Tours [toor] in Francia in 732.
• If the Franks had lost, much of Western Europe might have become Muslim.
• Christianity remained Europe’s dominant religion for over 1,200 years.
• Charles’s grandson Charlemagne [SHAHR-luh-meyn] extended Frankish control over most of Western Europe.
• Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne as “Emperor of the Romans.” This marked the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire.
• Despite many changes, the Holy Roman Empire lasted until 1806.
• Frenchman François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire said the Holy Roman Empire was “neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.” It was a large nation made up of small kingdoms.
• The rulers of the kingdoms held most of the power in the Holy Roman Empire.
• The 14th century brought famines and plagues to Europe.
• High inflation made it difficult for the poor to purchase necessities in the 14th century.
• France experienced ten different famines in the 14th century.
• The Great Famine of 1315–1317 affected most of Europe.
• The Great Plague began in 1347.
• Over the next five years, the plague spread across Europe.
• By some estimates, half the population of Europe died in the Great Plague.
• The Great Plague created a labor shortage in Europe.
• Under feudalism, serfs lived and worked land owned by a lord.
• After the catastrophe, lords had to compete to attract workers.
• The feudal system broke down as serfs gained freedom to travel and work where they desired.
• Rome has grown since its humble beginnings that it is now overwhelmed by its own greatness.
• The Middle Ages began when Odoacer deposed the last western Roman emperor in 476 AD.
• Europe had a lot of woods, rivers, and mountains that created natural borders.
• As a result, Western Europe quickly divided into small kingdoms and tribes.
• The Catholic Church was the one common factor among Europeans.