The Middle Ages in Europe

Fall of the Roman Emperie

395

The fall of the Western Roman Empire was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vast territory was divided into several successor polities.

Dark Ages began

410

The Dark ages began at the end of the Roman Empire, which was also a time when a global cold front swept across the earth, making farming difficult and causing groups of people to die out

Battle of Tours

732

At the Battle of Tours near Poitiers, France, Frankish leader Charles Martel, a Christian, defeats a large army of Spanish Moors, halting the Muslim advance into Western Europe.

Charlemagne crowned the 1ˢᵗ Holy Roman Emperor

800

In this role, he encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance, a cultural and intellectual revival in Europe. When he died in 814, Charlemagne's empire encompassed much of Western Europe. Today, Charlemagne is referred to by some as the father of Europe

Feudalism began

850

Feudalism in Western Europe was a politico-economic system that created a social fabric with military obligations. It produced a set of manners and norms – chivalry – and spawned an elegant form of literature that helped Europeans capture and develop pride in their histories.

Crusades began

1000

The First Crusade was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Islamic rule.

Dark Ages end

1066

The Dark ages began at the end of the Roman Empire, which was also a time when a global cold front swept across the earth, making farming difficult and causing groups of people to die out.

Battle of Hastings

1066

At the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066, King Harold II of England was defeated by the invading Norman forces of William the Conqueror. By the end of the bloody, all-day battle, Harold was dead and his forces were destroyed.

Magna Carta

1215

Magna Carta, English Great Charter, charter of English liberties granted by King John on June 15, 1215, under threat of civil war and reissued, with alterations, in 1216, 1217, and 1225. By declaring the sovereign to be subject to the rule of law and documenting the liberties held by “free men,” the Magna Carta provided the foundation for individual rights in Anglo-American jurisprudence.

Crusades end

1300

In 1271, Sultan Baibars captured Montfort Castle, and in 1291, the Crusader city of Acre fell, ending the era of Latin Crusader kingdoms.

Black Death

1340

The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. The plague arrived in Europe in October 1347, when 12 ships from the Black Sea docked at the Sicilian port of Messina.

Feudalism end

1400

The major causes of this decline included political changes in England, disease, and wars. Cultural Interaction The culture of feudalism, which centered on noble knights and castles, declined in this period.