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The fall of the Roman empire marks the start of the Middle Ages. There is no one reason why the Roman empire fell and historians still debate the official cause today. The most common arguments are the barbarian invasions and the internal corruption within the empire. -
Spans from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance
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Clovis I was the king of the Franks. His father was pagan but he converted to christianity and was baptised in 496. His baptism greatly contributed to the spread of Christianity in Europe. -
Justinian expanded the Byzantine empire into North Africa, Asia Minor, Palestine, Syria and parts of Italy. He built the Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome. He also created the Justinian codes (Body of Civil Law).
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Gregory the great was well known for his books like his handbook for rulers, Pastoral Rule that he wrote in 591. He also started the Gregorian mission whose goal was to convert the Pagan Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. This helped Christianity's reach spread through Europe.
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In 717 the Muslim Arabs of the Umayyad Caliphate attacked the Byzantine empire but were quickly defeated by the navy. The Byzantine navy used greek fire to fight them off. This failure to take constantinople is significant because it postponed Muslim advance into southeastern Europe -
The coronation of Charlemagne formed the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire. He was crowned by Pope Leo the 3rd. The Pope actually did this behind the back of king Leo of the Franks. It's said as Charlemagne rose from prayer, Leo placed a crown on his head and, while the assembled Romans acclaimed him as “Augustus and emperor." -
The battle of London was fought in the Bank area of the city of London. It was between Alfred the Great and and invading Viking force. The vikings captured London, but Alfred re-captured it by defeating a Danish garrison. Alfred rebuilt the city then handed it over to the Earl of Mercia. -
Towards the end of the 9th century Viking raids were devastating parts of France. The french King granted the viking Rollo land in 911 to stops the raids. With this land he founded Normandy. -
Hugh Capet founded the Capetian Dynasty in 987. The Capetian dynasty was the ruling house of france throughout the middle ages. This dynasty encompassed 15 kings including Charles IV. -
Hungary became a state at the turn between the 1st and 2nd Millenium. When it became a state their official religion became Christianity. The King of Hungary later laid the foundations for Catholicism -
The Schism of 1054 marked the separation of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox churches. The primary causes were disputes over papal authority. This split is still significant even today. -
The crusades were run by western European forces. The goal of the first crusade was to re-capture the city of Jerusalem from Muslim control. There were around 60,000 soldiers involved in the first crusade. -
Thomas Becket was an English archbishop and martyr. He was murdered by knights of Henry II at Canterbury Cathedral. He was made a saint after his death and his tomb became a focus for pilgrimage. -
The Fourth Crusade was called by Pope Innocent III. This was another attempt to retake Jerusalem from the Muslim rulers. The target ended up being Constantinople. -
Frederick II was one of the most influential Holy Roman Emperors. He was based in Sicily and his influence reached through italy, garmany and even Jerusalem. His dynasty collapsed shortly after his death in 1250. -
Part of the FIrst Mongol invasion of Poland. Mongol raiders in poland defeated an army of Christian knights. This was a diversion from the Mongolian invasion of Europe. -
Started with bad weather in the spring of 1315. That caused crop failures that lasted through 1317. There was also a disease affecting sheep and cattle in the region that caused shortages of food. -
Started in Europe when 12 ships from the Black sea docked carrying the disease. From there the plague spread quickly, killing at least 20 million people. One reason it was so deadly was because of the poor hygiene and uncleanliness of European cities. -
Battle during the 100 years war in the city of Orleans, France. English forces attacked Orleans. The French defense was lead successfully by a teenage peasant, Joan of Arc. She was made a saint by the Roman Church. -
On May 29 1453 Constantinople fell to Sultan Mehmed II. Ottomans breached Constantinople’s ancient land wall after besieging the city for 55 days. Mehmed surrounded Constantinople from land and sea while employing cannon to maintain a constant barrage of the city’s walls. This was the end of the Byzantine Empire.