Medieval History Fundamentals: Germanic Kingdoms to Feudal Society

The Middle Ages: Foundations and Early Developments

Unit VI: The Early Medieval Period

1. Chronology of the Middle Ages

   Locate the Middle Ages chronologically, indicating the start and end years, centuries, and key events. Also, describe the subdivision into the High and Late Middle Ages.

2. Germanic Peoples and Their Influence

   Name six Germanic tribes.

3. Create a summary table indicating the political and social organization, economic activities, and beliefs of the Germanic peoples.

4. What is Gefolge?

5. Differentiate between the period of peaceful invasion and the period of massive invasion of the Roman Empire by Germanic tribes.

6. What were the Foederati contracts?

7. Germanic Kingdoms and Political Organization

   What were the Germanic Kingdoms? How were they politically organized?

8. Which Germanic kingdom originated the Carolingian Empire?

9. What territories did Charlemagne incorporate into his kingdom?

10. The Carolingian Empire

    Regarding the Carolingian Empire, address the following:

    • Capital city
    • Relationship with the Church
    • Importance of Counts and Bishops in policy
    • What were the Marches and Duchies?
    • Importance of the Missi Dominici
    • What were the Capitularies?

11. What was the Carolingian Renaissance?

12. What subjects comprised the Trivium and Quadrivium?

The Middle Ages: Society, Church, and Revival

Unit VII: High and Late Medieval Developments

1. Post-Carolingian Europe

   What was the significance of the Treaty of Verdun and the Treaty of Meerssen for the Carolingian Empire?

2. Which peoples invaded Europe in the 9th and 10th centuries?

3. Feudalism and Social Structure

   What is feudalism?

4. What are the Germanic and Roman origins of feudalism?

5. Explain the social organization within the feudal system.

6. What is the act of homage? Identify the parties involved.

7. What obligations were acquired by the Lord and Vassal through the Act of Homage and Fealty?

8. Key Feudal Terms

   Define the following terms:

   • Fief
   • Autarkic economy
   • Serf of the soil
   • Villain
   • Mansus
   • Terra indominicata

9. The Crusades

   What were the Crusades? How many were there? What were their political, social, and economic impacts?

10. The Medieval Church

    State three functions of the medieval Church.

11. What was the Investiture Controversy?

12. What was the Dictatus Papae? Who was its author? Why is it important?

13. What decisions were made in the Concordat of Worms of 1122?

14. Urban and Rural Revival

    What situations are considered the background to the urban and rural revival of the 12th and 13th centuries?

15. Which social class is linked to this resurgence?

16. What institutions governed these new cities?

17. What were the commercial centers of the European Middle Ages?

18. Medieval Economic Terms

    Define the following terms:

    • Hansa (Hanseatic League)
    • Guild
    • Gremio