Many Germanic kingdoms until they got united under charlamain.
Overrun the western half roman empire
Causing disruption of trade, downfall of cities, population shifts to rural areas.
There was a decline of learning.


The age of faith
The holy roman empire is the strongest kingdom in Europe.
The church has considerable spiritual and political power.
Over 500 massive Gothic cathedrals are built.


In the late eleventh century. Jerusalem is controlled by the Muslims
It was Islam's 3rd holiest City
It is also the Christians holist city.
1093 AD.
Emperor wrote letter to pope urban II:
It said , come help drive our the muslems from jerusilim.
And you will be rewarded in heven.


The pope put out the call for Christians to recapture Jerusalem and the holy land from Muslim Turks.
Thus began 200 years of religiously sanctioned military campaign, from 1095 to 1291
The "soldiers of the church: took vows to take back holy land.
Pope said that if they died, they would go right to heaven.
9 crusades that cover 200 years
Christians lost.
Religious intolerance grows.