The Development of Feudalism in Western Europe

How did the Franks become Christians?

• They learned about Christianity from the conquering Vikings, who set up colonies in their land.

• They followed their leader Clovis into Christianity after he married a Christian woman.

• Priests and missionaries from the Middle East baptized them into the Roman Catholic Church.

• Their neighbors, the Magyars, introduced them to Christianity and influenced them to convert.

What was the purpose of feudalism?

• It spread democracy by giving the people a voice in their own government.

• It provided people with protection and safety by establishing a stable social order.

• It created a fair society by balancing the powers of the monarch and the people.

• It looked after the welfare of all people by making sure they had all the necessities of life.

By the start of the High Middle Ages, around 1000 C.E., feudalism had:

• been replaced by constitutional monarchy.

• brought stability to much of Europe.

• begun to establish itself in France.

• been overwhelmed by invasions by Vikings and Magyars.

In times of war, what could a lord do if he did not wish to fight for his own higher-ranking lord?

• He could pay a large sum of money to get out of his obligation.

• He could claim that he was morally opposed to war and simply not fight.

• He could supply a well-trained fighting force to fight on his behalf.

• He could perform a certain amount of community service instead of fighting.

Knights lived by a strong code of behavior called

• serfdom

• chivalry

• fiefdom

• squirehood

What was Charlemagne's greatest accomplishment?

• He was the first Frankish king to become Christian.

• He permanently ended the threat from invading Vikings.

• He built an empire that endured for centuries after his death.

• He unified nearly all the Christian lands of Europe into a single empire.

When a king granted a fief to a vassal, what did the vassal owe the king in return?

• He worked the king's lands to produce food for him.

• He provided a number of peasants to work for the king.

• He gave the king a supply of knights in time of war.

• He owed the king nothing but his gratitude.

What was the function of a castle?

• to serve as a home

• to protect people during times of military conflict

• to remind people of the power of the ruling classes

• all of the above

Which statement is true about Noblewomen?

• They had comfortable and easy lives.

• They often held fiefs and inherited land.

• They were always protected from the dangers of war.

• They had very little to do with their own children.

Most people during the Middle Ages were

• knights.

• squires.

• peasants.

• clergy.