Clovis Rules the Franks

For 500 Years most of Europe was a part of the Roman Empire.  The rest of the continent was being controlled by what the Romans called Barbarians.  Rome fell in 476 C.E. after invasions of Barbarians.  The invasions left Europe with no central government or system of defense.  Many of the invading groups set up Kingdoms all around Western Europe.  These Kingdoms were often at war with each other.  The most powerful were those who ruled the most land and had the best warriors.  

                     Barbarian

One of the most powerful groups during this time was the Franks.  The Franks became successful after they had developed a new style of warfare.  It depended on troops of Knights.  Knights were heavily armed warriors who fought on horseback.  To get and keep power, a ruler needed to earn the loyalty of his knights.  In return of a knights loyalty and service, a ruler would often reward them with land and privileges. 

                      Warrior

One of the early leaders of the Franks was an ambitious young warrior named Clovis.  At the age of 15, Clovis became King of the Franks in 481 C.E.  He defeated the last Roman Army in Gaul five years after that.  During Clovis' 30-year reign, he led the Franks through wars that widened the boundaries of the Frankish Kingdom.  After marrying a Christian women Clotilda, he was eventually baptized into the Roman Catholic Church were many of his followers became Christians as well.

                                  King Clovis

Text Books:

Bower, Brett and Lodbell, Jim.  History Alive, The Medieval World and Beyond, Palo Alto California 94303, Teachers' Curriculum Institute, 2005

Web Page:

Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis.com  August 28, 2007

Images:

Barbarian Art, www.wizardrealm.com,  August 29, 2007

Reginhiem, www.geocities.com, August 29, 2007

Harrisonburg Public Schools, www.staff.harrisonburg.com August 29, 2007