Why is this part of history so overshadowed? Many textbooks will skip over this period saying nothing happened and talk about the middle east with Islam and other stuff instead.
Very low amounts of writing/primary sources.
>>495907
PROBABLY BECAUSE IT IS ENTIRELY FABRICATED, THUS, OVERLY VAGUE, THEREFORE IT IS OFTEN MERELY CURSORILY ADDRESSED FOR SIMPLICITY.
After defeating the Muslim army at Tours, Charles 'the Hammer' studied his foe's forces and adopted their superior technology (the Muslim had inherited the armour and accoutrements of the Sassanid warrior class, which made the armoured mounted knight possible). Initially using stirrups, saddles and lamellar armour recovered from the dead Islamic horsemen, Charles created his first heavy cavalry. From then on mounted troops became the essential striking force of the Frankish army.
>>495907
That map is shit though.
Arabs never conquered Sardinia.
We studied Charlemagne in the School, or are we talking about the time latter Frankish Empire?
>>496036
Cool!
>>495915
Put your trip back on so the filter works
>>495907
People are still confused if they should be portrayed as German or French.
>>495907
It dured like 50 years?
>>495911
>>495930
this
400-1000 AD was the time when there were thousands and thousands of european tribes, and they were all fighting each other for dominance in the region, forming the medieval states. Its too much of a clusterfuck for anybody who isn't explicitly interested in one region (most of european nations vaguely learn about their history - since there aren't much sources - during that time but not anybody elses)
>>496669
Meanwhile the Byzantine Empire was the only worthwile place in Europe (and not only Europe). Typical medieval courts and royal regalia originated there and were later copied in other European kingdoms.
>>496657
The trip is already on idiot
>>496683
Yeah because western roman empire suddenly disappeared after 480 right? :^)
>>496036
>A theory first postulated in the 1890s and given new popularity by White 1962 held that Charles Martel, Charlemagne’s grandfather, was able to defeat the Saracens in the 730s because of his use of heavy cavalry. This cavalry was in turn made possible, the theory goes, because he had seized church property and distributed it to his followers, “creating feudalism,” and that these followers used their new lands to raise horses, since the stirrup had conveniently just been introduced. This theory was thoroughly discredited by Bachrach 1970. In fact early medieval armies were primarily made up of foot soldiers, not heavy cavalry (Bachrach 2001). Recent work on Charles Martel has avoided such uni-causal explanations of his impact (for example Fouracre 2000). Most scholars are now more careful not to make every oath of loyalty into some form of proto-feudalism, as well as trying not to misinterpret early medieval warfare. Nonetheless the tendency persists, especially among French medievalists, to see vassalage (if not necessarily heavy cavalry) as beginning with Charles Martel (for example, Guillot 2009).
outdated meme theory :^)
>>499130
link
http://pastebin.com/5WxCvCr4
crtl f + "feudalism" under charles martel?
Lack of primary sources mainy
>>495915
This.
>tfw Charlemagne and Charles V holy roman emperor were the same person.
>>499130
It's all about money, always.
The Treaty of Verdun dismantled the Carolingian Empire and enabled the territorial nobility to became de facto supreme lords of their fiefs and pass this title and authority to their heirs. As royal central authority weakened the bonds of fealty and vassalage between the territorial nobility and their local clientele increased. This process of restructuration of socio-economical relationship was strenghten by the precare living conditions, political instability and the general situation of a Christian Europe raided by Vikings, Saracens and Magyars during the VIII-X century. It was the local territorial lord who was going to procure protection to his vassals, and in exchange demand services and recognition, not the distant and impotent King.
Once the little Ice Age passed, the raiding passed, the political and socio-economical interdependency consolidated in this form of feudal system, the general economical recovery experienced by the territorial nobility direct management of their local fief and the demographic enabled feudalism to blossom in its more pure, idealistic form during the XI-XIII centuries until again a number of circumstances, among them and very notably the Black Plague, reshaped again the political and socio-economical structures of Europe.
