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Charles the Great, or Charlemagne (742-814), united an empire covering much of modern France and Germany. He was a great Christian leader as well as a skilful warrior.
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The Crusades began in 1095 as a Christian campaign to drive the Muslims out of the Holy Land.
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Hundred Years WarHundred Years' War
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Black DeathDeath was ever-present for people living in the Middle Ages. Disease was rife in the dirty, overcrowded streets of medieval towns and cities, and medical knowledge was limited. The average life expectancy was about 30 years. Frequent wars and famine claimed thousands of lives at a time. The most catastrophic event of all was the Black Death. Carried by black rats, it was brought back from Asia by Italian sailors. The plague was deadly and highly contagious. Symptoms included black blotches.
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Joan of Arc BiographyAlthough women could not become knights, in 1429 a simple country girl did join the French in besieged Orléans and then led the attack on Paris, dressed in armor. Joan of Arc heard the voices of saints, telling her to save France from English. She inspired the French knights but was later captured and burned as a witch.
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Biography of CharlemagneCharles the Great, or Charlemagne (742-814), united an empire covering much of modern France and Germany. He was a great Christian leader as well as a skilful warrior.
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Otto i BiographyThe Magyar tribes that flooded into Europe in the tenth century were stopped by the German king Otto I (912-973). He became Charlemagne’s successor when the pope made him Holy Roman Emperor in 962. His realm in Western Europe became known as the Holy Roman Empire.
