Topic: Kingdoms of the Eastern and Western Franks

Target group

5th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

III. Medieval Europe. Pupil:

1. places the state of the Franks in time and space;

2. places new countries in Europe in time and space.

General aim of education

You will find out how the seeds of modern Germany and France appeared.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to explain why the Empire of Charles the Great broke up;

• to describe the fate of the Carolingian dynasty after the death of Charles the Great;

• to indicate what influence the Treaty in Verdun had on the history and shape of Europe;

• to characterize the beginnings of creation of the contemporary states – Germany, France and Italy.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. Students remember how the Empire was being restored and what Charlemagne's rule was characterized by. This information is included, among others in the subject of Europe Charlemagne from the textbook.

Introduction

1. The teacher, referring to the homework, asks students what Charlemagne did. Students should mention the reforms of Charlemagne and attempts to rebuild the Empire. Then, the teacher gives the students the topic, the goals of the lesson and explains success criteria.

2. The teacher reminds the students that the empire built by Charlemagne was a mixture of different nations, peoples, cultures and lands. What connected them was a patrimonial ruler. The emperor knew that this was not a permanent and cohesive factor, therefore his coronation and reliance on the principles of common religion and the Roman traditions gave the state a universal dimension - the Christian empire.

Realization

1. The teacher introduces the students to the crisis of the Carolingian empire, which followed the death of Charlemagne in 814. He shows that despite the efforts of the ruler, the unity of the state was not achieved and its consistency was based on the strength of its authority. Then he presents the figure of Louis the Pious, whose politics and weakness contributed to the rebellions and divisions, and then the disintegration of the Empire. The teacher depicts his addiction to the Church and his lack of authority. Students perform Exercise 1.

2. The breakthrough ending the unity of the Carolingian Empire was the Verdun treaty of 843. The teacher explains his groundbreaking significance for European history. Students perform Exercise 2 and Exercise 3 and Task 1. The teacher makes sure that the task has been correctly performed and provides feedback.

3. Then the teacher introduces the fate of the Frankish countries after the treaty in Verdun. It shows their impermanence and rapid fragmentation after the death of Louis the Pious's sons. He lists and discusses with students the reasons for divisions (weakness of power, invasions of neighbors, e.g. Hungarians and Normans, lack of authority and charisma among rulers, etc.). Students carry out Exercise 4. The teacher notes that division of the Charlemagne empire into three states proved to be extremely durable and in the future became the nucleus of the emergence of modern states - France, Germany and Italy. Students carry outTask 2.

Summary

1. Summing up the lesson, the teacher begins the discussion asking students why the work of Charlemagne - the empire he created - fell so quickly? What was decisive and why did it break up?.

Homework

1. Listen to the abstract recording at home. Pay attention to pronunciation, accent and intonation. Learn to pronounce the words learned during the lesson.

2. Make at home a note from the lesson, for example using the sketchnoting method.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Kingdoms of the Eastern and Western Franks

After the death of Emperor Charles the Great in 814, his successor became his son - Louis the Pious who unsuccessfully undertook actions aimed at maintaining the unity of the state and stopping the excessive ambitions of his sons. To strengthen his position, Louis the Pious worked closely with the church hierarchy. This led to an increase in the importance of the clergy and loss of the emperor's authority and completely changed the perception of the position of the ruler by the Church. From now on it was not the Church was part of the Christian monarchy, but itself started managing the monarchy. This way the emperor could no longer interfere in the affairs of the clergy, but he could even be assessed for morality. The results of this change have become visible very quickly. Statements of relatives, rebellions of his own sons led to total fall of the emperor's authority. The long lasting wars were finally ended by the Treaty in Verdun, adopted after the death of Louis the Pious in 843. He led to the irreversible division of the empire between his sons Lothair, Charles the Bald and Louis the German. Their lands became the origin of modern states: West Francia of Charles the Bald – France; East Francia of Louis the German – Germany; Middle Francia of Lothair – Italy. The imperial title, being only honorary leadership, was retained by the oldest of the sons - Lothair. His kingdom included the most developed and richest provinces of the Carolingian Empire. Unfortunately, their political and ethnic diversity quickly led to the disintegration of the kingdom. The former empire of Charles the Great was united for a short time in the second half of the ninth century by Charles the Fat, son of Louis the German. However also his reign did not last long. After only a few years, he was forced to abdicate and the state was finally divided. The position of the king in West Francia has been very week since the beginning and the ruling Carolingian dynasty could not keep the authority of the rulers. This was due to the weakness of the state in reactions for invasions of enemies what led to its disintegration into many independent counties and principalities. Finally, after the death of the last ruler of the Carolingian dynasty, the king of the Franks became Hugo Kapet from the line of Robertians. It initiated the reign of the new dynasty with future kings of France for over 300 years.

Eastern Frankish monarchy, whose founder was Louis the German, in the first decades of its existence, thanks to maintaining elements of the state organization from the time of Charles the Great and subordination of the powerful and clergy to royal authorities, avoided a deep crisis. However, in the 10th century, it fell into chaos and disintegrated into four duchies – Frankonia, Saxony, Bavaria and Swabia where princes became the rulers. Conrad I, the prince of Franconia, tried to save the broken country, however, realizing the weakness of his position and his own dynasty (The Conradines), he appointed the strongest Reich prince - Henry, the Saxon prince - as his successor. It was a breakthrough decision, because for the first time the authorities over the Franks was in the hands of a ruler not originating from this people. After taking the authorities in 919 as the king of Eastern Franks, he initiated a new period in history, giving origin to a later called German state.

empire, Verdun, treaty, patrimonialism, Reich, succession,