After the fall of Rome Europe fell into a period of darkness known as the dark ages.  These were definitely dark times and people lived in constant fear.  People stopped trading, stopped using money, and the church was the only thing most people had left.

When Vikings started raiding lands kings started hiring protection.  They would give lords pieces of their kingdom in exchange for their protection.  The lords would then hire knights to protect them and their king.  Also lord had peasants work the land on their manor and provide food.  This was how feudal society and the Middle Ages were born.

Now the kings may have been in charge but the pope was the most powerful man in Europe.  Since most of Europe was Roman Catholic what the pope said went.  The pope was so powerful he could overthrow a king by just excommunicating him.  The church could also ask for all the money they wanted since most people couldn’t read.

During the 1100’s the Byzantine empire called for help against invading Muslims.  The pope called a holy war against the Muslims and to capture the holy land which was Jerusalem.  People from all over wanted to be a martyr for there religon and take back the holy land.  As a result many untrained and untested warriors went over to fight.  The results were terrible.  The Christians led five crusades into the holy land.  Only the first was successful but Jerusalem fell within 50 years.  This was because of lack of experience and the distance of the trip.

After the crusades many lords and kings died or stayed in the holy lands.  As a result the many kingdoms formed a few powerful ones.  Also the wars re-introduced trade into Europe from the Middle East.  These events tranfered the Middle Ages into the Reniassance