I guess if also WRE wanted to change its name...
Interesting idea! But what would it be called, then?
The Grand Eagle of Europe: Western Roman Survival
- Thread starter PyroTheFox
- Start date
Interesting idea! But what would it be called, then?
Well, for obvious reasons not Holy Roman Empire... Because Florentia is very citated in this TL, maybe after you developed the plot you have in mind we can arrive to a "Florentine Empire"... or because WRE is now a nation concentrated on Mediterrean, a name which recalled this ( Mediterrean or Tirrenian Empire; and because Florentia and Rome are on the side of Tirrenian sea, i bet more on the second choice)
If i have other ideas i will say later.
Well, for obvious reasons not Holy Roman Empire... Because Florentia is very citated in this TL, maybe after you developed the plot you have in mind we can arrive to a "Florentine Empire"... or because WRE is now a nation concentrated on Mediterrean, a name which recalled this ( Mediterrean or Tirrenian Empire; and because Florentia and Rome are on the side of Tirrenian sea, i bet more on the second choice)
If i have other ideas i will say later.
Hm...very good suggestions. I'll take them into consideration for sure!
Serfdom was just starting to become popular at this time right?
(I love your tl
Serfdom can be found in the WRE and parts of Europe, but it's not widely used at the moment.
And thanks for reading it!
With an increasingly urbanized Rome we could see less slavery and or less serfdom (because of a need for cheap labor)... double wamme!
Edit: I don't see why we need to call it the Holy Roman empire... just call it Roma.
!Edit: I don't see why we need to call it the Holy Roman empire... just call it Roma.
[Part 2, Chapter 1]
The Late 7th and Early 8th Centuries
In the 7th century, there were six great powers managing European affairs:
Justinian II of the Byzantine Empire (652 to 711), took over immediately after the slow death of his father, Justinian I. Justinian II was much like his father in appearance and strategy. Some even found it difficult to differentiate from the two. But the son had never been a peasant and found it more difficult to understand the motives and beliefs of them. He sometimes dressed in peasants garb and sneaked into rundown bars to converse with the people of Constantinople. He learned many of their insights and home-grown strategies. Some bad, some good.
And it was one of those same strategies that saved the Byzantine Empire early in Justinian's reign. The threat in the east had increased substantially. The Sasanians were gone, but the Muslims were equally, if not more powerful and fierce.
After the first Persian-Byzantine War, the Byzantines had lost much of the Middle East and over a half of their territory. Justinian I was able to keep control over Antioch and Aleppo, but barely. He had an idea of how to defend the empire successfully, but died before being able to go through with any plans.
His son, however, managed to make it happen. He strongly fortified the outer empire, including Mesopotamia and Taron. He kept over 95% of his army in Samosata, Varengelliopolis (Named after the infamous assassin), and Aghtamar. Justinian's closest guards strongly advised for the emperor to place the military in cities much closer to Constantinople in case the invasion arrived by boat. But listening to his father and the people, Justinian chose to run it his own way. Luckily for him, his plan worked!
The greatest invasions arrived in Taron, the most fortified area. Justinian had heard from some of his peasant friends that some Muslim wanderer had "gave away the plans whilst drunk". Justinian took a wild chance and followed it. The foreign armies were swiftly defeated. Their 25,000-man army was no match to Justinian's astounding 300,000.
The invaders fled and Justinian basically switched to an attack position. He invaded the Caliphate-controlled Syria and won back Damascus, Tyre, and eventually, even Jerusalem. The second war turned out to end in Byzantine's favor. Next on his agenda, was Egypt. Perhaps the Muslim conquest would come to an early end?
In the WRE, the emperor was starting to be seen as a joke. Camilus offered little to the people of Rome beside minor internal changes and his reign was stained with the mistake of offering his military to Lanatus III. Camilus died with no children to be heirs, so his nephew was crowned. Spurius Galeo I (643 to 702) now served the state as emperor.
Galeo oversaw some of Europe's most dramatic changes. He heard of the invasions in the East, but was opposed to interfering. He did not want another Camilus Curse (Interfering leading to disaster) to occur. Under the table, he sent the Justinians gold, but no armies.
He wrote up several treaties with the Frankish leader, Pepin II. These treaties allowed for partnerships in any plausible wars against Caliphates if they ever reached Western Europe. They also more closely defined boundaries. The Franks were not to expand past the Alps. That also applied to the WRE, but they were not planning to expand much northward.
Galeo wished to advance onto Africa. Carthage was a well-fortified and populated city, but beyond that, not much territory belonged to the Roman country. The emperor invaded a bit further into the mysterious continent, renaming Vandal cities with Latin names whilst improving on their architecture. Small mining compounds were dug, providing large amounts of gold and silver to the European cities.
Florentia and Ravenna grew the most during Galeo's reign. The emperor himself even occasionally stayed in these cities. They were not up to the grand standards of Rome yet, but they were sure getting there.
Galeo I was viewed as a great ruler by the people of Rome, but not by the people of Africa. And that will make all the difference in upcoming decades as Islam expands into North Africa and eventually Iberia. But perhaps Christianity will also expand further South? The future will tell...
The Sasanian Empire in Persia had controlled most of the Middle-East for over 400 years. It was ruled absolutely by a single monarch in a single dynasty for those 400 years. Constantly at war with the Eastern Romans for territory, it had little money to use for other affairs. The population was overtaxed, and the government did not care in the least.
The largest conflict came during Lanatus II's reign (in the ERE). Kavadh I of the Sasanian dynasty decided that his country's economic woes would be soothed if he controlled Mesopotamia. If a successful invasion were to occur, Kavadh would have access to the Mediterranean and thus, a European trade market. But the ERE had other plans for those markets.
What the Lanatus line had been doing, was trading with the Sasanians for foreign goods and pottery, and then trading with the WRE and the Franks those same goods for double the price. This 'Lanatus Trading Policy' was majorly successful. But as the Persians grew trade-savvy, they wanted no part in the LTP. Kavadh requested a port city in exchange for a number of goods, but Lanatus rejected all offers. Then the invasion began...
At first, the Persians overpowered the Romans. The ERE had underestimated Kavadh's military prowess. Lanatus died during these invasions, and his son took over the plate. Lanatus III evened out the playing field, increasing the number of soldiers in Damascus and Hamah, but foolishly neglected Jerusalem. The Sasanians were Zoroastrians and had no connections with Jewish or Christian teachings. So it did not bother them to demolish most of Jerusalem and destroy priceless artifacts.
Lanatus would have won the war by 610 if the Avars did not also invade. The army was divided and the Persians knew this. They increased military efforts and closed in on the ERE. Things looked even better for the Sasanians once Lanatus was killed. "Their king is dead!", they shouted, "Now we must conquer Constantinople!" However, a certain man named Muhammad changed the course of history and doomed the Sasanians in one of the most unexpected scenarios. Revolts sprung up in Persia, demanding the recognition of Islam.
Persian military numbers sharply lowered, many opposing the war. Many soldiers returned to Persepolis to rally for Islamic recognition. They rejected the idea of fighting for a non-Islamic state. This civil unrest combined with an economic crisis ended in disaster. By 660, the capital was overrun, the empire collapsed, and was absorbed into multiple Muslim Caliphates.
The Late 7th and Early 8th Centuries
In the 7th century, there were six great powers managing European affairs:
The Western Romans,
the Byzantines,
the Franks,
the Celtics,
the Bulgars,
and the Avars.
the Byzantines,
the Franks,
the Celtics,
the Bulgars,
and the Avars.
The lesser nations of Europe was now near-leveled influentially with the Romans. The Romans were not losing power per-se, but they had leveled off. The Franks had gained some territory in Europe, as did the Celtics.
The Avars had betrayed the Bulgars. The former had allied with the latter in order to fend off the Huns. But once the Hunnic Empire had receded, the Avars broke their alliance and conquered the Bulgars. Much like the Britons, the Bulgars still existed in presence, but their names were off the map.
The Byzantines and the Western Romans had their own problems, mostly externally. The matter of war had not disappeared just because the Sasanians were gone. In fact, things got even worse.
--The Avars had betrayed the Bulgars. The former had allied with the latter in order to fend off the Huns. But once the Hunnic Empire had receded, the Avars broke their alliance and conquered the Bulgars. Much like the Britons, the Bulgars still existed in presence, but their names were off the map.
The Byzantines and the Western Romans had their own problems, mostly externally. The matter of war had not disappeared just because the Sasanians were gone. In fact, things got even worse.
Justinian II of the Byzantine Empire (652 to 711), took over immediately after the slow death of his father, Justinian I. Justinian II was much like his father in appearance and strategy. Some even found it difficult to differentiate from the two. But the son had never been a peasant and found it more difficult to understand the motives and beliefs of them. He sometimes dressed in peasants garb and sneaked into rundown bars to converse with the people of Constantinople. He learned many of their insights and home-grown strategies. Some bad, some good.
And it was one of those same strategies that saved the Byzantine Empire early in Justinian's reign. The threat in the east had increased substantially. The Sasanians were gone, but the Muslims were equally, if not more powerful and fierce.
After the first Persian-Byzantine War, the Byzantines had lost much of the Middle East and over a half of their territory. Justinian I was able to keep control over Antioch and Aleppo, but barely. He had an idea of how to defend the empire successfully, but died before being able to go through with any plans.
His son, however, managed to make it happen. He strongly fortified the outer empire, including Mesopotamia and Taron. He kept over 95% of his army in Samosata, Varengelliopolis (Named after the infamous assassin), and Aghtamar. Justinian's closest guards strongly advised for the emperor to place the military in cities much closer to Constantinople in case the invasion arrived by boat. But listening to his father and the people, Justinian chose to run it his own way. Luckily for him, his plan worked!
The greatest invasions arrived in Taron, the most fortified area. Justinian had heard from some of his peasant friends that some Muslim wanderer had "gave away the plans whilst drunk". Justinian took a wild chance and followed it. The foreign armies were swiftly defeated. Their 25,000-man army was no match to Justinian's astounding 300,000.
The invaders fled and Justinian basically switched to an attack position. He invaded the Caliphate-controlled Syria and won back Damascus, Tyre, and eventually, even Jerusalem. The second war turned out to end in Byzantine's favor. Next on his agenda, was Egypt. Perhaps the Muslim conquest would come to an early end?
--
In the WRE, the emperor was starting to be seen as a joke. Camilus offered little to the people of Rome beside minor internal changes and his reign was stained with the mistake of offering his military to Lanatus III. Camilus died with no children to be heirs, so his nephew was crowned. Spurius Galeo I (643 to 702) now served the state as emperor.
Galeo oversaw some of Europe's most dramatic changes. He heard of the invasions in the East, but was opposed to interfering. He did not want another Camilus Curse (Interfering leading to disaster) to occur. Under the table, he sent the Justinians gold, but no armies.
He wrote up several treaties with the Frankish leader, Pepin II. These treaties allowed for partnerships in any plausible wars against Caliphates if they ever reached Western Europe. They also more closely defined boundaries. The Franks were not to expand past the Alps. That also applied to the WRE, but they were not planning to expand much northward.
Galeo wished to advance onto Africa. Carthage was a well-fortified and populated city, but beyond that, not much territory belonged to the Roman country. The emperor invaded a bit further into the mysterious continent, renaming Vandal cities with Latin names whilst improving on their architecture. Small mining compounds were dug, providing large amounts of gold and silver to the European cities.
Florentia and Ravenna grew the most during Galeo's reign. The emperor himself even occasionally stayed in these cities. They were not up to the grand standards of Rome yet, but they were sure getting there.
Galeo I was viewed as a great ruler by the people of Rome, but not by the people of Africa. And that will make all the difference in upcoming decades as Islam expands into North Africa and eventually Iberia. But perhaps Christianity will also expand further South? The future will tell...
--
The Sasanian Empire in Persia had controlled most of the Middle-East for over 400 years. It was ruled absolutely by a single monarch in a single dynasty for those 400 years. Constantly at war with the Eastern Romans for territory, it had little money to use for other affairs. The population was overtaxed, and the government did not care in the least.
The largest conflict came during Lanatus II's reign (in the ERE). Kavadh I of the Sasanian dynasty decided that his country's economic woes would be soothed if he controlled Mesopotamia. If a successful invasion were to occur, Kavadh would have access to the Mediterranean and thus, a European trade market. But the ERE had other plans for those markets.
What the Lanatus line had been doing, was trading with the Sasanians for foreign goods and pottery, and then trading with the WRE and the Franks those same goods for double the price. This 'Lanatus Trading Policy' was majorly successful. But as the Persians grew trade-savvy, they wanted no part in the LTP. Kavadh requested a port city in exchange for a number of goods, but Lanatus rejected all offers. Then the invasion began...
At first, the Persians overpowered the Romans. The ERE had underestimated Kavadh's military prowess. Lanatus died during these invasions, and his son took over the plate. Lanatus III evened out the playing field, increasing the number of soldiers in Damascus and Hamah, but foolishly neglected Jerusalem. The Sasanians were Zoroastrians and had no connections with Jewish or Christian teachings. So it did not bother them to demolish most of Jerusalem and destroy priceless artifacts.
Lanatus would have won the war by 610 if the Avars did not also invade. The army was divided and the Persians knew this. They increased military efforts and closed in on the ERE. Things looked even better for the Sasanians once Lanatus was killed. "Their king is dead!", they shouted, "Now we must conquer Constantinople!" However, a certain man named Muhammad changed the course of history and doomed the Sasanians in one of the most unexpected scenarios. Revolts sprung up in Persia, demanding the recognition of Islam.
Persian military numbers sharply lowered, many opposing the war. Many soldiers returned to Persepolis to rally for Islamic recognition. They rejected the idea of fighting for a non-Islamic state. This civil unrest combined with an economic crisis ended in disaster. By 660, the capital was overrun, the empire collapsed, and was absorbed into multiple Muslim Caliphates.
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Interesting update but i suggest to post a chapter to talk about the fall of Sassanid Persia and the Arabic espansion... Because otherwise it not seemed very clear how, when and where the Arabs expanded ( surely it wasn't a OTL situation, considerating for example the last Byzantine-Sassanid war went differently, and Byzantium in TTL keeped Antioch and Aleppo, etc...)
Early Caliphate Interaction
Galeo II (691 to 761) of the WRE was a powerful military general and supervisor, as well as a great negotiator. He funded numerous road expansion projects, connecting every major city in the WRE with sturdy stone steps.
Meanwhile, combined efforts through WRE and Byzantine scientists led to new advances in medicine. The human anatomy was now well understood, the functions of most internal organs were discovered, and most significant, a cure was found for the new 'Bubonic Disease'. This disease had started its way into the Byzantine Empire in recent years through trading outposts. The new cure was working its way through the empires, slowly finding its way down the class system.
Justinian III (706 to 770) of the Byzantine Empire joined Galeo's negotiation and army forces on an Egyptian & North African exhibition. The two empires' objective was to push back the Umayyad Caliphate from expanding too far into North Africa. For years, small armies had been keeping the Caliphate from expanding, but they were repeatedly vanquished without warning. The Middle East, save Jerusalem, was already conquered. The major Byzantine city, Alexandria, had just been conquered. If nothing were to happen, the Umayyad would continue into Carthage and possibly Sicily.
In response, Galeo's negotiators and translators arrived by ship in Alexandria and offered gold for the city and the remainder of Egypt. The people of Egypt wanted no part in this nor did the Muslims. Treaties were offered, but the Umayyad only offered to trade Alexandria for Carthage, which was impossible.
Invasions followed. March 721.
Prior to war:
Galeo promised his people that this was not a religious war, but a political one...but Justinian disagreed. He considered it a 'Holy War' to expand Christianity.
Forces from Syracuse and Carthage combined south of Carthage, prepared their armies, and marched into Egypt. At the same time, military forces from Sparta came by sea to attack Alexandria. Over 300 large navy vehicles and 400,000 army forces were arriving in the Caliphate in the matter of days.
The leader of the Umayyad Caliphate, Yazid II, wished for no resistance, but he issued an emergency draft in Egypt, calling all those of Islamic faith. The men lined up, equaling to about 340,000. He split them up, having some attack the Byzantines in Alexandria while others marched to the WRE forces.
As it turned out, some Egyptians helped the Umayyad, but only in the south. Southern Egypt was affected more by the religious changes in the Middle East than Northern Egypt. Alexandria was only 20% Islam and 15% Christian. 75% were polytheistic, Jewish/Hebrew, or non-religious. Alexandrians from the Roman era fought for the Byzantines while the new settlers fought for the Caliphate.
By 725, territorial changes had occurred in Africa. All empires had technically gained land. The WRE expanded a bit south of Carthage, the Byzantines won Alexandria and Northern Egypt, and the Umayyad won Southern Egypt and Nubia. The Byzantines had suffered the most military loss, at 25,000 men, while the Umayyad had the most casualties.
The Muslim expansion was confirmed to be preventable, and the Byzantines were clearly going to go all out to stop the expansion. If this pattern continues, the expansion will half before it reaches Libya...
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Interesting turns of events. In the WRE were discovered the antibiotics 1300 years before OTL while even if out to half Eygpt the Arabs could still invade Lybia.... Roman Africa now risked a lot.
About Alexandria, i suggest to riequilibrate including also the Hebrew population to the count ( 7-8% ?); so in the city the future troubles could be more interesting...
About Alexandria, i suggest to riequilibrate including also the Hebrew population to the count ( 7-8% ?); so in the city the future troubles could be more interesting...
Interesting turns of events. In the WRE were discovered the antibiotics 1300 years before OTL while even if out to half Eygpt the Arabs could still invade Lybia.... Roman Africa now risked a lot.
About Alexandria, i suggest to riequilibrate including also the Hebrew population to the count ( 7-8% ?); so in the city the future troubles could be more interesting...
Without a Dark Age, things lead to another.
Yes, those of Judaism faith also are included in that 75%.
Charlemagne's Empire
[741 to 814]
[741 to 814]
While the Muslim invasions kept the WRE and Byzantines busy, a completely different change was taking place in Northern Europe. The Frankish Kingdom became the fastest growing country in Europe, surpassing the Eastern Roman Empire.
Pepin III (741 to 768) had ruled the Frankish Kingdom during a time of religious dispute. For years, the Franks had learned from the Romans and refused to give their country a title of national religion. The county was largely pagan, but had a large percentage of Roman Catholics and Jews. Pepin III, 10 years into his reign, formed an alliance with the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church. To the Franks, this alliance proved to be a de-facto announcement of national religion.
Pepin had chosen Catholicism over the majority. Over 64% were Pagan. Many of the Pagans in Paris rebelled against their 'traitor' king, holding flaming torches. From his palace, Pepin announced that he would soon revise the alliance, effectively placing the Pope at equal footing to himself. This of course, only angered the crowd which grew by the minute. Fortunately for them, Pepin died before being able to revise the alliance as such.
Pepin III died in 768 as the 'traitor' king. He lost territory to the Celts in his last few years as ruler because of the unwillingness of his army to fight for a traitor. Pepin's son, Carloman, took the throne, who ruled for a mere three years. His replacement, his younger brother, Charles, took the throne. Charles, more commonly known as Charlemagne, towered over his subjects with over 6 feet of height.
Charlemagne was very religious, but dared not show it as a matter of great importance. He donated to the papacy numerous times in secrecy.
He went on a 30-year campaign to expand the Frankish Kingdom back to pre-Pepin borders. He fought the Celts for Regensburg, Thionville, and Salzburg... and won. Borders expanded well into Iberia, much further than in 740. He also went to war with the new, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in Ireland and Britain, and won. Christianity followed the Franks, which made this campaign not only political, but religious. Christianity was spread into Iberia and Eastern Europe.
Trade increased in the areas Charlemagne conquered and town expanded.
By 788, the Franks had matched the Western Romans in sheer size. Galeo III complimented Charlemagne, calling him, "Not your average ruler. He's got a good head on his shoulders, I know that. Spreading the word of the lord never hurt anybody." The WRE supported the Franks in Iberia, but also the Celts in Germany. This action increased overall trust in the WRE, something that was much needed.
As even the best-educated in Rome would say, the four great powers of Europe were expected to last forever. The Western Roman Empire had experienced excellent leadership since Constanus I, the Byzantine Empire had the capacity to conquer the Middle East, Charlemagne's Empire united Western Europe, and the Celtic Kingdom exported more wine and grain than any other country.
However, as it always does, momentary peace would come to an end. In 793, a number of Scandinavian ships surrounded Europe ready to attack.
Pepin III (741 to 768) had ruled the Frankish Kingdom during a time of religious dispute. For years, the Franks had learned from the Romans and refused to give their country a title of national religion. The county was largely pagan, but had a large percentage of Roman Catholics and Jews. Pepin III, 10 years into his reign, formed an alliance with the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church. To the Franks, this alliance proved to be a de-facto announcement of national religion.
Pepin had chosen Catholicism over the majority. Over 64% were Pagan. Many of the Pagans in Paris rebelled against their 'traitor' king, holding flaming torches. From his palace, Pepin announced that he would soon revise the alliance, effectively placing the Pope at equal footing to himself. This of course, only angered the crowd which grew by the minute. Fortunately for them, Pepin died before being able to revise the alliance as such.
Pepin III died in 768 as the 'traitor' king. He lost territory to the Celts in his last few years as ruler because of the unwillingness of his army to fight for a traitor. Pepin's son, Carloman, took the throne, who ruled for a mere three years. His replacement, his younger brother, Charles, took the throne. Charles, more commonly known as Charlemagne, towered over his subjects with over 6 feet of height.
Charlemagne was very religious, but dared not show it as a matter of great importance. He donated to the papacy numerous times in secrecy.
He went on a 30-year campaign to expand the Frankish Kingdom back to pre-Pepin borders. He fought the Celts for Regensburg, Thionville, and Salzburg... and won. Borders expanded well into Iberia, much further than in 740. He also went to war with the new, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in Ireland and Britain, and won. Christianity followed the Franks, which made this campaign not only political, but religious. Christianity was spread into Iberia and Eastern Europe.
Trade increased in the areas Charlemagne conquered and town expanded.
By 788, the Franks had matched the Western Romans in sheer size. Galeo III complimented Charlemagne, calling him, "Not your average ruler. He's got a good head on his shoulders, I know that. Spreading the word of the lord never hurt anybody." The WRE supported the Franks in Iberia, but also the Celts in Germany. This action increased overall trust in the WRE, something that was much needed.
As even the best-educated in Rome would say, the four great powers of Europe were expected to last forever. The Western Roman Empire had experienced excellent leadership since Constanus I, the Byzantine Empire had the capacity to conquer the Middle East, Charlemagne's Empire united Western Europe, and the Celtic Kingdom exported more wine and grain than any other country.
However, as it always does, momentary peace would come to an end. In 793, a number of Scandinavian ships surrounded Europe ready to attack.
Ah, the delicate Quadruple balance of the Romans, the Franks, and the Celts is gonna be disrupted by some Northmen!
VIKINGS! THE LAST... WITH PAGAN BLOOD!
Oh hells yeah this is gonna be interesting. Can't wait to see some invaders....
Oh hells yeah this is gonna be interesting. Can't wait to see some invaders....
The map is not very clear, better the extended version. For the rest i give my approval as always.
It's just showing that the borders began to recede during Pepin III's reign, but grew substantially when Charlemagne started his campaign.
The First Viking Raids
The land of Scandinavia was isolated from Europe. Not a single modern European state traded with the Swedes nor the Norse.
The Celts traded a bit with the Danes, but could only barter with their outdated system. The Celtic Church had expanded into Dane territory, but had not yet reached the Scandinavian peninsula. The Norse was nearly completely pagan, and disliked the Christianity of Western Europe. More importantly, the Norse economy relied solely on fishing and farming. The harsh climate did not allow for much trade or progress. In addition to this, the population was quickly expanding.
The remedy: invasions of mainland Europe.
In 793, Pagan raiders known as 'Vikings' invaded coastal monasteries to gain land and possessions. Only some small cities were actually captured, and the threat seemed nonexistent. But in 799, they targeted Charlemagne's land. They attacked with mighty ships the weak Frankish coasts. Hundreds, possibly thousands were killed. Their houses either burned down or stolen from. The cities were pillaged.
Europe had not seen such harsh invasions from an unknown force since the Huns so many years ago. In response, Charlemagne set up numerous, strong coastal defenses in northern cities. Many of the ill-informed soldiers were uneasy about being placed in a coastal city. They thought there could be no other land with life north of Anglo-Saxon territory. The Baltic Sea was a frozen wasteland inhabited by depleting German barbarians.
Charlemagne handeled the invasions excellently, knowing he could easily defend against the Vikings. The Frankish navy was not prepared for such battles, but the weaponry of Frankish-Celtic forces were far advanced from the Vikings.
These invasions lasted for quite some time, long after Charlemagne. In the 830s, for example, a huge number of Norse invaders sailed through the Rhine and pillaged villages. This Viking Age both troubled and enriched Europe. It may have killed thousands, but it taught Europeans that there existed a land outside of home. The Mediterranean was not the only body of water. The Atlantic Coast, for example, would prove to be the most influential and important body of water, economically, in centuries yet to arrive.
--As the 9th and 10th Centuries progressed, further information regarding Viking raids will be updated. See title.--
The Celts traded a bit with the Danes, but could only barter with their outdated system. The Celtic Church had expanded into Dane territory, but had not yet reached the Scandinavian peninsula. The Norse was nearly completely pagan, and disliked the Christianity of Western Europe. More importantly, the Norse economy relied solely on fishing and farming. The harsh climate did not allow for much trade or progress. In addition to this, the population was quickly expanding.
The remedy: invasions of mainland Europe.
In 793, Pagan raiders known as 'Vikings' invaded coastal monasteries to gain land and possessions. Only some small cities were actually captured, and the threat seemed nonexistent. But in 799, they targeted Charlemagne's land. They attacked with mighty ships the weak Frankish coasts. Hundreds, possibly thousands were killed. Their houses either burned down or stolen from. The cities were pillaged.
Europe had not seen such harsh invasions from an unknown force since the Huns so many years ago. In response, Charlemagne set up numerous, strong coastal defenses in northern cities. Many of the ill-informed soldiers were uneasy about being placed in a coastal city. They thought there could be no other land with life north of Anglo-Saxon territory. The Baltic Sea was a frozen wasteland inhabited by depleting German barbarians.
Charlemagne handeled the invasions excellently, knowing he could easily defend against the Vikings. The Frankish navy was not prepared for such battles, but the weaponry of Frankish-Celtic forces were far advanced from the Vikings.
These invasions lasted for quite some time, long after Charlemagne. In the 830s, for example, a huge number of Norse invaders sailed through the Rhine and pillaged villages. This Viking Age both troubled and enriched Europe. It may have killed thousands, but it taught Europeans that there existed a land outside of home. The Mediterranean was not the only body of water. The Atlantic Coast, for example, would prove to be the most influential and important body of water, economically, in centuries yet to arrive.
--As the 9th and 10th Centuries progressed, further information regarding Viking raids will be updated. See title.--
So, early age of exploration in arrive...
Naval exploration will be explored in the near future possibly
It depends on how successful the Viking invasions are in years to come. If they gather enough resources, you never know.