9781422285848

A stained-glass church window in the Cologne Cathedral depicts Charlemagne, king of the Franks.

main religion. Eventually, one of these Chris- tian tribes, the Franks, conquered and united the other tribes, creating a large empire in Ger- many and part of present-day France.

The Catholic Church had great influence on Germany. On Christmas Day in the year 800, Pope Leo III crowned the king of the Franks, Charlemagne, as western Roman emperor, who ruled much of present-day France and Germany. The Holy Roman Empire, a com- plicated congress of kingdoms, papal states (properties belonging to the Catholic Church), and other smaller territories in western and central Europe, sought to recapture the past glory of Rome as it upheld the ideals of Chris- tianity. After his death, Charlemagne’s empire descended into warfare, with each region ruled by its own prince. Otto the Great, a Saxon, suppressed these rebellious regions using the Catholic Church as a stabilizing force. In 962, the pope crowned Otto the Great Holy Roman emperor. Otto I extended the frontiers of his kingdom. After his death, the empire devolved into war once again as feudal states ruled by petty princes divided Germany. Yet within Germany, the Catholic Church was still a major power with the imperial princes electing the Holy Roman emperor. During the Middle Ages (400s–1300s), these rulers corruptly used the Church to finance a lavish lifestyle. During this period, the Church sold indulgences, which pardoned people for their sins. Many Catholics were angry. They believed the Church was “buying and selling” places in heaven. An ordained monk from Eisleben named Martin Luther was especially critical, not only of the sale of indulgences, but also in the

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: GERMANY