Background
During the 9th and 10th centuries the Carolingian Empire was attacked by three distinct countries, all of which weren't distinctly Christian. The Muslims, Magyars and Vikings moved in upon the Empire, but for the most part the peoples who assaulted the Carolingians were converted to Christian nations and were taken in by the Christian Europe.
Muslims and Magyars
Before the Muslims began to invade the shores of southern Europe in the 9th century and in turn began to disassemble the Carolingian Empire, they first conquered certain parts of North Africa, Spain and southern Gaul in the 8th century. During the Muslim invasions of the 9th century both Sicily, in 827, and part of Italy were taken and the Muslims even went so far as to threaten Rome itself. One of the most influential ways in which the Muslims were able to diminish the Carolingian forces was by destroying their forces in north Spain and by making small campaigns into the Carolingian land in France.
The Magyars came into the picture through a chain of rather strange and unexpected events that took place years before the rule of the Carolingians. Before the Carolingians came to power the Byzantine Empire convinced the Magyars in western Asia to fend off the Bulgars. Because the Bulgars were now under constant attack from the Magyars they decided to convince another nation to attack the Magyars, so the turned to the Pechenegs. The Magyars then decided to leave Asia and travel west only to settle in the lands around Hungary. After settling down in Europe the Magyars decided to make campaigns further into western Europe. After years of struggling with the Carolingians the Magyars were finally defeated at the Battle of Lechfeld in the boarders of Germany in 955. Though defeated the Magyars were not eradicated and were eventually, at the end of the 10th century, turned to Christ and stopped hostilities to found the kingdom known as Hungary.
The Magyars came into the picture through a chain of rather strange and unexpected events that took place years before the rule of the Carolingians. Before the Carolingians came to power the Byzantine Empire convinced the Magyars in western Asia to fend off the Bulgars. Because the Bulgars were now under constant attack from the Magyars they decided to convince another nation to attack the Magyars, so the turned to the Pechenegs. The Magyars then decided to leave Asia and travel west only to settle in the lands around Hungary. After settling down in Europe the Magyars decided to make campaigns further into western Europe. After years of struggling with the Carolingians the Magyars were finally defeated at the Battle of Lechfeld in the boarders of Germany in 955. Though defeated the Magyars were not eradicated and were eventually, at the end of the 10th century, turned to Christ and stopped hostilities to found the kingdom known as Hungary.
The Vikings
The Muslims and Magyars made a great impression upon the Carolingian Empire especially in the east and south, but the Vikings were much more destructive than both the Magyars and the Muslims combined. The Vikings were from Scandinavia and were a Germanic peoples. The reason the Vikings left Scandinavia is altogether unknown to historians. Some speculate that they left for Europe because of overpopulation, and some believe that it's because the Vikings simply loved a good adventure and enjoyed encountering wealth along the way.
There are several ways in which historians were able to explain the success of the Vikings. The Vikings shocked Europe in the 8th century and devastated it in the 9th with their invasions in on the shores of the Carolingian lands as well as inland. The ways in which they were able to accomplish it was through their aggressive warlike behaviors and through their superior abilities on the water using their highly advanced boats. The Vikings boats were long and small, known as the dragon boats, and were able to not only travel good distances across large bodies of water, but were also able to travel along thin channels and rivers that wound some distances inland. Because their boats were able to maneuver through such small places and were therefor able to travel inland they were often able to surprise unsuspecting cities.
Part of the reason that the Viking invasions were so devastating to the Carolingian Empire is because there were different groups of Vikings that invaded the Empire in different areas. The most influential Viking groups were the Norwegians, the Danes and the Swedish. The Norwegian Vikings primarily attacked Ireland and western England. The Danes invaded eastern England, Frasia and the Rhineland. Once the Danes had taken the Rhineland they used their new position to travel down rivers to surprise the western Carolingian lands.
The Swedish Vikings appeared to be the most active. They first began their domination of western Europe by taking control of the Baltic Sea and from there moved to the Slavic areas. From there they moved towards Russia in the west and carried on to take Novgorod and Kiev, also in Russia, and by doing so made themselves known to both the Carolingian Empire, as a trade contact or as an enemy, and with some Arabs along the Volga River and around the Sea of Azov.
Vikings, for the most part, had always made their campaigns in the summer at least until the Norsemen set up a winter camp in Europe so that they could effectivly settle new land whenever thye pleased, such as Ireland in 850. The Danes, by 878, had conquered and area called Danelaw in England, but were quickly grouped into a larger Anglo-Saxon kingdom after accepting Christianity.
They Vikings were also likely the first discoverers of America seeing how they discovered Iceland in 874 and the Greenland in 985 only to keep exploring and finally settle a colony known as Newfoundland in North America.
The Viking invasions vertually came to a hault in the 10th century due to the continual Chritianization of the Viking tribes, the acceptance and emergance of the Viking tribes into European life and due to the firm grip kings and rulers were finally able to gain over their tribes.
There are several ways in which historians were able to explain the success of the Vikings. The Vikings shocked Europe in the 8th century and devastated it in the 9th with their invasions in on the shores of the Carolingian lands as well as inland. The ways in which they were able to accomplish it was through their aggressive warlike behaviors and through their superior abilities on the water using their highly advanced boats. The Vikings boats were long and small, known as the dragon boats, and were able to not only travel good distances across large bodies of water, but were also able to travel along thin channels and rivers that wound some distances inland. Because their boats were able to maneuver through such small places and were therefor able to travel inland they were often able to surprise unsuspecting cities.
Part of the reason that the Viking invasions were so devastating to the Carolingian Empire is because there were different groups of Vikings that invaded the Empire in different areas. The most influential Viking groups were the Norwegians, the Danes and the Swedish. The Norwegian Vikings primarily attacked Ireland and western England. The Danes invaded eastern England, Frasia and the Rhineland. Once the Danes had taken the Rhineland they used their new position to travel down rivers to surprise the western Carolingian lands.
The Swedish Vikings appeared to be the most active. They first began their domination of western Europe by taking control of the Baltic Sea and from there moved to the Slavic areas. From there they moved towards Russia in the west and carried on to take Novgorod and Kiev, also in Russia, and by doing so made themselves known to both the Carolingian Empire, as a trade contact or as an enemy, and with some Arabs along the Volga River and around the Sea of Azov.
Vikings, for the most part, had always made their campaigns in the summer at least until the Norsemen set up a winter camp in Europe so that they could effectivly settle new land whenever thye pleased, such as Ireland in 850. The Danes, by 878, had conquered and area called Danelaw in England, but were quickly grouped into a larger Anglo-Saxon kingdom after accepting Christianity.
They Vikings were also likely the first discoverers of America seeing how they discovered Iceland in 874 and the Greenland in 985 only to keep exploring and finally settle a colony known as Newfoundland in North America.
The Viking invasions vertually came to a hault in the 10th century due to the continual Chritianization of the Viking tribes, the acceptance and emergance of the Viking tribes into European life and due to the firm grip kings and rulers were finally able to gain over their tribes.