The Big Idea: Germanic invasions helped to break up the Roman Empire and set the stage for the development of feudal and manorial systems. Later invasions helped establish Mongol dominance in central Asia and led to the destruction of the Byzantine Empire by the Turks.
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Learning Targets:
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SOURCE 1 - Reading: Fall of the Byzantine Empire
The last dynasty on the throne of the Byzantine Empire lasted from 1204 to 1453 AD. At first they did pretty well. They made some good alliances with some Italian cities and dominated Mediterranean Sea trade in the 1200s AD. By the 1300's though, the Byzantines were losing territory to invaders and growing weak.
But unfortunately the Empire gradually lost its few remaining possessions: mainly lands in around Greece. For the most part this was not the fault of the Emperors. It was because of attacks by the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman Empire was a Muslim Turkish empire that covered a vast area of the Middle East, southeastern Europe, and North Africa. It was founded in the 14th century (1300’s) and existed until 1922.
The Ottomans were attacking the Byzantines much more strongly than they ever had before. Not only did the Ottomans want the city of Constantinople for trade reasons it was also because the Ottomans had lost a lot of their land in the east to the Mongols, and they were trying to make up for it by capturing land to their west. The Mongol people were a group of tribes from the grasslands of central Asia. In the early 1200s a warrior named Genghis Khan united the tribes and built a mighty empire. At the height of its power, the empire stretched from what are now China and Korea to Eastern Europe (See map below).
But unfortunately the Empire gradually lost its few remaining possessions: mainly lands in around Greece. For the most part this was not the fault of the Emperors. It was because of attacks by the Ottoman Turks. The Ottoman Empire was a Muslim Turkish empire that covered a vast area of the Middle East, southeastern Europe, and North Africa. It was founded in the 14th century (1300’s) and existed until 1922.
The Ottomans were attacking the Byzantines much more strongly than they ever had before. Not only did the Ottomans want the city of Constantinople for trade reasons it was also because the Ottomans had lost a lot of their land in the east to the Mongols, and they were trying to make up for it by capturing land to their west. The Mongol people were a group of tribes from the grasslands of central Asia. In the early 1200s a warrior named Genghis Khan united the tribes and built a mighty empire. At the height of its power, the empire stretched from what are now China and Korea to Eastern Europe (See map below).
For decades the advance of Ottoman strength and the enlargement of its territory had seemed unstoppable to the Byzantines. In 1438 the Byzantine emperor, with a huge group had made a personal visit to Italy in a desperate effort to assemble allies against the Ottomans. Much was said and little was achieved.
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This map shows the extent of the Mongol Empire in the 1200's. It is crazy big, stretching from the Yellow Sea in China, all the way to Eastern Europe! This is one of the largest empires in history!
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Look at the small amount of land the Byzantines actually control in 1450. They are surrounded by the Ottoman Turks (who, remember, are being forced out of their lands to the east by the Mongols).
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In addition, a terrible bubonic plague came from the Mongol Empire in the 1300s and killed thousands of people in Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. Finally the Ottomans surrounded the city of Constantinople. In1453, a force of over 70,000 Ottomans attacked Constantinople with the help of cannons to take down the city walls. Constantinople was defended by somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 soldiers. It took only 2 months for the city to be taken.
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Source 2 - Playposit Video Clip
Now you need to complete the back side of your Notes! Go to Playposit and view the video about Constantinople. As you answer the questions, write down the answers in your notes!
Source 3 - History Channel Video Clip
Source 4 - Walls of Constantinople today
Socrative Check
Exit Ticket Assignment
Edcite Assignment
Quizlet Review
There are two card sets for the Byzantine Empire. This is information that could be on the quiz covering the Byzantine Empire.
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Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire Assessment
You will now create a product that demonstrates both the causes and the effects of the fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire.
There is some freedom to this assessment. You may choose what to create to demonstrate your knowledge:
-3-5 paragraph essay
-chart or diagram
-flipbook
-prezi or other online creation
You can be as creative as you would like AS LONG AS YOU INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
Scoring Rubric:
Information Needed -
Causes of the Fall of Constantinople
- At least 3 causes for the fall of Constantinople are detailed (this means you describe the who, what, when, where and why info about them). ______/6 pts
Event - Fall of Constantinople
- Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire is included. ______/2 pts
Effects on History
- 2 effects this event had on history are detailed (this means you describe the who, what, when, where and why info about them). ______/4 pts
Aesthetics/Mechanics - ______/3 pts
- Must be neat and organized (Essays should follow guidelines we have practiced before. Diagrams, charts or other creative products should include color and pictures).
- Key words and terms should be spelled correctly.
TOTAL POINTS: _____/15 pts
-3-5 paragraph essay
-chart or diagram
-flipbook
-prezi or other online creation
You can be as creative as you would like AS LONG AS YOU INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
Scoring Rubric:
Information Needed -
Causes of the Fall of Constantinople
- At least 3 causes for the fall of Constantinople are detailed (this means you describe the who, what, when, where and why info about them). ______/6 pts
Event - Fall of Constantinople
- Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire is included. ______/2 pts
Effects on History
- 2 effects this event had on history are detailed (this means you describe the who, what, when, where and why info about them). ______/4 pts
Aesthetics/Mechanics - ______/3 pts
- Must be neat and organized (Essays should follow guidelines we have practiced before. Diagrams, charts or other creative products should include color and pictures).
- Key words and terms should be spelled correctly.
TOTAL POINTS: _____/15 pts
More about... MONGOLS!!!
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The Mongols were unlike most empires that we have learned about. For example, they remained nomadic and never really settled.
Watch this collaboration of clips from John Green's Crash Course in History and see if you can pick out any other unique characteristics about this Asian empire that was created in the 1200's.
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Click on the History Channel link to view a short video about the Mongols and their first leader, Genghis Khan!
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