Post-Roman Europe: Decentralization, Feudalism, and the Rise of Christendom

After the Western Roman Empire fell (476 CE), Europe entered a transformative era:

• Political fragmentation: Collapse of central authority → myriad kingdoms, duchies, city-states.
• Feudalism: Land-based hierarchy (king → lords → vassals → serfs); manors as self-sufficient units.
• Christianization: Church filled power vacuum; preserved Latin learning; unified culture across borders.
• Cultural diversification: Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, Romance peoples developed distinct identities.
• Trade decline & ruralization: Long-distance networks shrank; economy localized.

This "Early Middle Ages" (500–1000) laid foundations for medieval Europe's resurgence.