The Middle Ages (or "dark times") were a turning point in the history of Europe. The term itself got its name due to the fact that this period was intermediate between antiquity and the Renaissance.
The Middle Ages began after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. The tribes of the Goths and the Huns razed the ancient city to the ground and established a new government. Initially, the barbarian system resembled a tribal community led by a council of elders. But very soon, the reins passed to individual leaders who excelled their brethren in either strength or cunning.
Europe in the Middle Ages became the cradle of most modern countries. They were formed according to the territorial principle and resembled antique city-states. The exception was the political system. The leader of a certain area built a castle, near which the central village of the region was located. The ruler ensured the protection and safety of the inhabitants.
Not everyone could afford to live in the city, so villages were built more often. The villagers also sought security and paid taxes in favor of their lord.
The formation of the so-called feudal system marked the early Middle Ages. And then begins the bloody history of conquests. Some lords excelled others in the quality of weapons and the size of the army. This allowed them to take control of weaker opponents. The most fortunate became kings, the rest became vassals.
The formation of states could not do without a powerful idea, which was to unite disparate tribes. In the 12-13th centuries, monarchs began to actively contribute to strengthening the position of the Christian church. In less than a hundred years, Catholicism has become the only religion in medieval Europe. The Vatican remains to this day its stronghold. But if now the Pope is a public person declaring peace and harmony, then 600 years ago the then preachers of the holy word propagated the ideas of the Crusades (of which there were 3) behind the Holy Sepulcher.
The most successful is the achievement of the English king Richard the Lionheart, who conquered Jerusalem. But the greed of the crusaders led to the fact that true values were erased from their
code of honor. This influenced not only the attitude to duty, but also the morale. Which, in turn, allowed the great leader of the Arabs (Saladin) to smash to smithereens the French and English corps of knights. Having recaptured the city, the winners washed it with clean water and dotted with rose petals.
The Middle Ages were remarkable not only for their conquests, but also for the achievements of science. The church did not contribute to the general education of the population, but nonetheless there were scholars who were actively working on the development of their ideas. Among them, Galileo Galilei, who stated that the earth is round, because of which it was burned by the holy Inquisition, and, of course, the famous Leonardo da Vinci, whose inventions are relevant even today.
The history of the Middle Ages is interesting and can teach a lot. Knightly novels would be useful to young people with their degraded notions of honor, dignity, love and friendship. The mistakes of the rulers, considered on modern models of states, would help correct the economic situation for the better, and the selflessness of the then scientists should learn from the current Aesculapius.