Before finding out which states in Europe were created by the Normans, it is necessary to find out what kind of people were hiding under this name. This word is synonymous with the more widely used concept of "Vikings". They were skilful sailors originally from Scandinavia, who, in search of a better life, left their harsh lands and set off to rob the developed medieval states.
The period of such invasions from the north is considered to be the VIII-XI centuries. The Vikings were pagans and worshiped a pantheon of gods that arose in the pre-Christian era. A key place in the cult was occupied by Odin, the god of war. The warlike way of life of the Norwegians, Danes and Swedes struck terror into the hearts of the inhabitants of the Western European kingdoms, who had already managed to settle down and become more civilized. It was they who called the Vikings the Normans (can be translated as "northern people"). The history of these tribes will help to better understand which states in Europe were created by the Normans. History (Grade 6) studies this topic in particular detail in its program.
Until the end of the 9th century, expeditions and robberies were unsystematic. The leaders were only interested in booty, having received it, they gave the order to return home. However, over time, everything has changed. Now thirsty for adventure and glory, sailors directly seized the lands and settled on them.
Duchy of Normandy
Answering the question of which states in Europe were created by the Normans, first of all, the Duchy of Normandy should be noted. These lands in northern France at the mouth of the Seine River were the first to be occupied by invaders from the north. In 889, a Viking leader known as Hrolf the Walker settled here. From here, with his troops, he raided the French kingdom, even reaching the outskirts of Paris. Its origin is still debated. According to one version, he is a Dane, according to another, a Norwegian.
The King of France could not expel foreigners from his possessions on his own, so in 911 Charles III the Simple offered Rollon (as Hrolf was called in Christian chronicles) to perform the rite of baptism and become a vassal of the Carolingians. The Viking leader took the name of Robert I and laid the foundation for the Norman dynasty. Which states in Europe were created by the Normans? Short answers include this duchy as well. Over time, the newcomers Scandinavians assimilated with the locals and adopted their language and customs. This also applies to the strict feudal hierarchy, which was the basis of the relationships of the elite of that time.
Conquest of England by the Normans
The list specifying which states in Europe were created by the Normans continues with England. The dukes who ruled Normandy were formally vassals of the French crown, but de facto not only remained independent, but also had great influence on neighboring counts and other fiefs. In the middle of the 11th century, Edward the Confessor, who belonged to the Anglo-Saxon Wessex dynasty, ruled in England. In Normandy, his contemporary was a descendant of Robert I, William. The king and duke were distant relatives, which gave the latter a formal right to inherit the titles of the former.
When Edward died in 1066, William declared his claim to the English throne. Having crossed to the island, the Norman army defeated the Anglo-Saxons and their pretender Harold at the Battle of Hastings. The kingdom was finally subjugated after 6 years. So, what states in Europe were created by the Normans? The answer is England. These events have become key in the history of all of Europe.
Meaning of subjugation to England
Understanding what states in Europe were created by the Normans, it is impossible not to make out the importance of capturing the British island.
Firstly, Foggy Albion finally broke off ties with Scandinavia. Prior to this, the Norwegian and Danish leaders tried to subjugate the island to their power. Some were successful (for example, Canute the Great), but the Vikings finally gained a foothold in Britaindid not succeed. Pagan raids are a thing of the past, not only for England, but for all of Europe as a whole. A new era has begun. The Scandinavian kingdoms gradually adopted Christianity and entered the common European orbit of development.
Secondly, England itself has changed. Here, the sole royal power was finally approved, which only intensified over the years. The times when several Anglo-Saxon states coexisted on the island are in the past. Only during the reign of William was a unified army and navy created, a general census of the population, recorded in the famous Doomsday Book, was carried out. The Norman nobility spoke French and brought it to the island.
English speech for several centuries has become a sign of the common people. But, as with Hrolf's Vikings, assimilation occurred with the change of generations, thanks to which many French words entered the local language.
Anglo-Norman Monarchy
The Norman dynasty ruled until 1135. William and his sons laid the foundation for the modern English state that became Great Britain. With the death of his father, the throne was succeeded by his namesake son William II the Red (Rufus) (1087 - 1100). His older brother Robert Curthose received Normandy. By the way, he became one of the organizers of the First Crusade to the Middle East.
Relations between relatives were overshadowed by constant conflicts over titles. The dispute was never resolved when Wilhelm died hunting. He was pricklycharacter and despised the local Anglo-Saxon aristocracy, which undermined the foundations of the state.
The English throne was taken by the youngest of the brothers - Henry I (1100 - 1135). Robert continued to try to win the English crown until he was captured at the Battle of Tanchebray in 1106. He spent 28 years in prison and died behind bars. Henry received Normandy and united his father's inheritance. Under him, expansion began in Wales. In addition, the French region of Brittany depended on him.
His son and heir William died tragically in 1120 after the crash on the White Ship in the English Channel. This event exacerbated the dynastic problem. After Henry's death, a civil war broke out between his nephew Stephen and his daughter Matilda. Her son Henry II received the throne in 1167, after which the dynasty finally ended, as the new king belonged to the Plantagenet family through his father.
It was during this dynasty that the merging of the Norman elite and the Anglo-Saxon population began, which led to the birth of the English nation in the late Middle Ages.
County of Aversa
The amazing story of the Scandinavian mercenaries who penetrated South Italy and created their own kingdom there cannot be ignored when it comes to what states in Europe were created by the Normans.
The county of Aversa became their first possession on the Apennine Peninsulain modern Campania. It was granted to Rainulf Drengo by Sergius IV, Duke of Naples, in 1030. The future count, among the many mercenaries from Northern France, fought either against Byzantium or against the Italian feudal lords.
County of Puglia
The fate of William of the Gottville family (in some sources - Hauteville) was similar. He was also a mercenary, and in the course of numerous military clashes he became the count of Apulia, expelling the Byzantines from there in 1042. Over time, the Gottvilis increased their holdings, recognizing themselves as vassals of either the Holy Roman Empire or the Pope.
So, in 1071, Robert Guiscard expelled the Muslims from the island of Sicily, after which he received the county of the same name from the Pope. All these states were created by the Normans.
Kingdom in Italy
After several marriages between the families of former mercenaries and the corresponding inheritances, all the fiefs of Southern Italy ended up in the hands of Roger II, who also belonged to the Gottville dynasty. On Christmas Day 1130, Antipope Anaclet II recognized him as King of Sicily. Later this title would be recognized in Rome. The Sicilian kingdom inflicted several defeats on the Byzantine forces and for a century became the dominant power in the Mediterranean. For some time, even the lands in North Africa and Greece were subordinate to him.
However, the Normandy-born dynasty did not last long on the throne. In 1194, it passed to the Hohenstaufen dynasty, which included the then German emperors. In general, the Sicilianthe kingdom lasted until 1816, when it was abolished following the results of the Congress of Vienna after the Napoleonic Wars. This ends the story of which states in Europe were created by the Normans. The answer is truly surprising, as few nations have managed to capture titles in a wide variety of regions from Britain to the Mediterranean.
The consequences of the Norman conquests
Descendants of the Vikings influenced the entire continent for several centuries. The states in Europe created by the Normans not only changed the political map, but also contributed to ethnic change, for example in England.
War with the East (including the Crusades) secured the Christians of the Old World. The history of which states in Europe were created by the Normans, a brief summary of which is described above, shows that even a small layer of passionate people can change the fate of an entire continent.
