A brief essay on Feudalism and the Rise of the Catholic Church

Following the Fall of Rome, civilized parts of Europe recognized the need for a new method of government to protect them from barbarian invasions. The answer to this was a feudal system. This entailed a supreme ruler dispensing his land to lords to govern as they wish. In this manner, the unstable boarders of a territory could be guarded individually, providing safety from attack. While this system worked to a degree, it had one very great flaw; the lords often felt no allegiance to the kings and internal coups threatened his supreme rule. To combat this, Catholicism was made to be the…