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Spacious Plain housed several nomads that terrorized and plundered communities. It was easy to create large empires and be overthrown and later assimilated by native Slavs. The Slavs were originally a single people in c. Europe who through mass migration and nomadic invasions were divided into three major groups:
- Western Slavs
- Eastern Slavs
- Southern Slavs
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I. Western Slavs
- a. Germans assumed responsibility for these people’s conversion because German emperors considered it their duty to spread Christianity to barbarians
- i. Also provided opportunity to extend political authority
- ii. Missionaries converted Czechs
- 1. Bishopric occupied by Czech bishop
- iii. Slavs in Poland not converted until Prince Mieszko reign
- b. Non-Slavic kingdom of Hungary, which emerged after Magyar defeat at Lechfeld in 955, converted to Christianity by German missionaries
- c. Saint Stephen, king of Hungary from 997 to 1038, facilitated the acceptance of Christianity by his people
- d. They became closely tied to the Roman Catholic Church and Latin culture
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I. Southern Slavs
- a. Converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity of Byzantine empire by Cyril and Methodius (two Byzantine missionary brothers)
- i. Created Cyrillic alphabet, translated Bible into Slavonic, and developed Slavonic church services
- b. Southern Slavs accepted Christianity
- i. Still, a split developed between those who accepted Roman church (Croats) and those who remained loyal to eastern Christianity (Serbs)
- c. Bulgars absorbed by southern Slavs and formed Slavic Bulgarian Kingdom
- i. Accepted Eastern Orthodox churches
- 1. Embraced Slavonic church services
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I. Eastern Slavs
- a. Contended with Viking invaders after settling
- i. Swedish Vikings moved down rivers into their land in search of booty and trade routes
- 1. Established trading links with Byzantine State
- a. Varangians built trading settlements
- b. Became involved in civil wars among Slavs
- c. Dominated natives
- i. Rurik + Vikings= Rus; attached to Russia
- ii. Oleg: resided in Kiev and created Rus state
- 1. Successors extended control over eastern Slavs and expanded Kiev
- 2. Through intermarriage, they were assimilated into Slavic population
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Eastern Slavs
Growth of Kiev
- a. Growth of Kiev attracted missionaries from Byzantine Empire
- i. Vladimir married Byzantine emperor’s sister and accepted Christianity
- 1. Not spiritual motives
- a. Believed an established church would help develop an organized state
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