[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":24},["ShallowReactive",2],{"zoom:p4ch3z4:en":3},{"period":4,"chapter":14,"zoom":17},{"id":5,"title":6,"titleEn":6,"titleEs":7,"range":8,"rangeEn":8,"rangeEs":8,"cover":9},"p4","Early Middle Ages","Alta Edad Media","476 → 987",{"fileName":10,"filePageUrl":11,"imageUrl":12,"sourceLabel":13},"François Louis Dejuinne 08265 baptême de CLovis.JPG","https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fran%C3%A7ois%20Louis%20Dejuinne%2008265%20bapt%C3%AAme%20de%20CLovis.JPG","/assets/p4-haut-moyen-age-cover.png","Wikimedia Commons",{"id":15,"title":16},"p4ch3","Theudebert I: Austrasia’s King Looking Toward Rome",{"id":18,"title":19,"chapterId":15,"html":20,"hasEn":21,"isFallback":22,"seoDescription":23},"p4ch3z4","The Gothic War: Justinian, Belisarius, and the Frankish Kings","\u003Cp>Between 535 and 553, Italy was devastated by the \u003Cstrong>Gothic War\u003C/strong>: the Eastern Empire (Byzantium), led by \u003Cstrong>Justinian\u003C/strong>, tried to take Italy back from the \u003Cstrong>Ostrogoths\u003C/strong>. This war created a power vacuum that the Frankish kings — and especially \u003Cstrong>Theudebert\u003C/strong> — would exploit.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>👑 534: Amalasuntha is assassinated, Italy tips into crisis\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>After the death of the young Ostrogothic king \u003Cstrong>Athalaric\u003C/strong>, his mother \u003Cstrong>Amalasuntha\u003C/strong> tried to keep power.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>She associated herself with \u003Cstrong>Theodahad\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>She was then exiled and assassinated.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp>This murder gave Justinian an ideal argument: intervene in Italy in the name of order and justice.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>⚔️ 535–536: Belisarius conquers quickly\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Justinian launched the reconquest and entrusted the operation to General \u003Cstrong>Belisarius\u003C/strong>.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Sicily\u003C/strong> fell quickly.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>Southern Italy was progressively taken.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, each side sought allies: Byzantium and the Ostrogoths both tried to attract the Franks.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🤝 The Franks: official allies, opportunists in practice\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>Frankish kings knew they held a master card: their army.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Byzantium spoke of alliances and faith.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>The Ostrogoths offered gold and territories.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp>The Franks avoided committing fully: they kept the option to change sides — or to act on their own.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🌊 Provence and Arles: the southern reward\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>In this game of negotiations, the Franks obtained \u003Cstrong>Provence\u003C/strong>, giving them direct access to the Mediterranean.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>For Theudebert, it was both an economic gain and a political symbol: ruling the South meant drawing closer to the Roman world.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🏹 539: with Italy exhausted, a raid becomes possible\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>As both camps wore each other down, Theudebert attempted a major expedition.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Booty, cities, prestige.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>But also a major risk: crossing the Alps, feeding the army, avoiding disease.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp>The expedition illustrates a rule of the 6th century: Italy is rich — but it can destroy an army as much as it can enrich it.\u003C/p>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>🧠 Key takeaways\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>The Gothic War explains why Frankish kings opened toward the Mediterranean.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>It turned Theudebert into an international actor: Gaul, Italy, Byzantium.\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli>It shows a world where alliance is strategy, not loyalty.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n",true,false,"Between 535 and 553, Italy was devastated by the Gothic War : the Eastern Empire (Byzantium), led by Justinian , tried to take Italy back from the Ostrogoths .",1778543116477]