"Middle Age" Europe is poorly named. It's based on an idea that ancient europe is Greece and Rome. Then, dark/middle ages. Then Renaissance and modernity.
The problem is geography. France, Britain, Germany and such were never part of the ancient world. Rome had colonies there. But, these were (relatively) short lived outposts of civilisation. Civilisation was never a dominant culture in non-Mediterranean "Europe."
In the East, civilisation existed for thousands of years before Rome. They always had roads, kingdoms, bureaucracy, restaurants, banks and such. Even in dark ages, after collapse... these were collapsed civilisations. They didn't revert to tribal, oral societies.
The european Renaissance (excl Italy) was never a Renaissance. It's the actual birth of civilisation in europe. It's the first time writing became a major thing.
The problem is geography. France, Britain, Germany and such were never part of the ancient world. Rome had colonies there. But, these were (relatively) short lived outposts of civilisation. Civilisation was never a dominant culture in non-Mediterranean "Europe."
In the East, civilisation existed for thousands of years before Rome. They always had roads, kingdoms, bureaucracy, restaurants, banks and such. Even in dark ages, after collapse... these were collapsed civilisations. They didn't revert to tribal, oral societies.
The european Renaissance (excl Italy) was never a Renaissance. It's the actual birth of civilisation in europe. It's the first time writing became a major thing.