The Rise of Medieval Europe
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Transcript The Rise of Medieval Europe
The Rise of Medieval Europe
The Dark Ages
Background
By 500 CE most did not live beyond their village; the Roman
world was destroyed
The Dark Ages – a time of backwards life
a.k.a. the Middle Ages
Combined elements of classical and Germanic culture with
Christian beliefs
Rulers
Merovingian Rulers
Clovis – first Catholic Germanic ruler
Charles Martel – most powerful mayor of the palace
Pepin the Short – anointed by Pope Stephen II;
politics/religion bound together
Charlemagne: (Pepin’s son)
Doubled the size of the Empire; improved education
Crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III
Creation of the Holy Roman Empire
Collapse of Charlemagne’s Empire
No strong ruler to secede Charlemagne
Treaty of Verdun
Charles the Bald took the West
Louis the German took the East
Lothair took the Holy Roman Empire
Invasions by outsiders (Vikings)
Surprise attacks
Isolated and weakened western Europe
Medieval Life (Feudalism)
Feudal Relationships
Began with Charles Martel
Fiefs were granted to military service
Lords were able to acquire more power
Homage – mutual service is agreed on:
Military service
Court service
Provide traveling accommodations for the lord
Provide funds for weddings and ransoms
Feudal Pyramid
King
Lords:
(Nobles and Clergy)
Vassals and Knights
Pesantry
Noble Life
Castles were built for protection
Lords:
Collect rent and settle disputes
Ladies:
Few rights
Raised children, take care of household duties
Knights:
Began training at 7 as a page
Became a squire at 15
Was knighted after he proved himself in battle
The Manorial System
Feudalism: relationship between nobles
Manorialism: relationship between nobles and peasants
Work on a Manor:
Services provided: farming, payment of goods
Everything was produced on the manor
Agricultural Improvements:
Heavier plow
Three-field system (crop rotation)
No one questioned their place in the hierarchy
Medieval Church
Religious Role: Taught that all were sinners and
dependent on God’s grace through rituals
Eucharist: “Holy Communion”
Limited knowledge of rituals due to lack of education
Church Organization: set up in a hierarchy
Secular Clergy – Pope, bishops, priests
Regular Clergy – monks and nuns
Benedict’s Rule - monastic rules for daily life:
Could not own goods, couldn’t marry, must obey rules
Medieval Church: Monastic Life
Monasteries were headed by an abbot
Simple clothes, plain meals, vow of silence
Convents were headed by an abbess
Simple clothing, abundant prayer, spinning/weaving
Influence of Monasteries:
Scribes copied books, provided social services
Missionary efforts – spread Christian beliefs
By the A.D. mid-1000s, most of W. Europe had accepted
Christianity
Medieval Church: Power and Reform
Acquiring Power
Helped govern W. Europe
Had its own laws with its own punishments
The church was able to gain feudal ties
Reform
By the mid-900s leaders wanted reform
1059: declared that political leaders couldn’t choose the pope
The pope would be chosen by a gathering of cardinals (high church
officials)
Medieval Church cont.
Fighting Heresy: 1215 – Pope Innocent III condemned all
feasting, dancing, drunkenness
Strict rules for stopping heresy
The Inquisition: court used to seek out heretics
Many were convicted w/o sufficient evidence
Unrepentant were punished harshly (cleanse the soul)
Friars: wandering preachers (early 1200s)
Followed monastic rules, were not isolated
Franciscans: sought to live a simple life
Dominicans: well educated; persuasive preachers
Rise of European Monarchy: England
Early Invasions
Saxons, Jutes, and Angles after 400s
Alfred the Great united the Anglo-Saxons (A.D. 886)
Power struggles
Anglo-Saxons: began with Alfred the Great
Wanted to revive education
Weak rulers after Alfred
The Normans: led by William, Duke of Normandy
Invaded England 1066; defeated Harold Godwinson
William kept tight control of the govt.
Anglo-Saxon land was given to Norman vassals
Royal Power – strong rulers after William
Henry I – created a royal treasury
Henry II – set up a system of common law; tried to try clergy in
common courts
The Magna Carta
John lost some English land to France
1215: nobles forced John to sign the Charter limiting his power
Parliament – middle class wanted representation
Model Parliament (1295): clergy, nobles, burgesses
Parliament (1400): House of Lords; House of Commons
More people were represented
Rise of European Monarchy: France
Centralized Government not Representative
Hugh Capet seized power in 987; 300 yr. dynasty
Established the principle of inherent throne
1100s the number and size of towns increased
Some towns were given the right of self-government
French Monarchs
Philip II – strengthened the monarchy; increased land
Louis IX – royal courts gained dominance; considered the ideal
for chivalry and high moral character
Philip IV – increased territory through trade/war
Rise of European Monarchy: H.R.E.
Germanic rulers remained weak and powerless
Disputes with the Pope continued to weaken them
Kings claimed the right to elect popes
Popes claimed the right to anoint and depose kings
Henry IV (1073): the Pope deposed Henry; was later pardoned b/c he
begged for forgiveness for three days
Medieval Europe
Its Height
at
Background Information
Early Middle Ages:
Decentralized government
FeudalWarfare
Cultural Isolation
Famine, Bad living conditions, sparse trade
High Middle Ages:
Improvement in conditions
Church gained more power
The Crusades
Background
Jerusalem was the holy city for the Jews, Muslims, and
Christians
600 fell to Arabs; 1000 fell to Seljuk Turks
Endangered Constantinople and Europe
First Crusade
Pope Urban II calls for a volunteer army
Sought riches in the Middle East
1099: recaptured Jerusalem
Second Crusade:
1140s: Turks conquered Palestine
Pope Eugenius IV called for a crusade
Louis VII & Conrad III led the armies
Third Crusade (the Crusade of the Kings):
1187: Saladin captured Jerusalem
Barbarossa, Philip Augustus, Richard I led armies
Richard was forced to fight alone (signed a truce)
Effects of the Crusades
Did not gain control of Palestine
Helped speed up changes in Western Europe
Less Impact on Muslims
Economic and Cultural Revival
Expansion and Trade:
Italian towns (Venice, Pisa, Genoa – control Med. trade)
Flanders (northern European trade center)
Annual Trade Fairs (Champagne, France)
Banking:
Barter System: trade w/o exchanging money
Money Economy: led to the growth of banking
Money changers determined the currency value
Kings, Nobles, Clergy became dependant on banks
Growth of Towns (Burgs)
Characteristics:
Stone walls, wooden buildings, lack of sanitation
Guilds:
Merchant: maintain a monopoly on local business
Craft: specific craft regulations; prohibited competition
Rise of Middle Class
middle class profited from a money economy
Leading bankers/merchants became royal advisors
Town Government
Towns people wanted their own govt.
Communes: Italian towns
Charters: granted to townspeople (independent govt.)
Education
Clergy controlled education (Early Middle Ages)
Educated officials were needed
Universities: founded @ 1150
Southern (Bologna, Italy): studied law and medicine
Northern (Paris, Cambridge, Oxford): theology
Studied Roman Law, Aristotle, Muslim writings
Scholasticism: combination of reason and faith
Thomas Aquinas – reason was God’s gift
Literature: most was written in common vernacular
Beowulf: Anglo-Saxon epic
Art: Romanesque and Gothic
Strengthening European Monarchies
Nationalism: proud of heritage and country
Hundred Years Wars: (England and France)
Both claimed to control Normandy
English able to defeat the French at Crecy (1346); Agincourt
(1415) b/c of better weapons
Joan of Arc: claimed that God had told her to save France; supported
by Charles VII; battle of Orleans
Effects of the War
England: lost control of Normandy; led to bitterness
France: physical destruction; sense of unity
Both gained a strong central government
France: 1400s: became dominant European power
Louis XI: strengthened the bureaucracy
United French lands; kept nobles under control
England: Parliament gained power during the war
War of the Roses (1455):York vs. Lancaster
Edward IV defeated the House of Lancaster
Henry Tudor defeated Richard III; began dynasty
Spain: 1400s leading European power
Began fighting in the Reconquista against Muslims
1469: Ferdinand and Isabella were married
United Aragon and Castille
Ended religious toleration (100% Roman Catholic)
Spanish Inquisition: est. to maintain “Purity of Blood”
Seek out and punish those “suspected” of heresy
Fear of the Inquisition strengthened the monarchy
Holy Roman Empire: German, Italian, Slavic land
An assembly of princes elected the Emperor
The Hapsburgs were the dominant family in the 1400s
Able to control the princes
Maximilian I was elected in 1493
Charles V became King of Spain and H.R.E.
The Troubled Church
Babylonian Captivity
1300s: the papacy came under French control
1305: Clement V was elected Pope
Moved the court to Avignon, France
“popes were neglecting spiritual duties”
The Great Schism: period of multiple popes
Three different popes claimed spiritual authority
All three were deposed and Martin V was elected
Calls For Reform
John Wycliffe
Criticized church corruption
Claimed that the Bible was the sole authority
Began translating the Bible into English vernacular
Followers were known as Lollards
Was persuaded to moderate his views
Jan Hus
Had writings that were condemned by the church
1415: the Council at Constance had him killed
Hussites stood up against the Church
Hus’ ideas influenced other reformers