Download - Western Europe During the Late Middle Ages Mr. Millhouse World History AP Hebron High School
Western Europe During the Late Middle Ages
Mr. MillhouseWorld History AP
Hebron High School
The Rise of Regional States
Holy Roman EmpireLoose confederation of statesTense relationships with the papacy prevents creation of powerful state
Capetian Dynasty in FranceRegional states form in Italy and Spain
Powerful Italian city-states: Florence, Genoa, Milan, VeniceLays foundation for the Renaissance
Europe 1000-1300 C.E.
Rise of Feudal England
William of Normandy conquers England in 1066
Feudalism with centralized approachMonarchy limited by church & aristocracy
Magna Carta signed by King John in 1215Creates parliamentary systemParliament must approve changes in taxationDoes NOT create democratic system
European Economic Revival
Growth of Agricultural EconomyPopulation pressure causes increase in land devoted to agricultureCrop rotation and three-field systemNew technology: horse collar and horseshoePopulation growth• 800 CE—29 Million• 1100 CE—44 Million• 1300 CE—79 Million
European Economic RevivalRevival of Towns and Trade
Food surplus & population growth led to urbanizationUrbanization brought increase in specialization of labor• Guilds
Specialization of labor caused increase in manufacturing• Manufacturing focused on wool textiles
Manufacturing led to increase in trade• Brings Western Europe back into Afro-Eurasian
trade network
Venetian and Genoese merchants established colonies in major trade ports
of Alexandria, Constantinople,
Cairo, Damascus, etc.
Christianity in the High Middle Ages
Cathedral schools become universitiesRediscovery of works of Aristotle
Increased commerce with Byzantine Empire provided the West with access to Greek works
Scholasticism and Thomas AquinasCombining Aristotle’s logic with Christianity to create the most truthful system of thought possible
Christianity in the High Middle Ages
Increased devotion to the saints
Virgin Mary was ideal of womanhood, love, and sympathy
Built magnificent cathedrals to honor Virgin Mary
Gothic architecture• Notre Dame “Our
Lady”
Medieval Expansion of Europe
Viking ConquestsSpanish Reconquista
The Crusades
Viking Expansion and Conversion
Feudalism forced Vikings to turn attention to Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland (Canada)
Leif Ericsson
Vikings convert to Christianity in 9th-10th centuries
Viking Expansion
Spanish Reconquista 1060s-1492Began in small Christian states in northern SpainBy 1150 Christians had recaptured over half of Muslim SpainEnded in 1492 with conquest of GranadaSuccessful due to organization and wealth of Christian Church
The Crusades
Causes of the Crusades
Byzantine emperor asked Pope for help in regaining territory lost to Seljuk TurksReligious zeal
Pope Urban II calls for 1st Crusade in 1095Forgiveness of sin for those who die in battle
Knights’ willingness to engage in church-sanctioned warfare
Feudal wars in Europe were coming to an end
Economic Motives?
Attraction of gaining spoils from rich Arab landsItalian merchants desired to gain control of trade routes in the Mediterranean from MuslimsItalian merchants provide needed supplies to Crusaders
Impact of the CrusadesThe impact of the Crusades on the West is a source of debate among historians
The Crusades “helped expose the West to new cultural and economic influences from the Middle East, a major spur to further change and to [increase] the West’s interaction with the larger world” –Peter Stearns“Italian merchants had begun to travel well beyond Egypt, Palestine, and Syria to avoid Muslim middlemen and deal directly with the ultimate producers of silks and spices in India, southeast Asia, and China” –Jerry Bentley, et. al.
Impact of the CrusadesBrian Tierney presents an opposing view to causes and impact of the Crusades
“But one cannot claim that without the crusades the Italian cities would not have not sought the markets of the East or that they could not have taught the peoples of Europe to like sugar and spices…
Although some individuals undoubtedly went crusading in search of fiefs and plunder…it seems clear that the majority were moved by genuine religious enthusiasm and complete confidence that the crusade was the path to salvation”
The Calamitous 14th Century
The Burning of Joan of Arc
Bubonic Plague “The Black Death”
In October 1347 a ship from the Crimea sailed into Messina. The crew had a "sickness clinging to their very bones.“Rats carrying fleas got on shore spreading disease25 million people died in the next several years, 1/4 to 1/3 of the population of EuropePorts cities were hit firstClose proximity, unsanitary conditions facilitated the spread into cities
Bubonic Plague
“…and soon death was everywhere. Fathers abandoned their sick sons. Lawyers refused to come and make out wills for the dying. Friars and nuns were left to care for the sick, and monasteries and convents were soon deserted, as they were stricken, too. Bodies were left in empty houses, and there was no one to give them a Christian burial."
Spread of the Black DeathVictims “ate lunch with their friends and dinner with their ancestors in paradise”
-Geovanni Boccaccio
Reactions to the Black DeathDid it lead to a decline in moral standards?
Rampant Hysteria—Plague “God's Punishment”Fear—People locked themselves away; some fled their homes• Probably carried fleas from town to town
Scapegoats—Any kind of "ungodly" behavior could result in swift and harsh punishment• Widows or strange old men might be singled out and
stoned to death• Foreigners, especially Jews, were persecuted, in some
places burned at the stake in mass executions
Impact of the Black DeathProfound impact on manorial economy
Labor became scarce in some placesTenants, rent payers, made gains as feudal obligations were loweredSome serfs were freed to keep them from running away to better opportunitiesWages rose in towns to keep workers happy
Landlords and some towns continued to prosper
Hundred Years War (1337-1453)
From 1337 to 1453 England and France periodically engaged in a series of military campaignsFought with new military technology
Crossbows, longbows, pikes, firearms, and cannons Joan of Arc, martyred in
1431
Impact of Hundred Years War
End of Feudalism?Monarchs centralized authority• More stable permanent boundaries• Kings began to levy direct taxes• Weakened the authority of feudal lords
Firearms led to the knight and castle being outdated• Monarchs maintained permanent armies
Bibliography
Bentley, Jerry and Herbert Ziegler. Traditions and Encounters. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2000.Bulliet, Richard, et al. The Earth and Its Peoples. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 2001.Stearns, Peter, et al. World Civilizations. 3rd Ed. New York: Addison-Wesley Educational Publishers, 2001.Tierney, Brian and Sidney Painter. Western Europe in the Middle Ages. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1992.