western civilization i his-101 unit 9 – high middle ages, 1000-1300 (economy and politics)
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction Europe in 1000
Byzantine and Islamic civilizations flourished Western Europe was weakened by Viking,
Hungarian, and Muslim attacks By 1300:
Europe is the dominant military, economic and political power
A Catholic European world Expansion of European commerce Urbanization Economic Growth More powerful governments Social Stratification
Medieval Agricultural Revolution Transformation occurred between 700 and 1300
Period of technological innovation Improved climate
“Medieval Warm Period” (c. 950-1250) Temperatures were on average 1˚C warmer than currently
New crop rotation system 3 field crop rotation system increased crop yields per acre
Technological advances Development of the heavy plow Horses became more commonly used as work
animals Horseshoes (c. 900) Tandem harnessing (c. 1050)
Medieval Agricultural Revolution Mills
Important in food processing After 1050, a craze for building water mills in northern
European took place Windmills introduced in the 1170s Used not only for food but to provide power to forges
and crushing pulp for paper Results
Growing confidence of entrepreneurial peasants and lords Investing in new technologies could lead to a greater profit
Increased European population Efficient market for goods
Manorialism Prior to the 9th century, peasants lived on
individual plots of land They would farm what they needed and paid rent
to a landlord The development of the manor
Occurred mainly in England, northern Europe, and western Germany after 9th century
Consolidation of individual peasant holdings into large, common fields for one village
More cost effective this way Peasants were dominated by the lords
Manorialism The lord of the manor
Dominant role in the village Claimed largest share of peasant’s production Strip farming
Strips of land would be divvied out to individual peasants to farm
Peasants would pay rent but keep any profits The demense
Usually 1/3 to 1/2 of the common land kept by the lord for his own private use
To form this land, greater labor services were imposed on the peasants
Turn free peasants into serfs
Manorialism The peasants
Similar to slaves Tied to the land Worked without pay Status was heritable
Unlike slaves Their obligations were fixed by custom
Limits of manorialism Manorialism never predominant across Europe at any
one time Mostly limited to England and parts of France and Germany
Starts to breakdown in the 13th century Lords collect revenue in cash, avoiding the risks of the
market Distinction between serf and free peasant slowly dissolves
Byzantium During the 9th and 10th centuries, the power of
the Abbasid caliphate went into a decline However, they were still a threat to the Byzantine
state Another threat came from the north in the
form of the Viking (Rus) invaders They had strong trade connections with the
Abbasids Byzantine Revival
St. Cyril and St. Methodius convert Balkan Slavs to Orthodox Christianity
A new written language Old Church Slavonic (Cyrillic alphabet)
Annexation of Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia
Byzantium Byzantium was also involved in a number of key
conquests Eastern conquests against the Abbasids in the 930s and
970s Military and commercial alliance with the western
Russia There were still a number of key threats to Byzantium
Venice, Pisa and Genoa emerge as dominant traders in the eastern Mediterranean
Growing power of Fatimid Egypt The biggest threat was from the Seljuk Turks
A Sunni Muslim group that moved into Anatolia Defeated imperial forces at the Battle of Mazikert in 1071 The Turks were now threatening the existence of Byzantium
The First Crusade In 1095, Emperor Alexius Comnenus appealed
to Pope Urban II for troops to repel the Turks Hoped to use heavily armed western knights to
attack the light armored Turks Pope Urban's appeal
Bring the Orthodox Church into communion with the papacy
Embarrass the German emperor, Henry IV Urban had been feuding with Henry for over 20 years
Achieving peace at home Tens of thousands of fighters would leave Europe for the
Middle East Goal of freeing Jerusalem from Muslim control
The First Crusade By the end of 1095 the call for the First Crusade
is made 100,000 men, women and children answer the call to
march to Constantinople From there they would move on to Jerusalem
Why did people join the Crusade? Win new lands Prospect of adventure Religious
They believed they were on a mission from God Pilgrimage Plenary indulgences
Freed from punishment in purgatory
The First Crusade First Crusade (1096-1099) As the Crusaders moved east, they attacked
Jewish communities throughout the Holy Roman Empire Christian theology believed that the Jews were
responsible for Jesus’ death Those who were not killed were forcibly baptized
Once the Crusaders got to Constantinople, more problems occurred Byzantium was seen as an obstacle to recovery of
Jerusalem for Christianity Some questioned the loyalty of Alexius as he had
made trade deals with Muslims
The First Crusade The Crusaders were successful at reconquering
the Holy Land This was mainly due to the internal fighting amongst
the various Muslim groups In 1098, they captured Antioch and most of Syria In 1099, they took Jerusalem, slaughtering its
inhabitants Included Muslims, Jews, and Christians
Genoa and Pisa benefitted by the defeat of the Muslims Were able to expand their trade routes into the Red
Sea and to Egypt Furthered the decline of Byzantine commerce
The First Crusade The problem with the First Crusade was that
many Crusaders did not want to stay in the Holy Land Most wanted to return home This left an under populated strip of colonies along
the eastern Mediterranean coastline For the Muslims, the loss of Jerusalem was a
religious affront Was not economic because the Crusaders did not
want to interfere in already established trade routes The religious motivation was enough to help them
recapture Syria in 1144 under the leadership of Saladin
Other Crusades Second Crusade (1145-1149)
Called after Syrian principalities were recaptured by the Muslims
Christian warriors suffered crushing defeats Muslim leader Saladin recaptures Jerusalem
(1187) The Third Crusade (1189-1192)
Participants included Frederick Barbarossa of Germany Philip Augustus of France Richard the Lionhearted of England
Another failed campaign
Other Crusades In 1198, Pope Innocent III is elected
His main goal is to retake Jerusalem The Fourth Crusade (1202-1204)
Summoned by Innocent III A disaster for the Crusading armies
Civil war in Germany War between England and France Depleted ranks of crusading armies
In 1204, Constantinople was sacked by the Crusaders
In 1229, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II negotiated with the Egyptian sultan to return Jerusalem to Christian control for ten years
Consequences of the Crusades Disaster for Byzantium Modest effect on the Islamic world Trade between Islam and the west continued The West learned new technologies of
fortification The Muslims learned about siege warfare The crystallization of Christian and Islamic
doctrines of the holy war against the infidel Greatest gains went to the republics of Venice
and Genoa
Emergence of European Monarchies Feudalism defined
A political system in which public powers are exercised by private lords
First took shape in 10th an 11th century France Justified a hierarchical legal and political order Personal relationships of service in return for land-
holding Components:
Fief - A contract in which something of value was exchanged for service
Vassal – A recipient of a fief Homage - A solemn act in which a vassal becomes
“the man” of his lord
Emergence of European Monarchies The problem of feudalism:
A highly decentralized political system The political organization of Europe had been
strained Due to the disintegration of the Carolingian kingdom
in the 9th and 10th centuries Nobles were dominant throughout the 11th and 12th
centuries Role of the kings
Kings began extending their power Limited due to feudal obligations to his vassals
Did have divine authority Used war and marriage to increase their power Use land grants to bind nobles to them
England in High Middle Ages The last Anglo-Saxon king was Harold II (1066) William the Conqueror (1066-1087)
Rewarded his Norman followers with grants of English land 1/5 land was held in royal domain Rest went to nobles or the church
All landowners owed loyalty to the king “Centralized feudalism”
Represented a fusion of Carolingian public power with new feudal structures of power and landholding
Was also a vassal to the king of France Kept English kings involved in continental affairs
Feudal Monarchy in England “The rise of administrative kingship”
Kings “tightened up” the feudal system Changed it to work in their advantage
Henry I (1068-1135) Created the clerks of the Exchequer
Designed to make the finances more efficient Strengthened local administration Traveling circuit judges
Stephen (1135-1154) Usurped power from Henry’s designated heir,
Maude Led to bloody civil war (The Anarchy)
Feudal Monarchy in England Henry II (1133-1189)
Founder of the Plantagenet dynasty Already the ruler of Normandy, Anjou, Maine, and
Aquitaine Developed strong administrative and legal
institutions Royal treasury Expanded the judicial system
Orders juries of local men to report under oath every violation of the laws
Origin of the grand jury Common law
Laws affected the whole country were developed to replace feudal laws
Feudal Monarchy in England Henry also attempted to reform the church courts
Wanted to be able to punish clergy in royal courts Constitutions of Clarendon (1164)
Clerics convicted of serious crimes to be handed over to royal court for sentencing
Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, protested Was killed under order of the king (“who will free me of this
priest?”) Caused huge outrage
Henry forced to surrender several of his claims Included the right to sentence criminal clerics and the
right to appeal a church court’s decision
Feudal Monarchy in England Richard the “Lionhearted” (1189-1199)
Continued to make the royal government more efficient Hired capable administrators and reworked finances Spent only six months in England
John (1199-1216) Less capable military leader
Lost nearly all lands in France Devoted his reign to raising money to regain French
lands Pressed feudal rights to their limit
Fines the nobility Heavy taxation on the county
Failed military expedition to France (1214)
Feudal Monarchy in England The magnates rebelled against John
Were tired of his oppressive policies and taxation Magna Carta (1215)
Designed to limit government in regards to the vassals
The king must respect the traditional rights of his vassals
Taxation could not be raised by the crown without the consent of the barons
Edward I (1272-1307) Began the process of uniting all of Britain into a
single kingdom Failed to subdue Scotland
Feudal Monarchy in England Development of Parliament
Great Council started as a meeting of the barons, church officials, and king’s advisers to deal with judicial affairs
In 1295, Edward invited representatives from each city and town to meet with the Great Council Purpose was for them to give consent to new taxes Became the first Parliament
Barons and church lords formed the House of Lords
Knights and burgesses formed the House of Commons
Became a political, legal, and financial entity
Feudal Monarchy in France Slow government centralization
Faced greater problems Carolingian institutions had collapsed Replaced with the Capetian dynasty (987-1328)
Founded by Hugh Capet No succession issues and kings were long-lived
The “re-invention” of the French kingdom Slowly the monarchs began to assert their
authority Louis VI “the Fat” (1078-1137)
Able to regain royal control over the Île-de-France from the nobility (“robber barons”)
Showed that the king was “no vassal of any man”
Feudal Monarchy in France Louis VII (1137-1180)
Continued to exert the king’s power over French holdings
Was involved in constant war with Henry II of England Philip II Augustus (1180-1223)
Believed that his power would never be extended until the Plantagenets were defeated Undermined John's control over French territories John refused to submit to pressure
A war of conquest Philip retained French territories Quadrupled the income of the monarchy and greatly
enlarged its power with these conquests
Feudal Monarchy in France Philip also set up an effective system of local
administration Superimposed new royal officials (baillis) over local
government practice The baillis had full judicial, administrative and
military authority Louis IX (1226-1270)
Extended administrative pattern further Established a new permanent royal court of justice
in Paris Contained a regular staff of professional jurists Court became known as the Parlement of Paris
In 1297, he is canonized as Saint Louis
Feudal Monarchy in France Philip IV “the Fair” (1285-1314)
Aggressive wars against Flanders and English territories in the southwest
Development of royal bureaucracy Made three major branches of royal administration
Sough to undermine papal control over the church in France
The Estates General Summoned member of the three estates (church, nobility,
and towns) Would make new laws and grant taxes
By end of the 13th century, France was the largest, wealthiest, and best-governed monarchical state
Comparing England and France England
Much better unified One language
Administration built on local institutions Local knights complete administrative work
without pay Appealed to formal consent from assemblies
France A rich and larger country Relied less on direct consent of the people Faced with regional separatism
Germany Strongest monarchy in Europe in 1050
Powerful Carolingian style foundations Close alliance with the Church Tradition of sacral kingship
Decline of the monarchy occurred with the death of Henry III in 1056 He left his six year old son, Henry IV (1056-1106), as
heir Conflict erupted between the regents and papal
reformers that had been put in place during Henry III’s reign
There were also conflicts between the regents and the Saxon nobility
Civil war ensued in 1073
Germany From 1073-1075, Henry had to work with the
pope Gregory VII His position was being threatened by the Saxon
nobility Both Henry and Gregory treated each other with
deference Gregory had hoped to create a strong working
relationship with Henry as long as the latter remained submissive to his wishes
In 1075, Gregory issued a number of papal decrees against “lay investiture” This was the appointment of high church officials
bishops by feudal lords and kings Henry was not happy about this as it challenged the
heart of his administration
Germany When Henry refused to cooperate, Gregory
aligned with the Saxon nobility This reignited the civil war Gregory responds by not only excommunicating Henry
but also declaring that he is no longer king of Germany He called upon Henry’s subjects to rebel
Begging forgiveness (January 1077) Henry knew he was in jeopardy Travelled to northern Italy to meet the pope at
Canossa Henry was forced to wait for three days for an
audience Gregory did grant resolution to Henry but it did not
end the problems
Germany Henry V (1106-1125)
Continued war with the nobility and the pope Concordat of Worms (1122)
Managed to come to an agreement with the pope Renounced investiture Meant that the pope now chose church officials, not the king
By this point the nobility had gained even more independence
Died in 1125 without an heir Election of German monarchy
The nobility decided to elect the monarch from this point on
Pope would crown the emperor showing that he had a say in the election as well
Frederick Barbarossa (1152-1190) Powerful lord from the house of Hohenstaufen Gave the name “Holy Roman Empire”
A universal empire blessed by God Wanted to create an empire with Italy Italy would be a source of major revenues for the
emperor Tried to rule in cooperation with German princes Attempted attacks on northern Italy
Fought against an alliance of northern states known as the Lombard League
League was able to secure aid from the pope Frederick was unable to secure any territory
Frederick Barbarossa (1152-1190) Set up an arrangement with the Lombard League
They would become part of the Empire but remain autonomous
In return, they would make annual payments to the emperor
Arranged a marriage between his son, Henry VI, and the sister of the Norman king of Sicily
Died during the Third Crusade in 1190 Drowned crossing a river as he was approaching Antioch
Henry VI (1190-1197) Reign was unremarkable Was a threat to the pope as he inherited the Kingdom of
Sicily
Frederick II (1215-1250) Considered one of the most brilliant of the
Hohenstaufen rulers Was king of both Sicily and Germany Crowned Holy Roman emperor in 1220
Prior to 1220, he spent most of his time in Germany Gave the princes full control of their territories In return, they provided him with revenue
His main goal was creating a strong centralized government in Italy Both the Italian states and the papacy were opposed
to this Was involved in wars with the Italian states for most
of his reign
Post-Hohenstaufen Germany After Frederick II’s death in 1250, the remaining
Hohenstaufens were killed End to the failed Hohenstaufen empire
In Germany: Things were in disarray until 1273 German princes elected a weak king, Rudolf of
Habsburg Purpose was to keep the emperor from trying to
reestablish a centralized state The German kings and emperors would have no real power
In Italy: Northern Italy grew in power and autonomy Sicily was eventually conquered by the king of
Aragon in 1282
The Spanish Kingdoms Beginning in the 10th century there was a weakening
of Muslim power in Iberia Started the Christian reconquest that would last until 1492
Defeat of the Muslims A number of kingdoms took the offensive against the
Muslims Leon, Castile, Navarre, Aragon, and Barcelona
Freed northern Spain by the end of the 12th century Creation of new kingdoms
Castile, Navarre, Aragon, and Portugal Kings encouraged settlement into newly conquered lands Created new privileges and punishments within their
territories Knights were required to swear to the kings and local laws