Chapter 9

The High Middle Ages

1050-1450

Royal PowerKings were heads of society

Had limited power–relied on vassals for military support

Church & nobles had just as much powerEach collected their own taxesEach had own courtsEach had own army

Kings centralize power Royal courts Government bureaucracy – hired middle-class

workers Taxes – merchants paid for protection Built armies – used tax money to hire

mercenaries Strengthened ties to middle class

Protected roads Reduced tolls Freed them from feudal obligations

Royal power in EnglandEdward the Confessor – died without an

heirHarold of Wessex & William, Duke of

Normandy claimed the crown

1066: The Battle of Hastings William the Conqueror

William the ConquerorGrants land to Church & Norman lords

Kept large amount for himself All vassals had to swear allegiance to

William

Domesday BookA complete census – listed everything of

value in England

Other Kings of EnglandHenry I – created the Royal Exchequer

Replaced nobles with paid officialsNobles pay taxes with money not military

service

Other Kings of EnglandHenry II- one of England’s great kings

Made royal law the law of the landCreated royal judges – circuit court systemDecisions became English Common LawThe law the same for everyoneCreated the grand jury system & trial jury

Thomas BecketArchbishop of CanterburyHenry II wanted to try clergy in royal courts1170 Becket murdered Created power struggle between

monarchs of England & church

King John

Very greedy, cruel, untrustworthy, & incompetent warrior

Loses most of England’s land in France to Philip II Becomes known as John Softsword

Dispute with Pope Innocent III - John excommunicated Forced England to become a papal fief – pay annual

fee to pope

Magna Carta – Great Charter 1215 John forced to sign by group of nobles

Limited king’s power No imprisonment without judge by peers Right to face accuser King must obey laws No taxation without consent

Become the basis for the U.S. Constitution

The Great CouncilBy 1200s evolves into Parliament1295 – Edward I summons Parliament –

wanted money for wars in FranceModel Parliament – sets up frame work

for English legislatureHouse of LordsHouse of Commons“Power of the Purse” England now a limited monarchy

FranceEarly French kings – very little power987- Hugh Capet – Count of Paris – start

of absolute monarchy in France Capetians ruled for next 300 years

Slowly Capet & his heirs increased powerWon support of ChurchPlayed nobles against each otherBuilt effective bureaucracyGained support of middle class

Philip II – Philip AugustusPaid government workers – all middle

classCreated new national taxesOrganized standing armyUsed trickery, war and diplomacy to

increased lands

Louis IXDeclared a saint by Catholic ChurchA model monarch

Noble, Generous, Devoted to justicePersecuted heretics and JewsFought against MuslimsEnded serfdomExpanded royal courts

Philip IV Clashed with Pope Boniface VIII over taxing of

the clergy in France Sent troops to capture the pope

Pope escaped but was badly beaten and died shortly Gained support of the people through the

Estates General Persecuted the Order of the Knights Templar –

April 13, 1307 – Friday the 13th

Babylonian Captivity A 67 year period when the pope lived in Avignon, France

Philip IV got College of Cardinals to elect a French archbishop popeNew pope called Clement VMoved the papacy to Avignon,

FrancePopes became viewed as pawns of

French kings

Holy Roman Empire 936 – Otto I took the title of king of

Germany Close to Church – appointed

bishops & abbots to high government jobs

Gained the right of lay investiture Defeated the Magyars – Battle of

Lechfield Pope crowned him Emperor of the

Romans

Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Emperor could have been

strongest monarchy in EuropeClaimed authority over most of central &

eastern Europe, parts of Italy & FranceElected monarch not hereditary

Control really in the hands of the emperor’s vassals Emperor needed to control nobles

Holy Roman EmpireEmperors thought they were protectors of

Italy & popeConstantly interfering in Italian affairs

Wanted to control rich cities of northern ItalyResults: conflict between emperors and

popes over lay investiture – appointing of church officials by a lay person

Holy Roman EmpireGregory VII – 1073 – issue erupted

Wanted the Church to be independent of secular rulers

Said only the pope could appoint & install bishops

Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV refused to agree

1076 Pope excommunicates Henry IVHenry IV forced to beg forgiveness

Holy Roman Empire1122- issue settled with the Concordat of

Worms Church sole power to elect & invest bishopsEmperor had the right to invest them with their

fief

Holy Roman EmpireFrederick I – Frederick Barbarossa tried

& failed to gain control of ItalyDefeated by the Lombard League

Holy Roman EmpireFrederick II – also tried to control ItalySpent most of his time in ItalyResult: nobles within Holy Roman Empire

grew independent & Germany will remain fragmented (united in mid 1800s)

Catholic ChurchPope Innocent III – Pope in 1198

Claimed supremacy over all rulersClashed with all the powerful rulers of his day

With help of Philip II of France launched a crusade against the Albigensians of southern France – tens of thousands killed

After his death the power of the popes starts to decline

The Crusades Byzantine Emperor – Alexius I

asked pope Urban II for help Seljuk Turks – new converts to

Islam had invaded Constantinople and the Holy Land

1095 – Council of Clermont - Called for Christian knights to reclaim Holy Land

The CrusadesReason to join Crusades:

Religious zealLure of land & wealthAdventure/escape from troubles at homeThose who fought & died received salvationChurch protected family & property while

awayDebtors had debts forgiven & criminals

relieved of punishment

The CrusadesPope Urban II reasons:

Thought it would increase church power & prestige

Unite the 2 branches of the Christian churchReduce feudal warfare in EuropeLands in Middle east provide outlet for

Europe’s growing population

The Crusades1095- Peasant Crusade – Peter the

Hermit Convinced the poor they were going to

heaven In Asia Minor – massacred by the Turks

The First Crusade

The CrusadesThe First Crusade – 1096-1099 Only successful crusadeCaptured Antioch, JerusalemCreated 4 small Crusader states

The CrusadesThe Second Crusade – 1147- started

after Muslims recaptured Edessa and threatened Jerusalem – poor planning and division among the nobles caused it to fail

The CrusadesThird Crusade – 1189-1199 Started when Saladin, Seljuk Turk leader

recaptured JerusalemKnown as the Crusade of the Three

Kings – Frederick I, Philip II & Richard the Lion HeartedFrederick I – Barbarossa – drowns on the wayPhilip II of France gets mad at Richard the

Lion Hearted & goes home

The CrusadesRichard fails to capture Jerusalem but

forces a truce which allowed Christians to visit Jerusalem

The CrusadesFourth Crusade – 1202 – called by Pope

Innocent IIICrusaders attack the Christian city of Zara

All excommunicated1204 attacked Constantinople

Seriously weakened the Byzantine EmpireCrusaders looted the city

The Crusades1212- Children’s Crusade – 20,000 kidsAll sold into slavery in North Africa

Results & Impact of the Crusades

Crusades were unsuccessful in reclaiming the Holy Land but they had a big impact on Western EuropeLeft a bitter legacy & religious hatredIncreased trade between Near East & EuropePower of Roman Catholic Church decreasedIncreased power of the monarchs

New taxesDeath of many feudal lords

Results & Impact of the Crusades

Encouraged the growth of money economyEurope gained wider view of the worldNew weapons & military tactics

Crossbow, catapults, carrier pigeons & possibly the use of gunpowder

Status of women changed – controlled land while husbands were away

SpainThe Muslims had conquered most of

Spain in the 700sSpain became a center of Islamic

civilization Scholars preserved Greek & Roman texts

Spanish Reconquista1100s & 1200s Spanish knights launched

their own crusade known was the Reconquista or the reconquest

By 1250 Muslims held only kingdom of Granada

Spanish ReconquistaCentral Spain – Kingdom of AragonNortheast Spain – Kingdom of Castile1469 – Queen Isabella of Castile married

Ferdinand of AragonUnites SpainThey use the common people to get power

from nobles1492 capture last Muslim city of Granada

SpainUnited Spain both politically & religiously

Ended the policy of religious toleration of Muslims & Jews

Caused economic problems Revived the Inquisition

Medieval EducationUniversities – many will be taken over by

the ChurchMost students trained for high positions in the

Church/governmentTook courses in all areas- Math, Science,

Language, etc.Very similar to guilds

Medieval EducationStudent life at these universities hard

Long hours sitting on hard benches in unheated rooms

Books scarce & expensiveStudent day from 5AM till 5PMNo regular classroomsTook 3 to 5 years to complete the work

Medieval MedicineSome had read HippocratesMost used folk medicineBelieved illness caused by the devil or evil

spirits

Conflict in LearningDebate between faith & reason-

Scholasticism – used reason & logic to support Christian beliefs

Thomas Aquinas – Summa TheologicaMan’s ability to reason was a gift from God

Medieval Literature1100s & 1200s – new style – writing in the

vernacular – everyday languageTownspeople enjoyed fablesNobility liked chanson de geste

Song of Roland – FranceEl Cid – SpainSiegfried – GermanBeowulf –England

Medieval LiteratureDante- Italian poet – The Divine Comedy

Medieval LiteratureGeoffrey Chaucer – English – The

Canterbury Tales

Medieval ArchitectureCathedrals – starting in 1100s – towns

competed for the bestProjects could take 30 years or more to

complete

Medieval ArchitectureTwo styles:

Romanesque – influenced by Romans – rounded arches, domed roof, columns, slits for windows, few statues

Gothic – very tall & airy, flying buttress, many windows made of stained glass, lots of statues in relief, pointed arches

Black DeathAlso known as the bubonic plague-bubaArrived in Genoa, Italy in 1347 by way of

Sicily—fleas on rats carried diseaseBetween 1347 & 1352 – kills 25 million or

1/3 of Europe’s population

Effects of the plagueSociety torn apart as a result of plagueWhole towns & villages disappearedPeople turn to witchcraft & magic for

protectionFlagellants-traveled from town to town

beating themselvesChristians blamed Jews- forced to flee

into eastern Europe

Effects of the plague

Decline in population = labor shortageSerfdom disappears as the manor

economy is destroyedTrade declinesWorkers demand higher wages

Church Troubles

Monarchs opposed Church’s political power

Monarchs could not tax church landChurch’s were getting involved in

politics

Great Schism1378 – Pope Gregory XI diedCollege of Cardinals elected Pope Urban

VI13 French Cardinals then elect another –

Pope Clement VII1417 – ends with the election of Pope

Martin V

Church Reformers John Wycliffe – English

theologian- wanted to reform the Church Bible not pope final authority for

Christians Jesus head of the Church not the

pope Priest/sacraments not necessary for

salvation Clergy needed to practice poverty Translated New Testament into

English

Church Reformers Jan Hus – German

Authority of Bible higher than pope

Preach in common language not Latin

Arrested, tried for heresy & burned at the stake by Roman Catholic Church

The Hundred Years War1337-1453

Between England & France – Edward III of England claimed the throne of France

The Hundred Years War1337-1453

War had four major stages;England invades France captures

French king & most of FranceFrench take back almost all the land

they lostEnglish invade again – Henry V forced

the French to sign humiliating treatyFrench rally under Joan of Arc,

Charles VII crowned king of France

NEW WEAPONS

Longbow-developed by the English which put an end to the age of feudal knights

Cannon-used to destroy fortifications (castles)—castles became outdated