Western Civilization IHIS-101

Unit 9 – High Middle Ages, 1000-1300 (Economy and Politics)

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

Peasants harvesting grain (c. 1340)

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

Early 14th century watermill

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

Middle East (c. 1025)

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

A crusading knight (c. 1250)

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

Richard the Lionhearted King of England (1189-1199)

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

Routes of the Crusaders (1096-1204)

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

Europe (c. 1000)

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

Death of Harold II (Bayeux Tapestry c. 1077)

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

Map of England and France (1180-1223)

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

Edward I of England granting homage to Philip IV of France

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

Holy Roman Empire (c. 1200)

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 I Barbarossa (1152-1190)

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

Death of Frederick I

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

Rudolf I of Habsburg (1273-1291)

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

Reconquest of Iberia (900-1250)