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WESTERN EUROPE

I. INTRODUCTION

• Middle Ages/ Medieval Age• Begins with the fall of Rome in 476 AD• Ends with the Renaissance in the 15th Century• Period of overall illiteracy• Church and some nobility were semi literate

• Roman Catholic church ruled• Regional wars were common

II. CATHOLIC CHURCH

• “Rome” ruled during the Middle Ages• Followed Roman Empire’s Structure• Pope- Roman Emperor• Bishops- Senators• Priest- local governors

• Popes held much power even over kings• Would force kings to submit through excommunication

• HRE Henry IV and Gregory VII- lay investiture • Pope Urban II ordered the first Crusade

• Priest and Bishops were subject to Rome• Conversion legitimized rulers (Clovis 496 AD)• Required taxes to be payed

II. CATHOLIC CHURCH

• Education was centered in the churches• Religious works were written in Latin• Not all priest/religious leaders were exceptionally skilled• Copied older text• Lacked understanding of text

• Illiterate people had no choice but to follow church

II. CATHOLIC CHURCH

• Monasticism• Benedictine• Typical idea of monks (living in Monastery)• St. Benedict of Nursia (480-543 AD)• Strict/ regulated life• Copied religious documents

• Franciscan • St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226 AD)• Friars- monks who go out to preach

• Vowels of poverty and plain dress• Influenced Claire of Assisi who started her own convent

• Helped preserve religious text• Promoted education• Helped agriculture

II. CATHOLIC CHURCH

• Avignon Papacy(1309-1376)• AKA Babylon Captivity of the Papacy• Pope Clement V refused moving to Rome and stayed in

France• France had a strong influence on the papacy• Very corrupt

• Pope Gregory XI moved back to Rome

II. CATHOLIC CHURCH

• Papal Schism/ Great Schism(1378-1417)• Two men had the title of Pope• Pope Gregory XI- elected by Cardinals but regretted decision• Elected Pope Clement VII and he moved back to Avignon• Both excommunicated each other• Individual countries had to choose which Pope to follow

• Ended with the Council of Constance 1414• Took place after the original two died)• Pope Martin V was elected (some countries did not accept

him at first)

• Common in most of Western Europe • Serfs lived on manors• Protected by a lord in exchange for a percentage of goods

produced• Worked the lord’s land • Could not leave manor (but not a slave)

• Could pass ownership of land to children• Predominantly self-sufficient• Life improved with some advancements

• Moldboard plow• 3 fold system• Horse collar (imported)

III. MANORIAL/FEUDAL SYSTEM& TOWNS

• Feudal System• Lord gives a vassal a fief (land)• Vassal promises to supply Lord military service• Could be as small as a lord giving property to a knight or

as large as a king and lesser lords

III. MANORIAL/FEUDAL SYSTEM& TOWNS

III. MANORIAL/FEUDAL SYSTEM& TOWNS

• Towns• The place of escape for serfs• Escape to a town for 1 year and 1 day- free from manor

• Towns were places of merchants and freedmen• Banking became a major business• Dominated by Jews

• Guilds• Regulated quality, prices, supply and resources

• Hanseatic League• German and Scandinavian Towns that joined together to

promote trade• Education was more prevalent

• Problems with towns• Filthy living conditions• Sewage, rats and garbage

• Bubonic Plague/ Black Death• Spread by fleas carried by rats

• Came from the east with trade• Killed 30-60% of Europe’s population

III. MANORIAL/FEUDAL SYSTEM& TOWNS

IV. EUROPEAN KINGDOMS/RULERS

• Carolingians• Northern France• Charles Martel

• Defeated Muslims at Battle of Tours 732 AD• Stopped Muslims from invading France and kept them in Spain

• Charlemagne (Charles the Great)• Expanded territory to include most of France and some of

Germany• Encouraged church based education• Split Empire among 3 grandsons• Led to ineffective rule

IV. EUROPEAN KINGDOMS/RULERS

• Holy Roman Empire• Part of Germany and Northern Italy• Given by the pope for protecting Rome• Began with the death or Charles the Fat (888) and the Otto I

becoming King(962)• Mostly ran by local leaders and predominantly had no

real power

IV. EUROPEAN KINGDOMS/RULERS

• England• William the Conqueror invaded England in 1066• Took over local rulers• Hired local rulers and gave them title of Shire Reeves

(sheriffs)• Instituted a loose bureaucracy• Set up a feudalism where the great lords were responsible to

the king.• Eventually limited the Kings power• Magna Carta 1215

• King John forced to sign • Parliament

• House of Lords, House of Commons• Gave power to the People

IV. EUROPEAN KINGDOMS/RULERS• Hundred Years War (1337-1453)• Between England and France• Between the House of Plantagenet's (E) and the House of

Valois(F)• Resulted in Capetians not producing an heir.• England Plantagenets owned territory in France and wanted

to claim throne of both England and France• French won• Cannons and English Longbow(6ft tall and 105 lb pull)

were used during this war

IV. EUROPEAN KINGDOMS/RULERS

• Crusades• Pope Urban II• Reasons• Forgiveness for sins• Guaranteed heaven if you died• Spoils from Arabs• Excitement• Venice commercial rights (from Byzantines)

• Facilitate Christian Pilgrimages to Holy Land

V. CULTURE

• Scholasticism• Medieval philosophy that used “logic” to discuss theology• Sometimes was ridiculous

• Peter Abelard• Yes and No- looked at contradictions in teachings. At

times considered a heretic• Bernard of Clairvaux• Challenged Abelard• Focused on faith/mysticism rather than rationalism

• Thomas Aquinas• Taught at Paris University• Summa Theologica- Summary of Christian teachings• Genius

V. CULTURE

• Gothic Architecture• Very ornate style• Used mostly for churches• Used flying buttresses to support walls

V. CULTURE

• Literature• Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales• Showed some distaste for the rule of the Catholic Church

• Beowulf• Saga about a dragon slayer