Chapter 14 Formation of Western Europe

This PowerPoint is in Teacher-Public, SocSci – Veers – Western Civ Regular –

Topics & Chapter – High Late Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages the Church was the most powerful institution in Europe, but it was flawed. Priests married and had children even though by

tradition they were supposed to be celibate Many priests were illiterate Simony was practiced, which means that church

positions were sold by bishops Lay investiture meant that bishops were being

named by kings instead of by the church Bishops more concerned w/feudal obligations than

religious ones Popes, as well as the rest of the clergy, had

questionable morals.

Reform efforts began @ the monastery at Cluny where they strictly followed the teachings and rules of the Church—the church followed Cluny’s example: Addition of the Papal Curia, enforces Canon

Law Church diplomats are sent to further Church’s

agenda and presence The Church collected a 10% tax which called

the tithe which supported the poor and needy Lay investiture, simony and clerical marriage

are banned Reforming popes are elected to head the

Church

The Cathedral style changed …Romanesque, dark, heavy, rounded arches

Gothic style with pointed arches, flying buttresses and bright stained-glass windows, meant to represent the splendor of the

city of God. New religious orders were created, the friars, traveling monks

Franciscans, St. Francis of Assisi, focus on nature and animalsDominicans, St. Dominic, focus on learning and academics

Notable women of these religious orders were Clares, founder of the Poor Clares and Hildedgard von Bingen

The Crusades to Palestine(Holy Land) and in the Iberian Peninsula

Arches became tall and pointed

Cathedrals soared to over 100 feet

Height aided by flying buttresses (external supports)

Walls, instead of dark, heavy stone were filled with stain glass windows

Windows helped in relating biblical stories and religious teachings

The Crusades were the series of holy wars launched to regain control of the Holy Land from the Muslims Pope Urban II asked Christians to fight the

holy war and he told people that if they died fighting that they would go to heaven

The pope hoped for the reunification of Christianity also

The Crusades ultimately failed. The Holy Land was not regained.

The men who fought the Crusades were mainly knights and the younger sons of nobles

They fought for both religious reasons (to gain salvation) and for economic reasons (to gain wealth/land).

Some peasants and commoners also sought salvation by going on Crusade

Fought to regain control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Muslims

FAILED First - By 1099 crusades captured Jerusalem and

a thin strip of territory Second – 1147 -1149 Came home in defeat Third – Ended with treaty between Richard I of

England and Saladin Palestine remained in Muslim control, Christian were

free to pilgrimage there and worship Fourth – 1189-1194 Crusaders ransacked and

looted Constantinople, weakening it, the city falls to the Turks (Muslims) in 1453

Feudal nobility weakened many knights and nobles died and lost their lands when on Crusade

Power of the kings increased Power of the Pope decreased with the failure to

regain the Holy Land They stimulated trade between Europe and

Southwest Asia They left a legacy of bitterness and hatred between

Muslims, Christians, and Jews

The reconquista=reconquering in Spanish The long effort to drive the Muslims, called

Moors, out of Spain = Iberian Peninsula It was finally achieved by the monarchs

Ferdinand and his wife Isabella - 1492 The Spanish Inquisition

This group cruelly drove out heretics, Muslims and Jews from Spain

Al-Andalus is the caliphate of the Muslim Umayyad’sCastillanes & Aragonaises = House of Castille & House of Aragon

Between 1000 and 1300 agriculture, trade, and finance made remarkable gains due to an agricultural

revolution and increased trade from the Crusades

The food supply increased Warmer climate Use of harness on horses which made plowing easier Use of three-field system which allowed farmers to use

2/3 of their land at any given time Cities and towns grew

As trade increased people went to towns to buy and sell products

Craft Guilds were formed Associations of people in the same occupation Guilds controlled prices, quality, working conditions Only masters could join guilds; to become a master one

had to be an apprentice and then a journeyman

A financial revolution occurred due to increased trade Trade routes spread across Europe as self-sufficient

manors declined Fairs, held several times per year were key places of

consumerism Trade increased the need for large amounts of cash Merchants had to borrow money to buy goods so

they could sell them and make a profit Need for cash led to the loan industry, letters of

credit and banking Lending and banking was done by Jews because

the Catholic church outlawed usury, which is lending money and charging interest

People moved to cities and towns to pursue greater economic opportunities

Serfs ran away from manors This happened so often that a law was passed which

allowed them to be free if they lived in a town for a year and a day

Towns developed quickly and haphazardly Narrow streets Animals and waste all over the place Small homes made of wood—MAJOR fire hazard No clean water supply so people didn’t bathe very often

Burghers were the townspeople who eventually fought the feudal lords for control of the local economies and governments

A new middle class had emerged due to the growth of trade and cities

Muslim and Jews key to the advancement of learning in Europe

Europe was introduced to ancient Greek texts through trade with the Byzantine and Muslim world

Church scholars used Jewish and Muslim scholars to help them translate texts into Latin

Europe was introduced to knowledge in science, philosophy, law and mathematics as well as Muslim ideas on ships, navigation, and weapons

Medieval universities were established Universities were initially just groups of scholars who

met to study, discuss, teach, and learn together Most scholars used Latin but some began to use the

everyday language, called vernacular Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy in Italian Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in English Christine de Pisan wrote the City of Ladies

Thomas Aquinas used Aristotle’s reasoning to argue the validity of Christian beliefs

Wrote the Summa Theologica – reconciling religion and reason

The Scholastics Christian scholars who met at universities Their teachings on law and government

influenced Europeans Especially the English and French who began to

develop democratic traditions

As kingdoms of England and France developed into nations, democratic institutions evolved.

The Feudal system broke down as serfs fled the manors for cities

Burghers gained power from feudal lords Villages, towns, and cities became more

populated Taxes from towns and cities helped to increase the

king’s power

Alfred the Great (871-899) united England and defeated the Vikings England = Land of the Angles Infant stage of a national identity

In 1016 the Danish King Canute conquered England and Anglo-Saxons and Vikings mixed to create one people and one English culture

1066 Edward the Confessor, king of England dies w/out an heir.

The Normans were the descendents of the Vikings Normandy is part of France Normans are French in culture and language

William the Conqueror (a Norman) was the cousin of the King of England, Edward the Confessor, who died

William believed he should inherit the English throne and waged war on the Anglo-Saxons 1066: William defeats the English at the Battle

of Hastings and becomes King of England Claims all land his own and introduces feudalism Calls for a census of his lands, the Domesday

Book

Henry II descendent of William the Conqueror who controlled land in both England and France Married Eleanor of Aquitaine (in France) which added

more French land to his territory He was the King of England but he was also a vassal of the King

of France because he governed land in France Henry sent royal judges out to settle cases, collect

taxes, and punish crimes Henry introduced the use of juries (trial by peers, not

just one judge) Effect of Henry’s Actions

The unified body of law which came from centuries of English court rulings was called Common Law

Basis of law in most English-speaking countries

King Richard the Lionhearted Left England to fight in the 3rd Crusade Made a truce with Muslim leader, Saladin

King John, Richard’s younger brother, took the throne after Richard’s death was a poor military leader and lost the English

holdings in France Was cruel and selfish Overtaxed his nobles and subjects Alienated the Church

John’s revolted in response to his poor rule The nobles force John to sign the Magna

Carta in 1215 The Magna Carta = the Great Charter First document of democracy Guaranteed certain political rights for the

nobles, but eventually guaranteed the rights for everyone

No taxation without representation Right to trial by jury Equal protection under the law Freedom of the Church in England

The Parliament – legislative body of England Council called to advise the king, especially

concerning the collection of taxes First met in 1295 when Edward I called the

burgesses, knights, nobles, and the clergy Proved to be a check on royal power Two Houses in Parliament

The House of Lords: nobles and clergy The House of Commons: non-nobles, burgesses,

and knights

Hugh Capet is the founder of the Capetian dynasty Followed the last Carolingian king (Charlemagne’s

dynasty) Capet’s Territory

Small but had the important trade city of Paris Hugh, his son, and his grandson spread their power

and territory Phillip II

Ruled from 1180-1223 Greatly expanded the Capetian territory and

strengthened central authority Took land from King John of England First French king to be more powerful than his vassals Created position of baliff to preside over courts and

collect taxes

Louis IX was the grandson of Hugh Capet Made the French monarchy even stronger during his

reign Created the royal court of appeals which could

overturn local rulings This strengthened the monarchy’s power while

weakening the power of local nobles Philip IV ruled 1285 – 1314 Fought with pope of taxation of priests Needed support from all social classes, called together

representatives from each – the Estates

The Estates-General is the council in France called to gain support for the king’s policies

All three first called by Philip IV The First Estate: made up of the clergy The Second Estate: made up of the nobles The Third Estate: made up of commoners When all three meet it is a meeting of the Estates-

General

ENGLAND’S PARLIAMENT FRANCE’S ESTATES-GENERAL

Provided a check on royal power – weakens the monarchy

Representative body made up of burgesses, knights, lords and clergy House of Lords House of Commons Backed by MAGNA CARTA,

which provided legal rights to citizens

Weak, strengthens the monarchy

Representative body made up of the three estates (social classes) First Estate – clergy Second Estate – nobility Third Estate – commonersNo legal document exists to

provide rights to citizens

Court SystemsENGLAND FRANCERoyal justices traveled & settled cases Baliffs acted as royal judgesJuries of peers used Appeals court at the royal levelDevelopment of Common Law

Philip IV of France actions lead to the Avignon Papacy – pope moved from Rome to Avignon

Eventually, circumstances led to two popes being elected, an Italian in Rome and a French pope in Avignon

The Great Schism took place in the 1300s when two men claimed to be the pope Clement VII in Avignon, France Urban VI in Rome, Italy

Council of Pisa attempted to end the split, result was three popes

A new pope was chosen, Martin V, at the Council of Constance in 1417 and the Schism ended

Scholarly Challenges John Wycliffe of England

Believed that Jesus, not the Pope, was the head of the Church

Believed the Church should hold no land or wealth Teachings inspired a translation of the Bible in English

Jan Hus of Bohemia Believed the Bible was a higher authority than the Pope Same teachings as Wycliffe, was excommunicated Was tried as a heretic and was burned at the stake

The Bubonic Plague killed about 1/3-1/2 of Europe’s population Infected the lymphatic system causing black boils

to erupt on the body. Many died within days, others within hours. Started in Asia and spread from east to west with

the trade routes (carried by infected fleas on rats). Hit the Muslim world before entering Europe (Italy,

France, Germany, England, etc.). Many thought it was God’s punishment for sin. Others blamed the Jews and claimed they were

poisoning wells

Town populations fell (decreased) Trade decreased Prices of goods rose because goods were

scarce Demand for higher wages Farms were abandoned, fields reclaimed by

nature The manor system declined Serfs revolted and fled the manors

People became more pessimistic about life Tore apart communities and families, social fabric

collapsed Persecutions of Jews, either forced from their

communities or were massacred Art and literature of the time reflected the people’s

awareness of death People became self-indulgent

They figured if they were going to die, they might as well enjoy themselves while they’re alive

The Church lost prestige when the clergy’s prayers to end the plague didn’t work

The clergy abandoned the people because they didn’t want to get the plague Priests refused to say

masses or give last rites (a sacrament) to those suffering from the plague

No one was safe as the image below shows

The Hundred Years’ War Took place from 1337-1453 Fighting between England and France over claim

to the French throne and land Edward III of England claimed the throne of

France Edward was the grandson of Philip IV and

declared war on France Most fighting took place in France France won and the English lost all French land

except for Calais (a port city)

Though the French won the Hundred Years’ War the English archers proved very successful with their longbows Longbows shot repeatedly

creating waves of devastating arrows

Longbow arrows could pierce armor and unseat a knight

Took away the advantage of the mounted knights

French teenager who led the French to victory at the Battle of Orleans

Joan encouraged and led the French prince, called the dauphin, Charles VII to be crowned king even though the English king Charles V was set to take the throne

Joan was captured in 1430 and tried as a heretic Claimed she heard the voices of

God and the saints Was burned at the stake in 1431

but was later made a saint

France won and England maintained only the port city of Calais in France

The French monarchy increased in power and prestige

The French and the English developed nationalism They developed pride in their country and no

longer viewed their Kings as feudal lords, but as national leaders who were fighting for the glory of their countries

The English Parliament was strengthened English kings depended on Parliament to raise

taxes needed to support the war

Intense religious devotion crumbled The Great Schism, failure

of the Crusades and the devastation of the Black Death posed serious challenges to the Church’s authority

The church was wealthy and sometimes corrupt while those they ministered to were poor

Kings become more powerful

Chivalrous code crumbled Knights became obsolete

during the Hundred Years’ War

Development of the longbows

Feudalism began to collapse Rise of cities & a powerful,

wealthy middle-class Education increases as well

as challenges to authority