Middle Ages & Crusades

The Middle Ages

300-400s Clovis and missionaries spread Frankish Catholicism to France

600-Roman Catholic Church spread into Germanic areas

Monasteries led by abbots became very widespread due to
Benedict

500-1000-Dark Ages

590- Gregory I was Pope in Rome

Meek in person and mighty in the Papacy; defeated the Lombards

481-714-Merovingian Kings Rule

Clovis' descendants, rule most of modern day France, by 700 the mayor of the Palace had more power than the Kings themselves!

714- Charles Martel takes control of France

732- Defeats Muslims at the Battle of Tours (Spain!)

His son-Pepin the Short-obtained legitimacy to seize the Throne of France from the Pope! He ruled closely with the Pope giving the Pope a new found political influence and the King spiritual influence!!!!

756-The Papal States were united by Pepin the Short and given to the Pope. The Frankish Kings and the Roman Popes had also united but there is always a great power struggle between the two.

768-Charlemagne took over after his father's death and reigned for 46 years. He possessed great strength and energy and was a wonderful emperor. He revived the idea of an EMPIRE!! His empire grew stronger than the Byzantine empire at its height!!!

He used his nobles but limited their power. There were counts and missi dominici but they were under careful watchfulness. He revived learning but was unable to write himself.

800-Crowned by Pope Leo III emperor on X-mas day in Rome. This marked yet another growing split between the church in Constantinople and Rome.

814- Louis the Pious, Charlemagne's son, and was a better monk than ruler. He died in 840. Civil war between his 3 sons broke out.

840-Treaty of Verdun-Charlemagne's empire divided into three kingdoms! Pg. 210 MAP Charles the Bald=France; Louis the German=Germany; Lothair=middle land and two imperial capitals!

800-1000-Vikings raid from Ireland to Russia. "Northmen"

Vikings were excellent seafarers, they came from Scandinavia and their ships were technological masterpieces! They were pagans and often decorated ships in this manner. They built a prosperous settlement in Iceland.
***982***ERIC THE RED sailed into Greenland. His son Leif Ericson sailed to Newfoundland. He made it to the Americas before Christopher Columbus!! Tried to conquer Europe as well and succeeded in conquering Normandy in France.

ENDED BECAUSE:

1. Europeans found a way to fight back against raids.

2. Viking eventually accepted Christianity.

3. Warming trend made farming easier and they

abandoned sea-faring!

911-Similar patterns of life emerged for farming land:
*****FEUDALISM: Political and military system based on the holding of land. Manors were largely self-sufficient.

1. King=divided land for farming and control

2. Lords=own the land

3. Vassals=control the land for the lords (investiture of

a fief);owed military service to the lord and king as

well as peacetime duties (ie. Legal services/gov't)

4. Knights=protected the fief

5. Serfs=peasants who worked the land, bound to the

land but not slaves

6. Free Peasants=could leave the manor

7. Noblewomen and church leaders could run fiefs as

well.

READ CAREFULLY THE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A SERF OWED HIS LORD IN YOUR TEXTBOOK!!!

Life was harsh on the manor. Little food, taxes, small areas for farming and even nobles did not have all the luxuries of life!!! By 1000 Europe was ready for a revival of farming, trade, government, and learning!!

THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES 1000-1300

Dramatic changes were occurring at all levels of European society.

A. Farming:

1. Horsepower=faster and more efficient

2. Three field System=Left one fallow for

replenishment! (Method slow to spread!)

B. Towns:

1. Population growth and small towns pop up!

2. Middle class, burghers, bourgeosie

3. Jews became lenders/bankers

4. Trade and towns grew together

5. Serfs=one year and a day for freedom

6. Charters declared freedom from feudalism

C. Fairs:

1. Traded goods and wares

2. Sample world goods!!!!

D. Guilds:

1. Merchants

2. Craft (apprentice, journeyman)

Religious leaders and power:

1. Monks adopted stricter ways of life and endured

hardships as a form of worship.

2. Reformers tried to put an end to lords and kings

influence in the Church.

a. Cardinals now chose the popes.

b. Marriages of priests again made against

Church policy.

c. Simony-the buying and selling of Church

offices now against the rules.

d. Lay investiture-(feudal lords or kings) doing

things the Church should have done.

1073-George VII became Pope and reforms became

widespread

1075- Henry IV-German ruler became enraged at reforms

and was ex-communicated.

1077-Had to obtain forgiveness of the Pope/No solving of

who had more power. The Pope or the Kings and

Lords!!!

1100-1200s- Interdict was Pope's most powerful weapon. No official church activities (marriages, baptisms or religious services) in any offending rulers lands!!

1. Church law and gov't ruled with canon law.

2. All Christians had to tithe. (1/10th of all earnings

to the Church)

3. All the needy were to be supported by the Church

with ¼ of the tithing.

4. Heresies began to pop up as all began to think

seriously about religious matters.

5. INQUISITION-job to look for heresies most

famous-Spanish!!!!

6. Friars traveled and reached out to poor.

Dominicans-scholarly/St. Francis of Assisi-all

creatures treated with kindness.

7. Romanesque cathedrals and Gothic style

churches rose up all over Europe.

Royal Governments Grew Stronger!

England

1066-King Edward the Confessor dies without an heir. His

2nd cousin William in France gathered an army and

invaded! Battle of Hastings in 1066 decided the

Normans now ruled England!

1066-1087-William the Conqueror made England the most

centralized feudal system in Europe.

1154-1189-W.C. great-grandson established royal justice

system and introduced the system of a jury. Common law

became important to the whole kingdom.

France

France was divided into 30 feudal territories.

987-1180-Capet family ruled known as the Capetian dynasty,

they were weak and were manipulated by the feudal lords and vassals. Ruled from Paris and had no succession

issues.

Germans

936-973-Otto the Great- Imitated Charlemagne's policies. He

invaded Italy and ruled the Church. The Pope in Rome

gave him the Crown of Emperor. The German lands

became known as the Holy Roman Empire.

1152-1190-Frederick Barbarossa I became King to keep

peace. He was strong and able. Lombard

League-Frederick's enemies in Italy united against him.

Battle of Legnano-feudal foot soldiers defeated the

German knights. In 1190 he drowned and the Empire fell

apart.

Learning Revived!!!

Universities-popped up for learning. Most middle class

students sought jobs in government or the Church. Books

were very expensive. All scholars spoke Latin so there

was no language barrier.

Greek Writings were rediscovered and controversial for

Bible students!

Thomas Aquinas-mid-1200s-tried to use logic to prove

questions about God and the Universe. Wrote the

Summa Theologiae.

Chivalry and Poems- became very popular. Knights

lived by the code of chivalry. They were educated from

age 7 and taught manly skills as a page. At age 14 they

were advanced to squires and learned how to fight on

horseback. At age 21 they were dubbed a knight and

given a glorious ceremony. Tournaments and real

battles trained them for their life's service.

Romantic Love- Troubadours sang of the ladies and

their knights. Most of this originated in France.

Women- unlike the feudal power of women now they

were made to stay at home or in the convent. Less and

less power was theirs to use.

Crusades!!!!! 1096-1300

The Pope called all of the knights to help the Holy Land and Jerusalem to be rescued from the Muslim Turks.

CAUSES:

1. The Pope Urban II claimed to be the leader of all

Christendom. He wanted to unite Rome and

the Byzantines.

2. Knights were filled with religious zeal and if they

died on the crusade the Pope promised

forgiveness of their sins.

3. Merchants after 1200 supported with gifts and

loans. Trade became very profitable for them.

First Crusade: 1097-1099 Won Jerusalem but many

knights died and Jews and Muslims murdered and

slaughtered. Four feudal states made each ruled by

a French lord.

Second Crusade- 1144- Edessa reconquered by the

Turks and Knights could not win it back.

Third Crusade- 1187-1192 French king-Philip

Augustus, German King-Frederick Barbarossa, and

England's Richard the Lionheart started it. Richard

was the only one to make it there!!!! Saladin, a

Muslim, agreed with Richard to allow unarmed

Christians to visit the city.

Constantinople-1202-1204 Commonly known as

the 4th Crusade but the original intent to free

Jerusalem never was accomplished. Constantinople

became the focus and after the crusaders looted the

Hagia Sophia and the entire city their loot-filled ship

sank and all of the valuables were lost forever. The

split between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the

Roman Catholic Church was now ugly and

permanent.

More Crusades followed with some or little success. Most were tired of fighting and were ready to stop.

Consequences of the Crusades

1. Decline of papal prestige

2. Decline of noble power

3. Decrease in Byzantine power

4. Increase in religious tolerance

5. Increase in trade

The Origin of European Nations (1150-1580)

England- Henry II (1154-1189) gained much land in France and Europe by marrying Eleanor of Aquitaine, the richest heiress in Europe. He fought Louis VII but always won out. Richard I (1189-1199) took over and defended the lands just as he had in the Crusades. After ten years he died and his younger brother, John, took over and was a complete military failure. Philip II (Augustus) defeated him and won the French lands back!

John's losses made some of his barons rebel and many had to choose whether to remain in England or join France. Many chose to remain and this gave England a distinct identity. His problems also led to the Magna Carta (1215).
This document is the basis for our own Documents of Freedom.

Magna Carta: 1215-

1. Guarantee of Basic Rights for English citizens.

2. Ideas of Limited Monarchy.

"No taxation without representation!"

Henry III (1216-1272) was cursed with rebellion and losses to France. Edward I (1272-1307) improved administration and royal courts. Burgesses developed with Parliament. Model Parliament developed in 1295. House of Commons and House of Lords make up the legislative body of England. In 1300s as feudalism breaks down Parliament will begin to strengthen.

France- Louis IX- (1226-1270)- became king when he was 12. He was well known for fairness and honor.
Parlement of Paris was created. Philip IV in 1302 called a meeting of his lords. The church leaders were known as the
First Estate and the lords were the Second Estate. The middle class representatives were called the Third Estate. The whole meeting was called the Estates General!

Nation-states arise because people who occupy a territory under one gov't and also have a cultural unity.

Church Crises of the 1300s:

Boniface VIII- Pope-(1296-1303) He tried to force the kings to serve him but he did not realize how weak the office of Pope was. Philip IV taxed church property and sneered at the Pope's threats! He even tried to kidnap the Pope for a trial in France. Boniface was rescued but died a month later.

The papacy was moved to Avignon in France and many struggled with the removal of the Pope from Rome!! The church became even more corrupt and a money making opportunity.

GREAT SCHISM: There was an outcry for an Italian pope and Urban VI was a terrible choice. Robert of Geneva (Clement VII) took over and there were two popes?!?!?!!?! What to do??? The church split and this is known as the Great Schism! Who was the right Pope, Avignon or Rome?

John Wycliffe- said that the true head of the church was Jesus, poverty was better for the clergy than riches, and the Bible was the final authority for Christian life. He was a radical!!! He translated the New Testament into English!!

John Huss- taught Wycliffe's teachings in Czech and was burned at the stake in 1415.

In 1417 there were 3 Popes and a council made them all resign. Martin V became the only Pope ending the G.S. The people were still confused about the true authority source and this will lead to much revolt later!!!

War & Plague:

During the 1300s Europe faced many obstacles. Famine, disease, war, and climate changes.

1347: BLACK DEATH: A dreadful disease from Asia swept through Italy and other parts of Europe. It was highly contagious and the victim who had a high fever and black swellings on the neck usually died within 24 hours!!! We know now that this spread rapidly by rats' fleas in the infectious and dirty cities that had come across on trading ships from other parts of the world!!

***The peasants are tired of the harsh feudal life and want reform. Because of all of the death workers were scarce and now workers could demand pay for their work. Serfdom began to disappear. Peace between the classes no longer existed.

Hundred Year's War (1337-1453)

France and England led raids on each other for over 116 years. They were over territory and can be divided into four sections.

1. 1337-1360-King Edward III of England conquers

much of France.

2. 1361-1396-French reconquered all England's

winnings

3. 1397-1420-Henry V

4. 1421-1453- Joan of Arc

**Longbow and cannon are two new implements of

warfare and are very effective!!!

**Nationalism grew!!

Monarchs:

1. Replaced feudal kings/lords

2. Demanded taxes

3. Raised a Professional army

4. Professional Officials

*France after the 100 Year's War strengthened itself

rather than war with other nations.

**England chose to have a civil war between the Dukes of

Lancaster and the Dukes of York. This was known

as the War of the Roses.

There family symbols were roses!! This was a war

over the Crown of England and Richard III was killed.

He was the last medieval king. Henry Tudor made

peace in England. He was a descendant of BOTH

families! A compromise! He destroyed the power of

the nobles and stockpiled money by avoiding

expensive wars. He single-handedly made England

peaceful and prosperous for an age of exploration to

come!!!!!!!!!!

Spain: Isabella and Ferdinand were ruling and the

Reconquista unified and reconquered lost lands of

Spain.

Inquisition: (1478-1490) The Spanish Jews and

the Muslims were executed and exiled if they did not

convert to Catholicism.

Christopher Columbus watched the exile of

150,000 Jews from Spain just before his journey to

the New World. Some Jews went with him but most

went to Iran, Iraq, and Turkey areas.

Russia:

700-800- migrated to Europe but accepted Christianity and

Byzantine culture.

1200-1480-Mongols invaded and completely destroyed Kiev.

1100s- Moscow was secluded and princes came to power

and united. Over 240 years they built a strong and

independent nation.

1328-1341- Ivan I "Great Prince" eventually expanded the

empire by less than moral opportunities and by the

1400s Moscow was the strongest Russian state

under the Mongols.

1462-1505-Ivan III became czar (caesar) "Ivan the Great".
1480 Mongols are defeated.

1547-1560- Ivan's Good Period- Defeated last of the

Mongols, encouraged trade, gave laws and ruled

justly. He married Anastasia of the Romanov family

and ruled at the age of 16. He distrusted his boyars

(princes) intensely.

1560-1584- Anastasia dies and Ivan turns ugly. He

commences a Reign of Terror and kills his

successor. All records were lost in the great fire of

Moscow. His unintelligent younger son was left to

rule an isolated and primitive empire.

***This is the History of Many Nations of Europe in the Middle Ages. This packet covers from 450-1580 AD!!!!!!!!!***