Chapter 10: Western Europe

500 - 1469

Medieval Europe

• Western Europe considered backward when compared with the Middle East & Asia

• W. Europeans feared the more advanced Muslims, who they had contact with in Italy, Spain, and the Crusades

• Considered Islam a false religion• Despite backwardness, W. Europe would

advance slowly during the Medieval period

550 – 900: Disunity & Chaos

• The fall of Rome left a chaotic situation, with fragmented tribal kingdoms

• The only strong institution at this time was the ______ _______ Church; the few who could read & write were monks

• Weak rulers, largely subsistence agriculture• Almost all of Spain controlled by the Muslims• Viking invasions caused further chaos

Manorialism

• Manorialism: economic & political relationship between landlords & peasants

• Serfs: ag workers who received protection from lords in return for part of their goods

• Why would this system work in the “Dark Ages”?

Improved Agriculture

• Western & Northern Europeans copied Mediterranean techniques, but soil was too heavy in France & Germany

• Moldboard: curved iron plow, allowed deeper turning of the soil

• Three-field system: only 1/3 of the land was left unplanted each year, improving fertility

Feudalism

• Key relationship between political & military leaders

• Landlords could afford horses and heavy weaponry (swords, shield, etc)

• Vassals: lesser lords who owed military service to a greater lord

• Feudalism limited growth of strong states, but also gradually reduced post-Rome chaos

The Church

• Only strong, organized institution in W. Europe at this time

• Monasteries were the only centers of learning; preserved major documents of the classical period, and even improved ag techniques

• Converted many Germanic kings in West & North Europe

• Clovis: Germanic king who converted in 496; hmmmm…..why would he do this????

Charlemagne: Father of Europe

• Charles The Great (Charlemagne): French king who established empire in parts of modern day France and Germany around 800

• Charlemagne encouraged church-based education in France, intellectual recovery began

• Charlemagne’s empire provided a brief example of political unity

• Died in 814, empire broke apart under his sons

What do these pics show about Euro society at this time?

Pope Leo III crowning Charlemagne “Holy Roman Emperor” on Christmas Day, 800

Saint Remigius baptizing Clovis I on Christmas Day, 496

Transitions from the 9th – 13th centuries

• Better ag techniques were being perfected and increased local populations (what were these TWO main ag improvements???)

• Vikings – who were now mostly Christianized – stopped their raids, increasing stability

• Population growth caused the settlement of new land to farm, especially in NE Germany

• Contact with N. Africa & Persia introduced new crops• Urban populations soared, especially in Italy & the Netherlands• NOTE: Despite these improvements, Europe still lagged far

behind ME & Asia; ex: 5% of W. Europe’s population lived in towns at this time, while in Asia the figure was 15%

Limited Government

• Strong government authority limited by the church and feudalism. How?

• Magna Carta: signed in 1215, required English king to consult nobles before raising taxes, and to not pick bishops w/o consent of the church

• Growth of parliaments in 13th century• Three estates: church, nobles, urban leaders• Kept European monarchs relatively weak

Expansion

• Population growth, the legacy of Rome, and the righteous zeal of Christianity spurred European expansion after 1000

• German knights & farmers moved into modern day E. Germany & Poland to settle new lands

• Christian forces began forcing the Muslims out of Spain, succeeding by 1492

• Vikings reached Iceland, Greenland, & Canada in the 11th century

The Crusades• Pope Urban II called for 1st Crusade in

1095, wanting to unite European Christians under a common cause

• Crusaders promised full forgiveness of sins if they died in battle

• Internal wars declining in Europe, feudal lords eager to take talents to Middle East

• 1st Crusade successful and set up Kingdom of Jerusalem for almost 100 years

• Why is it important? Exposed Europe to advanced civilizations

Religious Reforms

• In Medieval Europe, the church owned a lot of land and was tremendously wealthy

• Many priests & monks too “worldly”• Led to several reform movements to purify

church and fight growing secularism• Pope Gregory VII: fought against state control

of the church and investiture

Gregory VII vs. Henry IV

Western Culture & Christianity in the Postclassical Era

• “Postclassical” means what?• Around 1000, clerics became very interested in

philosophy and logic, and began combining rational reason with Christian faith

• Influenced by Roman philosophers like Aristotle, but also by Greek & Arab thinkers after contact during the Crusades

• This interest in knowledge led to growth of universities

Thomas Aquinas

• One of the greatest Medieval scholars

• Emphasized faith in Christianity, but stressed the importance of reason too

• Natural order, moral law, & the nature of God could be gained through reason alone

• Scholasticism: method of critical though in Medieval Europe from 1100-1500

• Philosophy & critical thinking in Medieval Europe did NOT encourage much scientific advancement; instead it emphasized mastering and organizing past learning

• Nevertheless, Europeans did practice some scientific experimentation (ex: invention of eyeglasses in 13th century)

• Medieval Europe was NOT the Renaissance, but it would set the stage for the period

Popular Religion

• Devotion to Christianity was usually followed stringently by ordinary Europeans

• Despite a devout following, Christians were often totally unaware their actions violated their faith (what’s an example?)

• Holy Orders, convents, monasteries, and devotion to Mary all increased during this time

• There may have been some fusing of Christian & pagan beliefs; ordinary people continued to believe in magic and celebrated Christian holidays on pagan festival days

Economic & Social Forms

• Manorialism remained strong, but did loosen after the 900s due to advances in ag. As a result, serfs & peasants became more free

• Growth of the towns caused an increase in manufacturing, trade, and banking, especially in Italy and the Netherlands

• Banking and profits were initially looked down upon by the church. Why?

• Weak governments allowed merchants and/or groups of merchants to become more powerful than other areas

• Laid the groundwork for what would become capitalism• Guilds: group of workers who united into an organization to

protect their own interests; similar to modern day unions

The End of Medieval Europe: 1300-1500

• During this time, the landed aristocracy began to lose dominance

• New weapon technology like the longbow, cannon, and gunpowder cut into feudal lords’ military monopoly. Kings and wealthy merchants could now afford private armies

• Black Death: series of devastating plagues beginning in 1348, halted rising population

Battle of Crecy, 1346 Battle of Agincourt, 1415

Church Decline

• Religion did NOT decline in Medieval Europe, but the church as an institution weakened over time

• The church became increasingly preoccupied with its own political standing, neglecting spiritual needs of the masses

• Ultimately, many philosophers and artists moved away from Christian influences

• Western Schism: 1378-1417, rival claims to papacy; finally ended but weakened prestige of the church

Calamitous Events

• The Great Famine of 1315-1317 and the Black Death in 1348 reduced the European population by 50%

• The “Little Ice Age” began around 1350, further disrupting social life

• Mass revolts and uprisings, once rare and strictly local, occurred more frequently towards the end of Medieval Europe

• By 1540, Europe may have regained the population levels of 1340