Revival of the Monarchy in Northern Europe Political Change during the Renaissance

Politics and the State  15 th Century rulers centralized power –Many sought to eliminate disorder & violence within their borders –All invested royal power with authority and sense of national purpose  Charles VII, Louis XI & Francis I of France  Henry VII of England  Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain

France  Charles VII, (Joan of Arc) –Truly gains authority after 1429/1430; begins recovery of France –Expelled the English / begins unifying France –Ushers in a united France with the help of Jacques Coeur: reorganized the royal council, finances, etc. –Creates first royal army –Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges 1438, begins to take control of the Church in France – electing bishops – and keeping revenue from the Pope

France (cont’d)  Louis XI, , The Spider King –Invades Burgundy, Anjou, Bar, Maine, Provence Burgundy is divided amongst Louis XI and the HRE Maximilian I –Laid the groundwork for French absolutism (pg. 300)  Charles VIII, – – marches across Italy to take Naples –1495 meets up against League of Venice: France and Spain continue to fight until  Francis I, (Gallican Church = French National Catholic Church) –Concordat of Bologna, 1516 : Pope Leo X formally agrees to let Francis appoint bishops and abbots – BUT – Francis agrees to let pope collect annates & recognizes the pope’s superiority over church councils

Spain  Finally United through the marriage of Isabella to Ferdinand (El Catolico - “Most Catholic Nation”) –Isabella of Castile (and Spanish Americas) & Ferdinand of Aragon (Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Sicily & Naples)  no common political, judicial or administrative institutions  Aristocratic power lessened under I & F  Church used to strengthen royal authority –reconquista ends (last Arabs driven out by 1492; majority of Jews relocated) –Inquisition established to maintain sense of “Spainishness”

England Disorder! Civil Conflict! Murder! The War of the Roses House of York (white rose) vs. House of Lancaster (red rose)

 Henry IV, – Black Death / disorder / damages trade, agriculture, industry –Henry V, – In line to become King of France BUT dies –Henry VI, mentally disturbed --- monarchy sinks –Edward IV – York, took throne in 1461 (-1483) Began to reaffirm royal authority Reduced royal reliance on Parliament for $  Richard III, Duke of Gloucester (1483-5) –Edward’s sons imprisoned & murdered –Was Richard involved?  War continues –Henry Tudor VII ( ) challenges Richard III Defeats Richard III at Bosworth in 1485 –Marries Elizabeth of York (Edward IV’s daughter)

England, cont’d  Henry VII (Tudor) –Gained throne by force –Came to control the Parliament –Used the royal council to his advantage, Star Chamber (royal court dealing with legal issues w/o jury; court of appeals) –Won the support of many by promoting economic stability in England –Avoided expensive civil wars, passed laws against “livery and maintenance.” –Diplomacy, Diplomacy, Diplomacy

England (conclusion)  Henry VII (cont’d) marries his son to Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain – Henry dies England is at peace – (after 200 years) Economically stable Monarchy has regained prestige

Holy Roman Empire  Over 300 different German states –princely states Saxony, Brandenburg, Bavaria –ecclesiastical states bishoprics, abbacies – free imperial states 65 states, combined do not equal large territory BUT they dominated financial & commercial life Also known as the Hanseatic League

Holy Roman Emperor  elective office – reaffirmed local liberties of states  after Golden Bull, 1356 – seven electors –Count of Palatine; Duke of Saxony; Margrave of Brandenburg; King of Bohemia –Archbishops of Cologne, Mainz, and Trier  1438 – Habsburg family dominates the throne in HRE (also Austria and by 1516 Spain) –Habsburgs rule in Spain until 1700 –Over HRE until its dissolution in 1806 –In Austria until 1916

Habsburgs – European Dynasty  Maximilian I ( ) –administrative “circles”, Imperial Chamber, Imperial Council and Reichstag BUT… –strategic use of royal marriages he marries Mary of Burgundy (France & Netherlands) their son, Philip, marries Joanna heiress of Castile & Spanish America, Aragon & its Mediterranean & Italian possessions their son, Charles, inherits all this PLUS is elected Holy Roman Emperor, 1519

Habsburg Brothers  Charles V (a.k.a. Charles I) – most powerful ruler of his time  Ferdinand (his brother) elected King of Bohemia and Hungary –attempt to protect areas from the Turks, who had been moving into Europe from Constantinople since 1453  “Universal Monarchy” –Threat to balance of power and other nation’s independence –France especially worried