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Medieval Europe AD 500 – 1500
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Periodization “Periodization” Middle Ages
historians try to divide history into eras. Middle Ages between “Ancient” and “Modern” times aka “medieval” Middle Ages itself can be divided into eras Early Middle Ages or “Dark Ages” (500 AD – 1000 AD) High Middle Ages (1000 AD – 1300 AD) Late Middle Ages (1300 AD – 1500 AD)
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Early Middle or “Dark” Ages (500 AD – 1000 AD)
Affected by the “Fall of Rome” Cultural decline Economic decline Roads in disrepair villages become isolated Money replaced by barter Justice system collapses replaced with Germanic custom compensation vs. revenge “wergild” (money for the man) “trial by ordeal”
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Exception to “Dark” Ages
Charlemagne Beginning 9th century
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Muslim (Moorish) Invasion of Europe
Battle of Poitiers/Tours 732 AD Defeated by Charles “the Hammer” Martel Charlemagne’s grandfather
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Alhambra
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Alhambra
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Charlemagne “unifies” Western Europe (c. 800 CE)
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Viking (and Magyar) Invasions
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Medieval Society Catholic Church (social) + feudalism (political) + manor system (economic) = Medieval society
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Feudalism reaction to Barbarian invasions
Vikings, Magyars, Muslims No state (Rome/kings) can protect you! Who can? Local aristocracy
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Feudalism Reciprocal obligations Lord (liege) gives vassal
land/peasants (fief) protection (legal/military) Vassal (servant) gives lord “homage” military service (40 days) taxes
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Knights landed aristocracy Spent time Making war
Tournaments (jousting) Chivalry = code of conduct vow to bravely defend feudal lord, heavenly lord and lady aid the poor and weak
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Manor System Lord controls surrounding lands Most people = peasants
Charlemagne established counties led by counts Most people = peasants serfs legally tied to manor need permission from lord to marry, move etc. self-sustaining all needs met on the manor little need for interaction with outside world
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Manor system
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Catholic Church (Papacy)
Pope Gregory I ( AD) POLITICAL & spiritual leader raises armies, repairs roads, feeds poor convert heathens Later popes are powerful excommunication = kicked out of church interdiction = excommunication of an entire territory
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Catholic Church (Monasticism)
St. Benedict monks pray & labor centers of learning scriptoria along with Muslim scholars, become conservators of classical Greco-Roman learning. Monasteries serve as schools, hospitals, inns for travelers
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High Middle Ages (1000 – 1300 AD) economic recovery population growth
social progress Why? Farming improvements (ca – 1100 AD) more population → growth of farming villages → more trade → to growth of cities Crusades bring $$$$ and spark cultural diffusion
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Farming improved Carruca = a heavy wheeled plow w/iron plowshare
Harness = for horses rather than oxen Horseshoe = plowing quicker, easier
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Medieval Towns
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Growth of Guilds Tradesmen organizations Apprentice age 10 – 17
Journeyman earn $ while learning produce masterpiece Master Member of guild “burgh” = town on German “burghers” townspeople “bourgeoisie” = middle class in French
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Crusades Holy wars by Christian Europeans
goal = retake the Holy Land from Muslims knights Want adventure, prove devotion to God Primogeniture = only first born male inherits Knights are often 2nd, 3rd , 4th sons
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Crusades Crusaders States
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Effects of the Crusades
Exchange W E spices, cloth, lemons, rice, sugar European tastes → more “worldly” Italian cities → rich from trade → Renaissance Feudalism weakens many nobles die in Crusades noble families sell “rights” to towns to fund crusades kings more powerful in nobles’ absence raise taxes/provide protection
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Scholasticism Prominent philosophical approach to education at the earliest established universities. Bologna (1088 AD) Oxford (1096 AD) Main goal: reconcile church dogma (teaching) w/other learning Thomas Aquinas synthesis of Greek rationalism and Christian doctrine
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Late Middle Ages (1300 – 1450) Period of renewed decline that breaks the back of feudalism Little Ice Age, poor soil quality leads to decreased agricultural yields. The “Great Schism” makes people lose faith in church as power shifts to secular leaders.
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Black Death Bubonic plague (1347 – 1352) fleas on rats from ships
Black puss-filled swellings on neck/joints Many die within 24 hours 25 million or 1/3rd of Europe’s population die
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Black Death Bubonic plague (1347 – 1352)
fleas on rats from ships Black puss-filled swellings on neck/joints Many die within 24 hours 25 million or 1/3rd of Europe’s population die “final nail in the coffin” of feudalism Much of labor force dies Lords must increase wages/free serfs Peasant revolts
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Origins of Nation-States
Kings more powerful Rise of middle-class (medieval towns) Kings use to offset nobles administrators, parliaments, professional armies England, France, Spain = nation-states Definite territory, one govt. and culture Become loyal to nation rather than lord England vs. France = Hundred Years’ War
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Holy Roman Empire Germans elect king (refuse hereditary succession)
Pope crowns Holy Roman Emperor (HRE) aka relatively weak “German king” Competition/cooperation between HRE and pope Nobles balance loyalty between pope and HRE. Lay investiture Germany and Northern Italy = NOT NATION-STATES
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Holy Roman Empire
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