The Rise of Europe

1. The Rise of Europe Chapter 10 EQs: What factors influenced the development of early Europe? How did Feudalism affect social identity? How did Europe become an extension of the classical Mediterranean?

2. Introduction • 476 CE…Rome falls…the Western Roman Empire Romulus Augustulus was deposed and replaced by the barbarian Odoacer • By the end of the 5th century, Roman states had fallen into the hands of barbarian chiefs…Italy to the Ostrogoths, Spain to the Visigoths, Gaul to the Franks, North Africa to the Vandals and England to the Angles and Saxons • Barbarians were now the masters of Europe BUT they were willing to learn from those who they conquered (IMPORTANT)…this brings to their peoples acculturation, particularly, by religion…Roman culture remained, just under the control of different masters • The early Middle Ages (476-1000) saw the birth of European society…it was a time of experimentation of new political, economic and religious ideas…and it was a time in which Europe faced a challenge from the East…ISLAM!

3. Islam Cometh…and Vikings Raid! • Islam was knocking on Europe’s doorstep by the beginning of the 8th century…Muslim conquerors had taken control of most of north Africa and were making their way across the Straits of Gibraltar into Spain, while the Byzantines continued to hold off Umayyad and Abbasid incursions • The Catholic church took it upon itself to declare the Islamic hoard as an unholy barbarian forced and charged all rulers of Europe with the mission of defending Europe in the name of the faith. • In 732 CE a Christian army led by Charles “the Hammer” Martel defeated the Arab armies at Poitiers (Tours) in central France, ending for the time, any further Muslim invasions into Europe…Meanwhile, from the north, Viking kingdoms remained largely heathen and continually raided European states in England and Germany • As a result of these events, political and cultural development were hindered, as was trade…only those in the religious orders developed and maintain intellectual ideas

4. The Rise and POWER of the Church • The Christian (Catholic) church became the center of Europe…it is said that nature abhors a vacuum and the vacuum left by the loss of Roman rule was filled by the local bishops and cathedrals of the Catholic church…the cathedral became the center of life in cities and villages…the bishop was the highest authority and, in reality, only the church at the time had any form of hierarchical political structure or intelligentsia • Monasticism also became a central feature and was the purest, unspoiled form of the Christian faith…it represented the church’s idea of the idea life and created the notion that the clergy was superior • In addition, the bishop of Rome (the Pope), took the opportunity to claim superiority over the church…as early as the 6th century, the Pope was taking advantage of political weakness to establish the doctrine of “papal primacy”, allowing the holy father to be the sole authority in church doctrine, church legal matters and church practices…it also became interpreted that the Pope had authority over secular rulers, forming the first religious empire in world history

5. The Holy Roman Empire • With absence of central political authority in the secular state, the question of who is going to be “the one” to control “the many” became the chief political issue in Medieval Europe • Only one king was able to take advantage of this disarray, Charlemagne (grandson of Charles “the Hammer” Martel) of the Franks…he made alliances with religious leaders and proved to them that he was their protector…on Christmas Day, 800 CE, Pope Leo III crowned him Holy Roman Emperor, based in Germany, and what would be a revival of the old Roman Empire in the West of Europe • Charlemagne created a bureaucracy of counts selected from local rulers within his kingdom…unfortunately, though they supported the king/emperor, they were never fully loyal (more in a moment)…Charlemagne established his capital at Aachen, creating a center or wealth and learning unparalleled in Europe…the first of Europe’s many Renaissances started here. • Charlemagne died in 814 CE and his empire literally died with him…his son Louis the Pious held the empire together until his death, upon which it was divided equally among his 3 sons…counts and regional rulers broke away and began fighting each other for supremacy, while the papacy played off relationships with each minor kingdom

6. The Feudal/Manorial System • The results of constant attacks by outside nomads (Vikings, Magyars and Muslims) forced the local populations to become ever more dependent on local “strongmen” to protect them…enter the invention of feudal society, the social, political, military and economic system that responded to these concerns • At the top you find the king or regional prince (those left over from Holy Roman Empire) who held the highest virtues of mutual trust and fidelity • Next, the nobles, barons or lords (vassals) represented the political and economic backbone…they supported the king by swearing allegiance (fealty) to his rule and by providing military protection to the greater state…in return, the king promised to uphold the lord’s social position • That is where the knights come in, they were the hired protection, paid for by the fees provided by the lords with sworn allegiance to king (greater lord) • And the majority of people in Feudal Medieval Europe were serfs (or freemen)…they provided the labor for the lord in return for protection on their manor…they also did have recognized legal rights upon their swearing of allegiance to a landlord…they WERE NOT slaves nor could they be bought or sold…they owned their houses and passed property rights on as inheritance…freemen were those that either escaped this system or served as merchant traders

7. Early Economic, Social and Political Impacts • In the 9th and 10th centuries, new agricultural techniques emerged: the moldboard plow (better plows meant deeper digging of soil and opening of new farm land), the 3 field system and new horse implements • As nomadic incursions ceased, trade opened up…towns emerged as regional trade centers and a new merchant class developed (one that would come to dominate Europe in the coming centuries) • Population increased as did the need for food as did the need for labor…new areas were settled and new manors were built to fill food needs • In the area of politics, new relationships evolved…the elites consolidated their power and ruled greater territory, establishing bureaucratic councils comprised of several vassals and their states • Political divisions developed, as vassals demanded rights, separate form those of church authority…the first parliaments were created by edicts in Spain and England, mainly comprised of nobles, church leaders and urban leaders…serfs were not represented, but their rights remained

8. Expansion and Reform • Changes brought desire for greater kingdoms…in Germany, local rulers expanded eastward into still barbarian territory • In Spain, the Reconquista (11th C) involved the unity of several small Spanish kingdoms against the Muslim Moors…full expulsion of Muslims was not complete until 1492 • And the Crusades started in 1095 under Pope Urban II…warriors were promised complete absolution for their service as did promises of great riches and wealth from Arab (Abbasid) lands…but all the Crusades eventually did was to create 1) competition within European kingdoms and 2) break up a vital trading empire (Byzantine) • In the areas of religion, several events occurred…several monastic orders devoted to keeping the church poor were formed in the 13th century (St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi) • Pope Gregory VII also attempted to rid the church of ties to feudal states…he declared priests should not marry to keep them pure and he fought for the removal of investiture (state appointment of religious leaders rather than by the church) thus declaring the church superior to the state (more this week)

9. The High Middle Ages • Post-Classical Western Civ reached its high point in the 12th and 13th centuries as tensions created further changes in politics, religion, intellectual, social and economic life • Religion and philosophy became one in the same…church members had become engaged in resurfacing the great thinking of Greek philosophers…absolute faith in God’s word was stressed, but attached human reason to the understanding of religion and the natural order • Thinkers like Peter Abelard stressed logic/skepticism in some church doctrines (Yes and No)…his rival St. Bernard of Clairvaux challenged these positions stressing a mystical union with God and that reasoning was dangerous • These debates literally opened up entire schools (universities) dedicated to philosophy, theology and literature…they largely produced men bound for religious service or work in the bureaucracy but also produced a thirst for knowledge of past and present civilizations • Thinkers took advantage of these school…Thomas Aquinas taught at the U of Paris that faith comes first but reason alone could help determine natural order, morality and the nature of God (Summas)…Roger Bacon did advanced work in optic sciences (unheard during this period) • Christian devotion also ran deep during this period, as cities led to development of lay groups devoted to spirituality…even cults of the Virgin Mary and particular saints emerged to make a human connection with God all the while promoting magic and Pagan rituals that blended into Christian practices

10. Rural Life and Economic Changes • Agricultural innovations allowed many peasants to go out on their own and shake free of the manor…nobles still served the state with military services but began dabbling in trade…these ventures brought on higher taxes, which, in turn, brought on tensions between serfs and lords…in general, peasants gained while lords lost • Trade expanded…Italian business people created banking and monetary systems became prevalent (to the dismay of the church) and Italians became the merchants of long distance trade (via the Mediterranean)…in the Baltic, Germanic and Scandinavian states formed the Hanseatic League to encourage trade • Individuals emerged as merchant leaders, like Jacques Coeur, who founded trading companies, mainly in Italy and dealt with Arab traders in the Middle East…this was all made possible by the weakness of government who allowed merchants to gain power…aside from taxation and borrowing, merchants were left alone by kings or local rulers • Commercial and artisan guilds (groups of similar occupations) developed in urban areas…these “unions” essentially protected their groups, regulated apprenticeships, maintained product quality and discouraged new innovations of products (ie. don’t think of a new way to do it)…their motives were NOT about profit…guilds also played a large role in urban politics and society, giving their members a say in local affairs (or even parliaments) • Manufacturing areas, however, were still behind their eastern counterparts…only in clock making did Europeans gain any technical ground

11. Women in Medieval European Times • As always, as society becomes more complex, the role of women disintegrates • A woman’s role as a domestic in the family remained important, and, there was always becoming a nun if you didn’t want to be a housewife • Religiously, the veneration of the Virgin Mary gave women greater prestige in society to counterbalance a previous emphasis of women as sinners (think about Eve and the apple) • Women still had higher status than in the Muslim societies of the time and could actually attend worship services (though not lead them) • Urban women played roles in guilds and in commerce, helping to improve their status…by the end of the Middle Ages, the stressing of women as assistants to and comforters of men became prevalent

12. The Decline of the Medieval Synthesis • Several key events represented a disruption in Western Post-Classical civilization in the late 14th century and are considered the ending events of the Middle Ages • At the beginning of the 1300s, France and England decided to fight over some territory and oh the war lasted almost a 100 years…the French won, but this proved the general weakness of European states in the areas of military and defense AND of their political and social institutions (namely feudalism) • At the same time, all open land in Europe proper was now claimed, and famines caused population levels to decline • And then there was the PLAGUE!!! The Black Death arrived in 1348 wiping out 1/3 of the population and further challenging Europe’s social and political structure…it would take almost 2 centuries for Europe to fully recover thanks in part to its next emerging era…the RENAISSANCE.

13. This week … Tuesday – Change Analysis Wednesday – NO SCHOOL Thursday – Start DBQ Friday – Test (MC Only) and continue DBQ