Chapter 14. The formation of Western Europe, 800 – 1500

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Church Reform:

·        Problems

1.      Priest were marrying and raising families

2.      Bishops were selling positions in church

§         This was known as simony

3.      Kings were appointing Bishops

§         Reform at Cluny

4.      following the Benedictine policies of monasteries policy, Pope Leo IX passed laws outlawing 

§         Priest were marrying and raising families

§         Bishops were selling positions in church

§         Preaching Friars

5.      Dominic founded the Dominicans in Spain took a vow of poverty

6.      St. Francis Assisi founded the Franciscans in Italy took a vow of poverty

§         Women could join the groups but could not travel around and preach took a vow of poverty

Cathedrals were built using the old Romanesque style which was round arches heavy roofs, held up by thick walls and pillars, these walls had small windows which allowed only small amount of light into the building.

Gothic styles were tall as if trying to reach heaven, with large amounts of light entering the building representing the City of God.

            Crusades

1.    The pope in 1093 asked for help against the spread of the Muslim Turks.

2.    Pope urban II called for a “holy war” or crusade which lasted over 200 years with four major crusades being fought attempting to return Jerusalem to the Christians of the area

a.     Kings and church were happy to send the knights away on a holy quest to stop them from fighting for the various amounts of land available to the nobles, the knights went because they were told that to die on such a Holy Quest, they would receive a place in Heaven

b.    Merchants profit from the crusades by loaning money to the Lords and nobles, leasing the ships to carry the knights and their supplies, and the hope of controlling the existing trade routes

1.      The first crusade had no plan or leader, no knowledge of the geography, climate, culture finally captured Jerusalem in 1099

2.      The second crusade in 1144, was fought to reclaim Jerusalem from the Turks, in 1187 Jerusalem fell to the Muslim leader, Saladin.

3.      Third crusade  of the three leaders going to the middle East one drowned, one turned back, and one fought on. Richard the Lion hearted fought very violently just as the great Muslim leader Saladin. At the end of the crusade the Muslims still controlled the city of Jerusalem but allowed unarmed Christians to go to any religious sight.

4.      the fourth one went to capture Jerusalem and ended up with Knights raiding the strong hold of Byzantine.

5.      More crusades were fought, but they mostly went into the Northern part of North Africa, or were fought by children. Many of these children died some by drowning and the rest were sold as slaves.

6.      Spanish crusade was to drive out the Jews as well as the Muslims in Spain.  The Spanish Inquisitions

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Section 2 trade, towns, and financial revolution

            Growing food supply:

                        Warming climate allowed crops to be grown longer and new methods were used to grow crops.

Oxen were slow and horses were faster but needed more food developed new harness.  Also developed new crop rotations.

More food meant larger families and longer lives.  So the population would increase.

Trade included fairs which increased the interchange between towns and groups of people, things used to be made at home for self use can be bought at the fair.

Trade guilds grew up developed crafts and masters of the skills. Usury fees or interest on loans were considered against church doctrine, and the Jews weren’t affected by the ruling. So the Jews were the financial people.

Europe towns were small and tiny compared to the cities of the Byzantine and roman empires.

The towns were hastily designed.

The towns and social order

       Serfs could live in town for a year and a day and become free. Burghers people who lived in the towns and pushed for rights to levy taxes and tolls and fought the landlord for this rights.

Education

Latin was the language of the educated but a few wrote in the vernacular (everyday language of homeland)

Italian Dante Alighieri wrote the Divine Comedy

English Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales

French Christine De Pisan wrote the City of Ladies

These works of literature give us a very accurate account of the daily life of all walks of life in Europe. the travels from the crusades brought in the skills of the Muslims. One important person Thomas Aquinas wrote that the most basic religious truths could be proved by logical argument.

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Section 3 England and France

The Vikings attacked northern France and also went into the islands know as England. When the King of England died he did not have any heirs. William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson at Hastings 1066, established the control of island. William owned land in Normandy and England, when his heir Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitarinne more land was given to the English king.

The goals of the English were to hold and add to the french lands controlled by the English.

Wanted to strengthen own power over noble an dchurch

Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitarinne had two kings Richard the Lion hearted and King John jury trials were established

King John lost all the land in Normandy, tried to raise taxes too high nobles revolted in June 15, 1215. They forced John to sign Magna Carta (great charter) provided basic rights to all citizens basis for legal rights in United States and England, also set up parliament made up of commoners and nobles and lords

France Hugh Capet family controlled Paris, the king Phillip II at the age of 15 regained the area lost to the English wanted more land and wanted to strengthen the central government. 

Louis IX strengthened the monarchy

Church leaders were known as the 1^st estate

Great lords were known as the 2^nd estate

Commoners were known as the 3^rd estate

Altogether known as the Estates-General  

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Section 4 Center of turmoil

The church divides the king of France and England were giving and appointing the bishops. The pope wanted to stop that and passed a Papal Bull an official policy issued by the church ordered the king to obey the pope. A spokesman for the king said “...my master’s swords are made of steel, the Pope’s is made of paper...”

This was the last of the Papal Bull

The king then selected a pope to replace the pope in Rome, and the Italians also selected a pope and created a schism or split in the church.

Challenges to the church authority, John Wycliffe preached that Jesus Christ was the true head of the Church and that the bible was final authority for Christian life. Jan Hus taught that the bible was higher than the pope

The plague black plague named after the blemishes on the skin, traveled the trade routes, jews were blamed for poisoning the water wells, ¾ of those sick died from the disease. The population fell, trade fell, prices rose, the feudal system fell due to people moving to the city looking for work.

100 years war fought between England and France

fighting over the lands around Normandy.

The battle of crecy the English long bowmen won the battle and this was the case for many of the battles

Joan of Arc led the French to victory at Orleans, King Charles VI was crowned king and then the british allies captured Joan of Arc and she was given to the church and she was burned at the stake for being a witch and a heretic.

English had inner turmoil known as the war of the roses.

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