Download Consolidating Power

CONSOLIDATING
POWER
1340-1492
SHAPE OF EUROPE
CHANGING…
• Capitol of the Holy Roman Empire moved to Prague
• Ottoman Empire took the place of Byzantium
• Italy dominated by five major powers: Milan, the papacy,
Naples, and republics of Venice and Florence
• England and France were centralized monarchies
• Spain was created via marriage of Aragon and Castile
EASTERN EUROPE
Bohemia (eastern half of holy roman empire) gained new
status as the seat of the Luxembourg imperial dynasty
political crisis because most of Europe considered Bohemia
a heretic state
Farther north, the cities rather than the landed nobility held
the power
Hanse=allied cities
Hanseatic League=loose federation of mainly north German
cities formed to protect their mutual interests in defense of
trade and art.
HANSEATIC LEAGUE
Linked the Baltic coast with Russia, Norway, the British Isles,
France
WESTERN EUROPE
Four powerful states dominated western Europe: Spain and
Burgundy were created by marriage; France and England
were forged by war;
The 15th century world was largely monarchical with three
important exceptions:
-Switzerland
-Venice
-Florence
Were all republics.
REPUBLICS: SWISS
CONFEDERATION
like the Hanseatic League in the Baltic, the Swiss confederation
had long term alliances and joined equally together in wellorganized communities in rural and forested areas. Original
purpose was to keep the peace, but they soon pledged to aid
one another against the Holy Roman Emperor.
Wealthy merchants and tradesmen dominated the cities of the
Swiss Confederation; power in the rural communes gave some
ordinary folk political importance; no king, duke or count ever
became head of the confederation.
It’s fiercely independent stance against the Holy Roman Empire
became a symbol of republican freedom
REPUBLIC OF VENICE
Had an excellent navy and built an extensive empire.
Between 1450-1454 Venice fought with Milan for control of
Northern Italy, but fear of a France or Ottoman Turk
invasion+financial exhaustion led to Peace of Lodi. Italy was
a collection of small cities, each with its own contado
(surrounding countryside).
Venice was ruled by a Great Council: dominated by important
families but never one signore (lord). The doge (leading
magistrate at Venice) was elected by the Great Council.
REPUBLIC: FLORENCE
Florence was like Venice in that it was a republic, but unlike
Venice, its society and political life was turbulent. By 1434
the Medici family dominated the unruly city. Cosimo de’
Medici founded his political power on the wealth of the
Medici bank and established new committees made up of
men loyal to him to help govern the city. He kept the
Florentine constitution intact, governing behind the scenes
not by force but through a broad consensus among the
ruling elite.
NEW TOOLS OF
POWER
New taxes, new knowledge: the newly consolidated states of the
15th century exercised their powers more thoroughly than
before.
For example: the Florentine catasto
Catasto=inventory of households within the city. Inquired into
names, types of houses, and animals, asking people to specify
their trade, private and public investments, real estate holdings,
and taxable assets, head of the family, his or her age and marital
status, and number of mouths to feed in the household.
Showed that most Florentine households consisted of at least 6
people, the wealthier families having more kids and the poor
families having less.
DRIVING OUT MUSLIMS,
HERETICS AND JEWS
Newly rich from national taxes and with
more centralized power, fifteenth century
kings in western Europe—England, France,
and Spain—commanded modern states.
Using their new financial power, combined
with new technologies of war (cannons and
mercenary armies), implemented full force
against their internal and external enemies.
For example: Spain
SPANISH INQUISITION
Seeking to impose religious uniformity and purity, Ferdinand
and Isabella began to persecute the conversos. Condemned
as traitors and heretics, conversos wre no longer Jews, the
inquisitors imposed harsh sentences to purify the land of all
Jews who had converted to Christianity.
All Jews were told to convert of leave Spain (about 150,000
Jews left Spain and scattered around the Mediteranean
The final step for Spain was to rid themselves of the last
Muslim stronghold: Granada. While they initially promised
freedom of religion to the Muslims who chose to remain, the
royal couple ended up demanding all Muslims adopt
Christianity or leave the kingdom.
EXPLORATION AND
THE NEW WOLRD
Similarly: while Europeans are battling the Muslims and
fighting among themselves, Europeans were also pursuing
their interests abroad….
BUT this is something we are going to save for next week!
REFORMATION
How could one argue that
philosophies from the
Renaissance led to the
Reformation?
CHRISTIAN HUMANISM
Humanism, specifically Christian Humanism, preached
that humanist principles like:
•
universal human dignity
•
individual freedom in ones’ relationship with God
were essential components to the teachings of Jesus
Christ.
And what did Erasmus believe?
ERASMUS
Erasmus believed that it was only through education could people
reform themselves and society. Charity and good works—not empty
religious ceremonies—would mark true religion.
What does this thesis imply or rely on?
It relies on the idea that
1) education was available (an effect of the Renaissance) and
2) reformation and penance was not something that only the
church could control.
The idea that one could be in their control of their own penance
and not have to rely on the church to receive atonement is very
revolutionary and is the key to what Luther ends up doing…
Eventually, Erasmus chose Christian unity in order to avoid war,
as angry, younger men with radical ideas led to a schism within
the Catholic church.
MARTIN LUTHER
(1483-1546)
Started the Protestant Reformation
BACKGROUND TO
EUROPE
-- So we have the Renaissance which led to the idea of
Christian Humanism—
From the Renaissance we also have an increased number of
urban middle class—especially university trained middle
class-- why?
This was a quiz question…..
Because of the increase of trade and material production led
to an increase of towns and more people moving from the
agriculture sector and the countryside to these towns, now
growing into cities.
create flow chart!
Thus, an increase of education was a product of the printing
press—it was easier and there was more for people to learn
how to read and write.
And universities was then a product of the philosophers
involved in the Renaissance who valued education and the
study of the humanities.
This increase of literate artisans will come into play with Martin Luther’s
movement because they, as literate people, began to yearn for a faith that
was more meaningful to their daily lives…they could read and thus,
thinking and studying the Bible was available…
BACKGROUND TO
LUTHER
Martin Luther—Augustinian order.
Religious Crisis: did not feel saved
Became convinced that sinners were saved only through
faith. What actions/habits in the Catholic Church does this
idea oppose?
He also believed that no amount of good works could
produce the faith on which salvation depended (who does
this counter?)…
Yes: Luther denounced the selling of indulges
a a corrupt practice!
But he took it one step further—like the sacrament of penance
itself—this action of spiritual duties, of confessing your sin to a
priest who can then offer you absolution and impose penance,
was ultimately useless unless on had faith.
HOW TO HAVE
FAITH/LUTHER’S
MESSAGE
Christians could appeal directly
to God for salvation.
(You can see how this would appeal to townspeople’s spiritual
needs and social vision…)
WHO WERE THE EARLIEST
SUPPORTERS??
Called themselves the Evangelicals:
•
younger Christian humanists
• Clerics who shared this critical attitude towards church
establishment
• Many urban people with middle-class background…sound
familiar? Who are these people?
• The merchants, artisans, literate urban laypeople…
But also illiterate artisans supported Luther,
almost with a fanatical zeal. They and he believed
they were living in the last days of the world:
This was the Last Judgment
LUTHER’S WORKS
Look for a progression of rebellion here:
Freedom of a Christian—addressed to Pope Leo X said that
faith, not good works, saved sinners from damnation and
that professional clerics should not hold saw over a person’s
faith.
To the Nobility of the German Nation—appealed to German
identity and to the nobles to help the reform
On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church—condemned the
papcy as the embodiment of the Antichrist
FROM ROME’S
PERSPECTIVE?
“Luther Affair”—Martin Luther was just one pesky and unruly
monk.
Pope ordered him to keep quiet, Luther said no, and Luther
was called in to appear before the emperor Charles V, in 1521
to defend his faith at the Imperial Diet of Worms
(Charles V was Holy Roman Emperor, most powerful ruler in
16th century Europe—reigned over Low Countries, Spain,
Spain’s Italian and New World dominions, and the Austrian
Habsburg lands)
DIET OF THE WORMS
Luther did not back down, but he was under the protection of
Frederick the Wise (elector of Saxony who was one of 7 who
was bribed by Charles V in order to become HRE emperor) so
Luther was not punished.
Mistake for Charles the V: propaganda flooded German
towns. Spread like wildfire and the movement slowly went
from Wittenberg to Scandinavia where reformers who studied
in Germany brought back the faith and converted the kings.
DIET OF WORMS
PROTESTANTISM
SPREADS AND DIVIDES…
Two other reformers step forward Zwingli (another
challenger/reformer)
Zwingli three years after Luther declared himself a reformer
in Zurich. (he was chief preacher in Zurich)
John Calvin (about 20 years after Martin Luther), a French
born humanist who led reform in Geneva, Switzerland 15411564
ZWINGLI
Contrasting these reformers:
Like Luther, he attacked the corruption of the Catholic
Church hierarchy and questioned fasting and clerical
celibacy.
Unlike Luther, he didn’t agree on Luther’s definition of the
Eucharist
EUCHARIST
Catholic doctrine:
When Priest consecrated the bread and wine of
communion—they actually turned into body and blood of
Christ
Luther:
Insisted that the bread and wine were simultaneously bread
and wine and blood and body of Christ.
Zwingli:
Viewed the bread and wine as symbols of Christ’s union with
believers. Not real body and blood…
WHY DOES THIS
MATTER?
It concerns the role of the priest and the church in shaping
the relationship between God and believer.
Luther and Zwingli never ended up agreeing on this…but the
issue of the Eucharist soon divides Lutherans and Calvinists
as well…
JOHN CALVIN (15091564)
-Sought salvation through intense theological study
-Under his leadership, Geneva became a Christian republic
Like Luther: agreed with idea that salvation cannot be earned
through good works and that God is almighty and no
Christian can be certain of salvation.
UNLIKE Luther: Calvin’s theory of predestination
PREDESTINATION
is the idea that God ordained every man, woman, and child
to salvation or damnation…but before the creation of the
world.
This means that God saves only “the elect”
What else does this mean?
SCARY
How do you know if you are one of the elect?!!
Calvin says that a righteous life can be a sign that your life
has been chosen for salvation. This demanded rigorous
discipline.
What does this look like?
People who could maintain their devout, pious lifestyle
inherently prove (and believe) that they are part of the elect
and will achieve salvation.
GENEVA
Fused church and society into what was called the Reformed
church
Became a theocratic city-state dominated by Calvin and the
elders of the Reformed church
From its base in Geneva, the Calvinist movement spread to
France, the Low Countries, England, Scotland, German
states, Poland, Hungary and eventually New England
RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
OF REFORMATION
Did not exist. Each religious group believed that their
doctrine was the best and absolutely true and grounded in
the Bible. Thus violence in its defense was not only justified
but required.
As an example, Calvin had Michael Servetus arrested and
executed for questioning the doctrine of the Trinity.
The harshest words were saved for the Jews (who Calvin
called “profane, unholy, sacreligious dogs,” who Luther
advocated the burning of houses and their synagogues)…
So we are still far from religious toleration…