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Medieval Politics:
Beginning of Nation/States
The Beginning: Medieval Feudalism
• Manors
• Hierarchy
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King
Barons/Earls/Dukes
Peasants
Artisan and Merchant Classes and beginning of cities
• Philosophy
• How it worked
The Players
• Pope (see Church) as secular ruler
• Holy Roman Empire: growth of electors in towns, provinces
and city/states, church controlled towns
– Frederick Barbarossa (Hohenstaufen) after Ottonian (Charlamagne
established the HRE)
– Frederick II fourth excommunication weakened emperor in regards to
pope
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France
England
Spain and the fight against the Moors
Russia:
– Prince Vladimir of Kiev=Greek Orthodox religion; center of
empire=Kiev
– Mongol/Tatar invasion and dependence of Russia
– Ivan the Great : Moscow becomes dominant of all N. Russia; throws off
Mongol rule
England/France Mess
• 1066 William the Conqueror
unites Normandy with England
• His children try to subdue both
Scotland and Wales
• Henry II and Eleanor of
Aquitaine and the fight of
children vs father
• Philip Augustus/Richard the
Lionhearted and the Crusades
100 Years’ War
• With weak English kings (John, Henry III, Edward II),
by 1224, all French lands except Aquitaine had been
lost to the French; in Aquitaine, the English king was
vassal to the French king
• During the late 13th C, Edward I and Philip IV began
asserting the power of the king over nobles in gradually
expanding territories.
• As trade grew, both kingdoms competed for control in
Flanders (woolen textile weaving) and along the French
coast with shifting alliances of German princes and
Scotland.
Pretext for Beginning the 100 Years’
War
• Charles IV of France died with no heir . The
throne passed to Philip of Valois, the deceased
king’s cousin
• However, King Edward III of England was
actually the nephew of Charles IV (through
Edward’s mother) and really a closer heir to the
throne. French argument: through a woman, not
legal under salic law, and , besides, Edward was
already a French vassal
– Edward’s accession to the throne was also different from
the normal: his father was deposed to make him king,
thanks to his mother’s lover and a French army he
brought with him.
– Because he was not strong enough to refuse, Edward
swore limited homage to Philip in 1331
Beginning the War
• Fighting in England, France, Scotland, the Low
Countries and Spain, with troops from many
areas—really first European war
• It began with French attacks on English
outposts on the continent and on the English
coast (Southampton, Guernsey island)
Beginnings: English victories
• English at first prevailed
– more centralized control
– organized armies
– monarchy’s definite
command
• Naval victory for the
English at Sluys
• Land victories for the
English armies and their
Low Countries allies in
Poitiers and Crecy under
Edward III and the Black
Prince
Back and Forth
• Weakness with French
kings=English victories;
• weakness in English kings=
French victories
• 1348-50 Black Plague
• Jacquerie
– taille and other taxes
– Had to repair war damaged
properties without pay
• Wat Tyler and John Ball
– Richard II (death of Black Prince)
age 11
– Poll tax to pay for war: = for ALL
– Death of Archbishop of Canterbury
– Death of Wat Tyler; execution of
John Ball
Henry V: Warrior King
• Agincourt and Henry V
– English 5000 archers and 900 men at
arms in a single line with no reserve; 8’
stakes in ground around archers vs
cavalry
– French between 20-30,000; 1/3
mounted; 3 lines
– 1000 yards apart on ploughed field; rain
– English longbow (10/minute forests of
arrows) began with 3 volleys in 40
seconds it took French to charge:
destroyed or took prisoner all of first
line; rest ran after other unsuccessful
charges
• Treaty of Troyes
– Alliance of England with Burgundy
– Disinherited French prince and
proclaimed Henry V successor of
Charles VI
– BUT both died about the same time
(Henry of dysentery in France), so
Charles VII proclaimed king, ignoring
Treaty
Ending: “Victory” for France
• Joan of Arc and her mission
for Charles VII
– Delivered Orleans besieged by
British 6 months
– Succession of victories credited
to Joan (sense of national
identity, confidence and
inspiration)
– Betrayal: captured by
Burgundians, Charles could save
her, burned by British for heresy
– 25 years later declared innocent;
made a saint 1920
• British driven out of France
except for coastal enclave of
Calais
Consequences of 100 Years’ War
• Devastated France
• Promoted both British and French national identities
• Hastened transition from feudal monarchy to
centralized state
• Both strengthened monarchies (more territory and
power vs nobles) and weakened them (power to people
and nobles because of necessity for taxes to make war)
• English developed own clothing industry and foreign
markets (seesawing allegiance of Netherlands and
Flanders)
• On both sides, peasants bore the costs of the war