Download CIA Feudalism Study Guide- key

Review for CIA on Feudalism
1. Explain the reasons for the development of Feudalism

There was no empire at the time (the Roman Empire had fallen)

No one individual to demonstrate power

Lacked a central government
2. Explain the Lord-Vassal relationship of Feudalism.
Lords: gives fief-land and provides protection (have the most power!)
Vassal: gives loyalty, and provides knights.
3. Compare and contrast the feudal system to the manorial system.

Feudal System
The political and
BOTH Systems
 Both happen on
social system
Manorial System
 The economic system
feudal lands

The people of the
feudal system lived
on the manor
4. How did the Catholic Church/Pope remain so powerful while the European Kings
were trying to build stronger nations?

The Church had the power to collect taxes. Tithes were one tenth of your
earnings

The Church had their own courts where they could judge and punish for crimes

The Church provided education and health care

The Church could call for war (Crusades)
5. Who were the Vikings? What was there role?

They were the most feared invaders (from Scandinavia in the North)

They used boats and would raid and loot settlements and bring captives back to
work as slaves on their farms.

Captured towns through cruel and savage ways – used axes and dogs

Helped bring about the establishment of Feudalism
6. Why did the Crusades occur?

The Pope wanted to gain control of Jerusalem “The Holy Land.”
7. What was the end result of the Crusades?

The Christians were unsuccessful at regaining control of Jerusalem for very
long, and the Muslims controlled Jerusalem at the end of the Crusades.

Feudal system began to decline

Contact between Europe and the Middle East increased.
8. What were the lasting impacts of the Crusades on the people in Medieval Europe:

Politically-rise of kings, end of the feudal system, rise of towns

Economically-new products introduced such as fruits, cloth, inventions, end to
the manorial system

Militarily-new styles of fighting-undermine, catapults, gun powder

Culturally/Socially-new ideas are shared, cultural diffusion, blending of ideas
and beliefs.
9. Which group was most successful in uniting Western European lands during the
Middle Ages?

The Franks