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The Power of Kings
Coach Parrish
OMS
Chapter 14, Section 4
The Struggle
 For 3 days, King Henry IV waited for Pope
Gregory VII’s decision for forgiveness. King
Henry IV had been choosing bishops in the
Catholic Church which the Pope disagreed
with.
 The Pope excommunicated Henry IV from the
Church but later reinstated him.
 Then in 1081, King Henry invaded Italy,
replaced the pope and sent him into exile.
Pope Gregory VII Tomb in
Salerno
Henry IV – King of England
Nation Building
 Henry’s success in overthrowing the
pope was a hint of things to come. As
new kings came to power, they put their
wishes before those of the Church.
 The kings of Europe began to gain
power.
Power of Nobles
 When the 1200s began, Europe was still
a feudal society (feudalism). While kings
ruled over kingdoms, lords and nobles
still held great power.
 If the feudal system fails, the power of
lords will decrease and kings will gain
more power.
Decline of Feudalism
 One reason for the decline of feudalism was
the rise of towns and increased trade. Kings
supported the towns in exchange for money.
 With the money from towns, kings hired armies
and protected the towns. This weakened the
nobles (leaders of feudalism) The Crusades
also weakened them.
Birth of Nations
 Over time, kings became more and more
powerful. Instead of Europe looking like
a patchwork of fiefs, large areas of land
were controlled by single kings.
 Kings became strong enough to
challenge the Church. Gradually the
large kingdoms turned into nations.
Birth of Nations, cont.
 Nation – community of people that
shares territory and a government.
 The process of combining smaller
communities into a single nation with a
national identity and government is called
nation building.
Changes in England
 By the 1200s, England was on its way to
becoming a unified nation. In 1066,
William of Normandy, conquered
England.
 The kings that followed, Henry I and
Henry II further increased the power of
kings.
William of Normandy’s
Castle Remains
King John Angers the
Nobles
 When John became king of England in
1199, he quickly tried to increase his
wealth and power. He taxed his people
heavily, and jailed the innocent who
crossed him.
 The pope eventually excommunicated
John for his actions.
King John’s Tomb
The Magna Carta
 John was now at the mercy of the nobles he
had angered while king. With the backing of
the bishops, the nobles demanding a meeting
with the king.
 On June 15, 1215, 2000 English nobles
gathered and presented John a list of
demands. John was forced to place the royal
seal on the document.
 The document became law. Magna Carta –
called the Great Charter, limited the king’s
power over the nobles.
The Magna Carta, cont.
 The king could no longer jail any freeman
or raise taxes without consulting the
Great Council of lords and clergy.
 Model Parliament – council of common
people as well as lords and clergy. As it
gained power, Parliament helped unite
England.
Hundred Years’ War
 Despite the growth of nations, Western
Europe was not at peace. Two emerging
nations went to war.
 Hundred Years’ War – long series of
clashes between England and France
that lasted from 1337 – 1453.
Causes of the War
 In the 1300s, the English king was the lord of
several counties in France. In 1152 King
Henry II (England) married Eleanor of
Aquitaine (France) that forced more French
land into English hands.
 In 1328, the French king died, and King
Edward III of England, whose mother was a
French princess, claimed to be king of France
under feudal law. French nobles disagreed,
Edward III invaded and this began the 100
Years War.
Joan of Arc’s Victory
 As the 100 Years War pressed on, each side
won victories but the tide turned in 1429 when
a peasant girl, Joan of Arc, took control of the
French forces.
 Under her command, the French won many
battles. In 1430, she was taken prisoner, tried
for witchcraft, and burned at the stake.
Joan of Arc
Growing Power of Kings
 The Hundred Years War affected many things.
New weapons caused kings to rethink their
armies. Castles could no longer stand cannon
fire.
 It also affected feelings as people began to
think of themselves as belonging to a country.
Parliament increased its power as kings
needed money for war. The war also set the
current boundaries of England and France.