Download Western Europe & Catholicism

http://www.scs.carleton.ca/~avardy/pics/Montreal,Quebec,Canada/Notre_Dame_Cathedral.JPG
Western Europe &
Catholicism
Post-Classical Europe
• Middle Ages
– Medieval Period
• viewed as backward
• Major developments
– Spread of Christianity (missionary work)
– Contacts with other civilizations
Early Post-Classical Period
• Western Europe faced many problems
– Viking invasions
– Weak rulers
• Local, decentralized rulers
– Illiteracy
– Low ag. productivity
Early Post-Classical Period
• Economic Activity:
– Subsistence farming common
– Manorialism
– Low agricultural productivity
• Inefficient ag. tools
Early Post-Classical Period
– Localized government
– Manorialism was most common political and
economic arrangement
• Peasants and serfs worked on agricultural estates
owned by landlords
– Exchanged part of their crop and labor for protection
– Very few large kingdoms developed
• Exception was Charlemagne’s short-lived empire
Charlemagne
King of the
Franks
http://www.tomarken.com/content/crit/articles/2002/great/charlem.gif
Early Post-Classical Period
• Fall of Charlemagne’s Empire set stage for
further development in Western Europe
– Fragmented into regional kingdoms, which
would later become nations
– Regional languages emerged to further divide
the people
• Most based on Latin (known as Romantic
Languages), others based on Germanic languages
Religion
• Catholicism
–
–
–
–
Pope
Local Bishops
Missionary work
Monasteries and convents set up
• Monks and Nuns served as religious examples to other
Europeans
• Promoted education
• Latin- language of educated people and church
officials in Europe
– Most people unable to read, write, or understand
Latin
Slow Changes after 900 C.E.
• In 10th Century, Europe did experience
small developmental changes
– New agricultural techniques and technology
made farming more productive
• Moldboard plow
• Wealth through sale of ag. commodities
– Population growth
Slow Changes after 900 C.E.
– Urbanization increased
– Still small in comparison to Middle East
– Growth in education
• Churches educated those who were destined for
the Church
• Literacy grew in cities
– Viking conversions to Christianity led to fewer
raids and invasions
– Europe began to engage in more longdistance trade
Governmental Changes
• Feudalism emerged as the dominant political
system
– Began as localized agreements, grew into feudal
kingdoms
– System where lords (military elites) exchange service
and loyalty for land (manors)
• Vassals: lesser lords who swear loyalty to a more powerful
lord (king)
– Loyalty in exchange for land (fief)
• Manors were worked by serfs and/or freed peasants
– Exchanged labor and commodities for protection
http://www.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~vms/carlton/Feudalismchart.jpg
Knights
• Armored warriors of the middle ages
• Use of horses in warfare
– Adopted stirrup from Central Asian nomads, fed
horses grain to make them stronger for battle
• Important part of medieval warfare
• Armor
– Started out as open-faced helmet & long, metal
studded shirts (hauberk)
– Evolved into helmet with small visor and metal armor
http://www.spyhunter007.co
m/Images/castle_knights_a
rmor.jpg
http://www.charlesfleming-sca.com/images/military/my_hauberk.jpg
Governmental Developments
• Overtime, kings used feudalism to buildup
their own power
• Examples of Governmental Development:
– England:
• William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy)
invaded England and abruptly established a feudal
kingdom
http://z.about.com/d/historymedr
en/1/0/N/conqueror.gif
• William the
Conqueror
Governmental Developments
• Europe’s political developed was hindered
by several factors
– Church limited power of many kings
• Became involved in politics
– Pope directly controlled central Italy
• Indirectly many other areas of Europe
– Feudal Kingdoms fought each other
• Disputes over territory and resources
• France and England rivals
– The Hundred Years War
Governmental Developments
• In early part of Middle Ages, Monarchs
were also restricted by the ideas of:
– Limited Government
• Magna Carta (1215)
– Representative Government
• 1265: Introduction on Parliaments: elected
legislatures that are representatives of the people
– England developed the strongest Parliamentarian system
• People feared giving the monarch too
much power.
Expansion of European Influence
• Population growth and economic development
led to an increase in European expansion
– Expand into eastern Europe
– Reconquista in Spain
• Efforts to remove Muslim influence in Spain
– Completed in 1492
– Portugal emerged as a maritime power in Mediterranean and
began to increase exploration along coast of Africa
– Spain created after marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand
» Alliance between Castille and Aragon
– Viking exploration in Iceland, Greenland, and Hudson
Bay area of Canada
http://bms.westport.k12.ct.us/lmc/images/VikingMap.jpg
Crusades
• Series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims
– Fight for control of Holy Land and access to riches and trade in
Middle East
• First Crusade in 1095 (request of Pope Urban II)
– Promised salvation for Crusaders
– Gained control of Jerusalem, later lost the city when Muslims
rallied under the leadership of Saladin in 12th century
• Impact of the Crusades
– showed the west’s aggression toward the rest of the world
– Exposed Europe to new ideas and technology
http://www.islamproject.org/images/Crusades_Map_12-18.jpg
Culture of the Middle Ages
• Religion played huge role in culture of the Middle Ages
• Conflict between faith and reason
– Theology: study of religion
– Growth in higher education in later years of post-classical period
led to increase in study of secular subjects
• BUT Minimal scientific discovery
• Art was used to glorify God
– Iconic images, stained glass windows with religious scenes
– Gothic Architecture- buildings appeared to be reaching to the
heavens
• Much of writing done in Latin with religious topics BUT
– Some began to write in the vernacular (language spoken by
common people) about secular topics
• Poems about love, chivalry, and court life were common
Economy
• 90% of population was rural
– Most people peasants or serfs
– Made living through farming
• Population growth saw increase of cities
– Became cultural and commercial centers
– Increase in skilled labor
• Skilled labor usually restricted to members of Guilds
– Trade picked up (particularly in Italy and areas near coast)
• Merchants became huge source of wealth, made loans to rulers
• Conflict with Church because Church frowned upon charging
interest on loans and feared money would corrupt people
– Jews became major money lenders b/c their religion did not forbid
charging interest (usury)
Economy
• Europe also saw development in certain
industries
– Mining increased and Europe was able to
access metals for armor and weapon making
– European’s harnessed the power of water
from its many rivers and streams
• Water Wheels used in mills to help grind grain and
perform other tasks
Urbanization
• As populations and cities grew, the
economy began to develop more rapidly
• Problems of Urbanization and Economic
Development
– Environmental degradation
• Deforestation, pollution of streams, lack of
sanitation
– Disease
Black Death
• Bubonic Plague
– Caused by bacteria, transmitted by fleas and rats
• Now treated with antibiotics
– Communicable disease
• Boils, blacks spots on skin, foul body odor
• Impact
– Killed 1/3 of European population
– Skilled labor more expensive due to labor shortages
– Peasant revolts, led to swift decline in serfdom as
peasants and serfs ran away from their manors
– Unrest in cities
Government Structure in Late
Middle Ages
• Toward the end of the Middle Ages, hereditary
monarchies began to increase in power
– Feudalism weakened and aristocrats lost much of
their power
• New military technology reduced the need for knights
– Gunpowder and artillery (cannons), longbow and crossbow
became major part of military
• Kings began to hire military personnel rather than depend on
the vassals
– Paid for with loans from bankers/businessmen and with new
taxes that were collected on merchants and land
Conclusion
• Middle Ages were a time of contradictions in Western Europe.
– Advances in some areas while still underdeveloped in others
– Technological innovation in mining, milling, and waterpower BUT still
inadequate food production
– Military advances BUT at cost of more frequent wars and aggression
– Trade increased and helped improve the European economy BUT gap
between rich and poor still wide
– Population growth offset by disease
– Christianity thrived BUT at expense of conflict with other religious
groups
– Religion was center of education which left Europe trailing behind the
world in scientific discovery and other secular studies
– Urbanization increased BUT most people still lived as serfs and
peasants on the country side
– Skilled labor increased BUT it was restricted to those in the guilds