Western+Europe



Notes on Maps

490-600: Impact of Christianity 600- 755: Reign of Charles Martel & Viking Raids 755-850:The Rise of the Franks 840-967 Feudalism: 967-1060 Christianity and the High Middle Ages & Expansion of the Holy Roman Empire 1060-1240 Effects of the Crusades, Norman conquest of England and the Magna Carta: 1240-1350 Why the Golden Horde was able to Dominate Europe and the Black Death Plague: media type="custom" key="7523661"
 * Christianity spread and was very influential during the Medevil time period of Europe.
 * The kings had absolute power and they practiced followed an absolute monarchy.
 * Due to the absolute monarchy system, it was easier for the people to follow the rules of a "divinely" appointed king.
 * It was the kings who were associated with the churches that received major political advantages compared to those who wanted nothing to do with the church.
 * The Clergy was in control of the knowledge of the people living in these religious worlds.
 * When converting to Roman Catholicism the Church would receive, lands, wealth, and influences over the kingdom.
 * The Vikings, who were a very powerful force to be reconed with from Scandanavia. They always traveled by sea.
 * While on these expeditions they captured slaves to be used for their own benefits.
 * One of the main reasons for their raids, because they did not like to live in Scandanavia, which had become overpopulated and the farming techniques could not keep up with the surplus of people.
 * Charles Martel ruled from 718-741 C.E.
 * He had control over very powerful armies which allowed him to have a complete military advantage, therefore taking over enough land to become to most powerful nation of Western Europe.
 * He also invented the tool knwon as stirrups, which allowed his men to be able to control their sword fighting while remaining on their horses. Stirrups are still used in the present day world to ride horses.
 * Military excellence
 * They were known as the first professional and powerful army since the empire of Rome.
 * They stirrups invented by Charles Martel helped the riders to remain on their horses while fighting rather than getting off of them to fight.
 * Geo-Politics
 * They were left untouched by the vikings because they to had a powerful army.
 * They converted to Roman Catholicism during this time period.
 * Politics:
 * Converted to Roman Catholic in 493
 * They did not require new people to become as heavily taxed as they were in the Roman Empire.
 * Leadership:
 * The most powerful rulers were Clovis, Martel, and Charlemagne
 * Peasants and knights recived little land despite their efforts and loyalty for the king. (The knights also received little recognition for their military services.)
 * The peasants became "property" to their feudal lords.
 * Feudalism is military, economic, and social order where the ruler gives feudal lords needed land in return for their sevices.
 * Due to the spread of Christianity the populations began to grow at an increasingly rapid rate.
 * Christian crusades began to influence trade in Asia and the Byzantine Empire
 * Christian crusades were mainly stared because soldiers wanted to put their varied skills into good use.
 * Increase in the papal influence
 * The people wanted to rule over Rome
 * Sensless Violence and War
 * The mentality for the Crusades was that Christians must displace the Mulsim and Jewish believes even if it came down to violence.
 * The death toll was very high for Chritians and Muslims.
 * Jews and Muslims from Jerusalem were slaughtered by the Christians
 * Undermining Church Moral Authority
 * The vicious slaughtering of Jews and Muslims caused people to believe the the Roman Catholic church did not have the correct morals that it set out to have.
 * Distrust of Christians
 * As Jews and Muslims were being destroyed, Christians developed a ruthless and exploitave reputation.
 * Asian Influence
 * They crusades had one benefit, they incresed peoples knowledgs of the Asian world, which played a huge part in the Renaissance, which was going to happen many years later.
 * Increased Anti-Semitism
 * Jewish communities were destroyed and Jewish people were even slaughtered due to not be Christian
 * The Magna Carta was one of the first steps towards democracy.
 * The plague killed around 75 million people.
 * The Black Plague was caused by bacteria found on the common rat.
 * The Golden Horde had superior military technology, such as their soldiers superior ability to ride horses, and their skills with a bow and arrow.
 * This forced people to join the Christian faith or die, after they were defeated from the Crusades.
 * The Black Plague was said to have been brought by the invading Mongols.
 * The Black Plague spread, because of the overpopulation in Europe.

The Magna Carta,was a document written to clarify people's positions in society. The Magna Carta was basically written, because the people were trying to seperate the church from the state. Also, like Justinians Code for the Byzantine people, this was the document written by King Henry of England. Some advances in womens rights were also made, such as different sets of rights for widows. Since the state was involved that involves the government. It was said that the Magna Carta was one of the first real step towards a democracy, besides the one of the Romans.

Decline of Medevil Synthesis:
 * Hundred Years War: In the 15th century this war broke out and even lasted longer than its name. This war greatly weakened France and was a sign of weakness for the French monarchy. Kings reduced their reliance on the prancing forces of the nobility in favor of paying armies of their own. New Military tactics were being used. There were ordinary paid archers who learned how to unseat trained knights with powerful bows and arrows with their crossbows.
 * Medieval agriculture could no longer keep up with the increase of the population. The only available lands had been used up and their were no more major technological gains to compensate. The result of this was sever famines and a decline in population until the end of the 15th century.
 * Black Death: In 1348 a plague invested Europe and further more challenged Europes population and social structure. Many people died of the infection that was caused by bacteria from rats.
 * New social disputes between peasants and their landlords and artisanc and the employees arose.
 * However in the mining and manufacturing fields, the technology accelerated.
 * During the 14th century, the monarchy of the Medieval society began to show signs of confusion. It had long staked its claim to power on its control of land and military prowess, but its skill in warfare became to be a huge question.
 * The growth of professional armiesand new weaponry such as cannons and gunpowder made traditional military tactics seem old fashioned and they became irrelevent to use.
 * The aristocracy did not fully disappear. However, during this transitional period some of the elaborate ceremonies of chivalry became more of a joke. This was a major sign that values were being lost without being replaced with a new set of purposes.
 * During the 14th century new taxation disputes came into play. French kings wirlded their influence on the papacy which was a town surrounded by French territory. Ultimately the single pope was returned to Rome, but the church was clearly weakened. The church also began to lose its grip in Western Religious life.
 * Church leaders were so involved in politics, that they began to neglect their spiritual side.
 * One result, which began in the 14th century was a series of powerful heresies with leaders in places such as England and Bohemia, which preached against against the hierarchal apparatus of the church in favor of direct popular experience of God. New series of mystics (present day known as fortune tellers), who claimed to have highly emotional contacts with God.
 * After the work of Aquinas, church officials became less tolerant of intellectual daring.
 * The term Middle Ages implies a lull between the glories of Rome and the glitter of a more Modern day Europe.
 * The Middle Ages were also a period of growing dyanism. Key developments set a tone that would last even after the specifically Medieval centuries had ended. Distinctive idea of government, building on Christian and feudal traditions, constituted another medieval contribution.
 * Relationships between Europe and other nations was becoming a lot stronger.