CHAPTER 14: The High Middle Ages

 

The Crusades

A. The Call for Crusades

            1. Seljuq Turks, new fierce converts to Islam, took over Jerusalem from more tolerant Arabs

            2. 1095, Pope Urban II called for crusade

B. The Crusading Expeditions

            1. First most successful, took Jerusalem, created Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem

                        a. Crusader states along Mediterranean coast: Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli, Jerusalem

            2. Second failed as Seljuk Turks easily defeated European militaries fighting each other

            3. Third came when Muslims under Saladin re-took Jerusalem

                        a. Frederick Barbarossa, Philip Augustus, Richard the Lionhearted

            4. After seven major crusades, crusading movement ended with fall of Acre, 1271

D. Significance of Crusades

            1. Crusading fervor continued against Muslims in Spain, Slavs in eastern Europe

            2. Weakened Byzantine Empire

            3. Diminished respect for papacy

            4. Increased European exposure to eastern civilizations

            5. Increased trade, commerce between western Europe and eastern Mediterranean

            6. Improved technology

 

Revival of Trade and Towns

A. Trade Routes and Trade Fairs

            1. Opening of Mediterranean key factor in trade growth

            2. Trade fairs set up, such as in Champagne, France

B. Factors in the Revival of Towns

            1. Trade resurgence sparked growth of towns

            2. Population grew rapidly, 1000-1350

C. Merchant and Craft Guilds

            1. Guilds sought to create monopoly, regulate quality, quantity, set “just price”

            2. Merchant guilds maintained monopoly of trade in given area

            3. Craft guilds also trained artisans, recognized three classes

                        a. Apprentice, Journeyman, Master

            4. Women engaged in crafts

                        a. Women (usually widows) admitted to guilds

                        b. Wives, daughters assisted guildsmen

            5. Towns won independence from feudal lords

 

The Black Death

Life and Culture in the Middle Ages

A.  The Revival of Learning

            1. Monastic schools limited admission to those seeking careers in church

B. Origin of European Universities

            1. Professional studies in law, medicine, theology led to rise of universities

C. Scholasticism

            1. Scholars applied reason (logic or dialectic) to understand, express ideas

            2. Thomas Aquinas brought scholasticism to its peak in Summa Theologica

                        a. Argued that there could be no contradiction between faith and reason, all truth comes from God

D. Women and Learning in the High Middle Ages

            1. Convents centers of learning for select group of aristocratic, middle-class women

            2. Women’s roles limited, little opportunity for creativity

E. Vernacular Literature: Dante and Chaucer

            1. Latin language of communication in Middle Ages

            2. Dante Alighieri

                        a. Wrote Divine Comedy, allegory of man’s spiritual ascent

            3. Geoffrey Chaucer

                        a. Wrote Canterbury Tales, depicts cross section of English life

F. Medieval Architecture and Sculpture

            1. Eleventh century recovered art of building in stone

            2. Romanesque architecture

                        a. Round arches, barrel vaults, symmetry, massive stone walls, small windows, plain interiors

            3. Gothic architecture

                        a. Characterized by pointed arches, cross vaults, flying buttresses, large stained glass windows

 

Wars and the Growth of Nations

A. England and France: The Hundred Years’ War

            1. War broke out as dispute over succession to French throne, Fought intermittently, 1337-1453

            2. English armies superior to chaotic French knights; used longbow to good effect

            3. French rallied by Joan of Arc, 1429

B. England After the Hundred Years’ War

            1. Baronial fighting broke out over control of throne in Wars of the Roses, 1455-1485

                        a. House of York symbolized by white rose, House of Lancaster symbolized by red rose

            3. Henry VII triumphed after victory at Bosworth Field, began Tudor dynasty

C. France After the Hundred Years’ War

            1. After 1453 France had new nationalism, stronger royal power than before war

            2. Louis XI, “universal spider,” continued consolidating royal power

                        a. Used intrigue, violence, bribery, treachery

D. Spain: Ferdinand and Isabella

            1. Brought together Castile and Aragon, most of Iberian peninsula through joint rule

            2. Spanish Inquisition

                        a. Confiscated property of Jews, Muslims

                        b. Terrified Christian clergy, laity into accepting royal absolutism, religious orthodoxy

E. Continued Disunity in Germany

            1. Count Rudolf of Habsburg acquired crown of Holy Roman Empire, 1273

                        a. German lands disunited, monarchy only symbolic, gained Austria through marriage

            2. Golden Bull (1356) method of electing Holy Roman Emperor, 7 electors (3 archbishops, 4 lay princes)

            3. Emperor could take no action without consent of Diet, which rarely met

 

Challenges to Church Power

A. Boniface VIII, 1294-1303

            1. Outspoken advocate of papal authority, asserted that kings are subject to pope

            2. King Philip IV of France tried to kidnap, humiliate pope, who died one month later

B. The Avignon Papacy, 1305-1377

            1. Papacy moved to Avignon, France

                        a. Time of so-called Babylonian Captivity

            2. Critics increased attacks on papacy

C. Wycliffe and Hus

            1. John Wycliffe attacked Church abuses, doctrines

            2. John Hus harnessed Czech resentment of Germans

                        a. expanded Wycliffe’s ideas, excommunicated by Church

                        b. Tried for heresy; burned at stake during Council of Constance, 1415

D. The Great Schism of the Roman Catholic Church, 1377-1417

            1. Papacy returned to Rome, 1377

                        a. College of Cardinals elected Italian pope at Rome

                        b. French cardinals called election invalid, elected French pope at Avignon

                        c. Result: two popes with separate structures

            2. Each pope excommunicated the other, and his followers

            3. Cardinals met at Council of Pisa, 1409

                        a. Deposed both popes, elected new pontiff, deposed popes did not quit; 3 men claimed throne

            4. Holy Roman Emperor chaired Council of Constance, 1414

                        a. Electors both bishops and lay people, Schism resolved, 1417, with rise of Martin V