MU #2 - Centralization of Power

Who were the first major powers to break the feudal cycle?

Spain & France

• they began to centralize their states and dominate the Italy region and rest of Europe

• by 16th cen, they became strongest European powers

What was the fuedal cycle?

A social system in medieval Europe where lords gave land to vassals in exchange for their loyalty and service, creating a system of hierarchy and control.

How did Spain & France break the fedual cycle?

• they began to centralize their states and dominate the Italy region and rest of Europe

How did both of them start the process of centralization?

• standing army → centralized taxes

Spain specific - 

• Ferdinand & Isabella united all the Christians in Spain against the Muslims and forced out non-Christians in 1492-1497

1) gave more law-making and tax collection power to themselves
2) they reduced the role and power of nobles

France specific -

• Charles VII created the first standing army for France, organizing and defending their English & Burgundian opps

1) he enhanced his tax privelleges 

Who did Spain & France both profit from?

The Italian City-States that were too decentralized to stop/prevent Spain & France conquests

Who was Phillip II?

• In Spain, Philip II increased the centralization process.

• Within 100 years of Ferdinand & Isabella, Phillip II had become king of spain and had almost complete control of lawmaking and power by 1590s

• he banned other religions and made it only Catholic through the Inquistion and his soldiers

• He had a complex system of bureaucurats to collect taxes and run his vast kingodom

  • which now expanded to the New World

• aggressive leader

What effect did centralization have on nobles? 

It came at the expense and power of them, who traditionally had their own taxes, laws, and militaries. 

What is Centralization of power?

Centralization of power is the concentration of decision-making authority and control in a single, central point or body, rather than distributing it among various individuals, groups, or levels of government

What was the effect of nobles having a lack of power?

• large scale revlots in the early 1800s

1) Catalan Revolt (spain)

2) Fronde Revolt (france)

Why did the Catalan revolt happen? Where did it happen?

• in Spain, because the people grew tired of fighting wars of the Spanish king in Europe and also of paying massive Spanish debt. 

• With help from France, the nobles of Catolonia WON, costing the Spanish crown one of its most powerful states

Fronde Revolt, when did it happen, where?

• a decade after Catalan

• in France

• they lost

Which other European state attempted to centralize?

Poland

Who attempted to centralize in Poland and when?

Sigismund I and II in the 16th century

What was the result of attemps of centralization in Poland? 

The nobles refused to comply and instead elected kings and kept their privilleges. 

Poland became weak in the coming conflicts with Austria, Russia, and Prussia.