Medieval Europe IHS Sacacian HWH 9

Medieval Period

Period of European history from about 500 to

about 1500 C.E. Dark Ages= Middle Ages = Medieval Period. Stagnant period.

Stagnant

Characterized by a lack of development, advancement, or progress

Feudalism

A social system of rule in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and the use of land in return

Order of feudalism hierarchy (high to low)

Pope, monarch, nobles, knights/vassals, merchants/craftsmen, peasants/serfs, slaves

How was the feudal society reinforced

Laws, customs/traditions, and religious practices

Monarchy

A system of government in which one person rules. The ruler is the head of state and the position is inherited

How did feudalism provide protection for both the monarchs and the people

They developed their own justice systems and create a standing arm

Did peasants have any rights

No

Did peasants receive education

No

What did peasants get in return for a lifetime of labor

• Peasants had the right to farm a few acres for themselves

• Received protection from their lord

• Could not be forced off the land

How/why did Christianity spread throughout Europe

• Influence of the Roman Empire

• Importance of the church and monasteries in peasant life

• Religious Syncretism

Religious syncretism

The process of combining multiple religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation of new beliefs into an existing religious tradition

Why did Medieval Europe fight each other constantly

Attempts of making empires

Medieval Europe fought against (which) invading forces

• The Slavs (from what is now Russia) attacked from the East

• The Swedes, Danes and Norwegians [Vikings] attacked from the North

• The Magyars (from Central Asia) attacked from the East

• Arab Muslims in North Africa attacked from the South Warfare

How long and why did European Christians fight Arab Muslims

For control of the Holy Land in a series of wars called the Crusades (~ 200 years)

What were motivations for the Crusades

• Religious zeal

• Wealth

• Gives the Pope/Monarchs more power

• Excuse to fight

• Adventure

What was the legacy of the Crusades

• Added to the legacy and prestige of the monarchs

• Gave more power to the Catholic Church

• Disruptive to economies and society

• Origin of the struggle between Christianity and Islam

• The massacres and persecution on both sides left scars of bitterness

• Many continue to call Western involvement in the Middle East a "crusade”

Why did Europe lack trade

• Europe was on the end of the Silk Road exchange

  • provided mostly raw materials to the civilizations to the East

  • raw materials are cheaper and less desired than finished goods

• Money exchange was limited

  • Coins and bartering

• Nobles and religious leaders desired merchandise not produced locally

Why did people migrate to the cities

• In search of work; conditions for peasants in the cities were not good (rats and no sanitation system)

• Trade routes from the East have opened Europe to new diseases

What else was the Bubonic Plague called?

Black Plague and/or Black Death. Hit Europe in the late 1340’s

About how many people did the Plague kill

In 5 years the Plague will kill 20 million people, almost a third of Europe’s population at the time

Was there a way to cure the Plague

There was no cure and no one knew how to prevent infection.

What did the Plague cause in society

• Many thousands will flee the cities but to no avail

• Others thought it was God’s way of punishing them

• Some practiced public displays of punishment and penance to save themselves

• Most will attempt to earn God’s forgiveness through prayer, fasting, and tithing