Causes and Effects of Medieval Wars (750-1500) IB

Causes of Medieval Wars

Political Conflicts

• Fights over land and power between lords and vassals

• Lords would have private wars to expand their land

• Conflicts over who will take over the throne (led to civil wars)

• Monarchs and nobles not getting along because of land (they would have wars between states)

• Power was not centralized well so nobles had too much power (rebellions and wars)

Religious Conflicts

• Crusades tasked with taking back their Holy Land from Muslim rule

• Christians wanting to take back land from Muslim rule (Holy War)

• Spreading Christianity in an attempt to outnumber the spread of Islam

• Conflicts in the church, especially in the Catholic church (Different people supported different popes)

Economic Conflicts

• Who should control trade routes and resources

• Who should control different land (led to state wars)

• Taxation led to revolts

Outside Threats

• Invasions from Vikings

• Threat of Ottoman expansion

• Threat of Mongol invasions

Key Wars and Conflicts

The Norman Conquest (1066)

• Duke of Normandy (William) invaded England killing King Harold II (Battle of Hastings, October 14, 1066)

• King Harold II had no successor

• Harold Godwinson was chosen by the council (December 25, 1066)

• Godwinson placed Norman governance and replaced Anglo-Saxon nobles

• Anglo-Saxon and Norman cultures mixed together

• More Norman architecture was built

• Established feudalism in England (Redistributed land to Norman nobles)

• Domesday Book (1066): Used for taxing and logging England’s resources

The Crusades (1096- 1291)

• Multiple religious wars promoted by the Latin Church

• Goal was to reclaim Jerusalem and other holy places from Muslim rule (For Christianity)

• Spread European influence and culture

• Strengthened papal power

• Expanded trade between Europe and the Middle East

• First Crusade (1096-1099)

• Reclaimed Jerusalem (1099)

• Established Jerusalem as a Crusader state

• Second Crusade (1147- 1149)

• Was a response to the fall of Edessa (City)

• Did not get any victories

• Third Crusade (1189- 1192)

• Richard the Lionheart, Philip II of France, and Frederick I Barbosa led the Third Crusade

• Recaptured Acre, Jaffa, and Cyprus, but not Jerusalem

• Fourth Crusade (1202- 1204)

• Went over Constantinople city walls, and looted the city

• Weakened the relationship between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church

The Hundred Year’s War (1337- 1453)

• King Charles IV died and there was no rightful heir to the throne

• King Edward III (English King) claimed the crown through his mother (Isabella of France)

• After the war, France reclaimed lost territory under Charles VII

• The battle of Castillon was the final battle with a French victory (1453)

• England lost all its French territories and lost Calais (last territory) in 1558

• Edwardian Phase (1337- 1360)

• Battle of Crécy in 1346, English victory

• Longbow was created

• 1347, the Capture of Calais led to the English having France in a vulnerable place

• Treaty of Brétigny (1360) gave temporary peace (England got territory in France)

• Caroline Phase (1369-1389)

• King Charles V (French King) reclaimed most of the territory from the English

• English captured King John II in the Battle of Poitiers (1356)

• Lancastrian Phase (1414-1453)

• Henry V led England to victory in the Battle of Agincourt (1415)

• Henry V was chosen to be heir to the French throne in Treaty of Troyes

• Joan of Arc led the French to victory in the Seige of Orléans (1428- 1429)

Reconquista (8th century-1492)

• A Muslim conquest that began in 711 AD (Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula)

• Christian kingdoms resisted

• First significant Christian Victory in the Battle of Covadonga (c. 722) led by Pelayo

• Decisive Christian victory in the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa against Almohads (turning point)

• Key victories for Ferdinand III of Castile in the Conquest of Cordoba (1236) and Seville (1248)

• Granada Campain (1482- 1492) was a prolonged military campaign ran by Ferdinand and Isabella

• Last Muslim stronghold surrendered on January 2nd, 1492 (Fall of Granada), the end of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula

Mongol Invasions of Europe (13th century)

• Genghis Khan had the goal of expanding his empire into Asia and Europe

• Wanted to control trade routes

• Invasion of Rus (1237- 1240) Batu Khan led Mongols to major cities and looted them

• Battle of Legnica (1241): Mongal victory over Europe in Poland (Led by Henry II the Pious)

• At the Battle of Mohi had a decisive Mongol victory over Hungary (led to widespread devastation in Europe)

• Death of Ögedai Khan had Mongols return to Mongolia for succession council (left central Europe)

Effects of Medieval Wars

Political

• States and empires would go away

• Borders and control of territories shifted, causing disarray

• Dynasties began to fall

Social and Economic

• Devastation and depopulation led to a weaker community

• Feudal system changed

• Land/ territory ownership would be redistributed causing distress

• Trade patterns would change causing confusion

Culture and Technology

• Longbow and gunpowder were invented (promoting conflicts)

• Ideas and culture spread through trade routes

• Castles and cathedrals/churches were built

Religious

• Questioning of church

• Religious intolerance and persecution were promoted

• Religious practices and beliefs were changed to a different standard

Important Figures

Religious Leaders

• Pope and clergy’s influence promoted/ motivated wars

• Religious rhetoric and propaganda

Charlemagne (742-814)

• Conquered Lombardy, Saxony, and some of Spain

• Unified West and Central Europe

• December 25th, 800 was crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III

• Promoted a system of local governance

• Promoted schooling

• Spread Christianity and built churches and monasteries

• After his death the empire split (Treaty of Verdun, 843)

• Laid the foundation for the Holy Roman Empire

William the Conqueror (1028-1087)

• Was Duke of Normandy (1035- 1087) and King of England (1066- 1087)

• Invaded England in 1066 (Norman Conquest)

• Defeated Harold II at the Battle of Hastings

• Promoted feudalism and centralized government control

• Commissioned Domesday Book in 1086 (Survey of England’s for taxing)

• Contributed to the intertwining of Norman and English culture

Saladin (1137- 1193)

• Established Ayyubid dynasty in Egpyt in 1171

• Was Sultan of Egypt and Syria

• Defeated the Crusaders and captured Jerusalem in the Battle of Hattin (1187)

• Defended Muslim territories against Richard the Lionheart

• Reformed tax and government systems

• Promoted schooling (built schools and hospitals)

• Promoted Sunni Islam

• Respected his opponents and is known for his chivalry (respected by Muslims and Christians)

• Patron of art and education

• Known as a great military leader and role model

Richard the Lionheart (1412-1431)

• Led the Third Crusade (1189- 1192)

• Captured Acre in the Battle of Acre (1191)

• Defeated Saladin’s army in the Battle of Arsuf (1191)

• Would negotiate with Saladin for the Treaty of Jaffa (1192) which allied Christians into Jerusalem (holy city)

• Defended French territories

• Gave his mother control of England (Eleanor of Aquitaine) and other officials

• Known for bravery, strategy, and chivalry

• Called “Lionheart” because of his courage

Joan of Arc (1412-1431)

• Claimed to have visions from saints telling her to support Charles VII to free France from England

• Led the French to victory in the Siege of Orléans (1429)

• Was captured by Burgundian forces (1430)

• She was tried for heresy, witchcraft, and cross-dressing

• Burned on a stake on May 30th, 1431

• Declared a saint by the Roman Catholic Church (1920)

• Known as a heroine for her art, film, and literature

Genghis Khan (1162-1227)

• Named Temujin at birth

• United Mongol tribes under his leadership (1206)

• Genghis Khan means “universal ruler”

• Conquered land throughout China and Europe

• Promoted leaders based on ability, not nobility (meritocratic system)

• Known for promoting trade and facilitating the Silk Road

• Had religious tolerance and diversity in his empire

• Had an impact worldwide because of his trading and conquerings

Important Events

The Siege of Jerusalem (1099)

• Crusaders wanted to capture Jerusalem

• Godfrey of Bouillon, Raymond IV of Toulouse, and others led Crusaders to Jerusalem (1099)

• Crusaders lacked water and supplies so they were weak against offense and defense

• Crusaders built siege towers around the surrounding area

• First assault failed because of Jerusalem’s resistance (July 13, 1099) but succeeded on July 15, 1099

• Crusaders captured Jerusalem and massacred it (Many Muslims and Jews died)

• Godfrey of Bouillon was the first ruler of Jerusalem and was known as the “Defender of the Holy Sepulchre”

The Battle of Agincourt (1415)

• Cause the Hundred Year’s War between England and France

• English Army was outnumbered (led by Henry V)

• English had the longbowmen which was effective against the French

• Henry V’s army (English) captured many French nobles and had a decisive victory

• Henry V’s position was strengthened in France (led to the Treaty of Troyes)

The Fall of Constantinople (1453)

• Byzantine Empire weakened and Ottoman expansion increased in territories

• Mehmed II sieged Constantinople on April 6, 1453, with cannons and a naval blockade

• Final attack was on May 29 (overwhelmed defenders)

• Constantinople fell after thousands of years of being established

Effects on Society

Urbanization

• People moved away to safer cities leaving some places abandoned and some growing rapidly

• Trade increased leading to increased urbanization and market towns

Rural Areas

• Rural areas were devastated by the medieval wars

• Rural cities became fortified in defense

Diplomatic Relations

• Treaties were made between kingdoms and city-states to strengthen their militaries and economies

• Diplomatic missions would take place for peace treaties to resolve disputes

Spread of Culture

• Medieval wars facilitated the sharing of culture, ideas, and technology through trade and interactions

• Art was influenced by military campaigns and the blending of cultures

Health

• Diseases spread because of war

• Medical practices were developed and researched (war injuries)

Women and Families

• Women would be a part of sieges

• Inheritance laws were changed

• Women would help manage estates

Economy

• War costs negatively impacted the economy

• Trade patterns changed

Types of Evidence

Primary Sources

• Letters and diaries

Secondary Sources

• Scholarly articles, books, and research papers

• Historical analyses

• Historical interpretations

Maps and Pictures

• Battle/ war maps

• Territory maps

• Pictures and drawings

• Artifacts and goods