Medieval Europe

(Chapter 12 and 13 Notes)

Chapter 12: 500-1300 -The Rise of Medieval Europe


  1. Why were the years 400-1000 called the Dark Ages? Why did historians rename the period the medieval era or the Middle Ages?


  •  This period of time was called the Dark Ages because it was a period of decline and instability for Western Europe. 

  • Later, Historians renamed this period the medieval era or the Middle Ages because it was a period of transition in between ancient and modern times. 


  1. Did the era of Frankish rule provide more stability or instability to Europe? Respond with specifics from Farah and identify and explain relevant “rule of”s


  • Instability:

    • Citizens suffered from invaders: the Vikings, Muslims and Magyars

    • Internal feuding in Carolingian lands - Three grandsons of Charlemagne fought for control of the empire, ended up dividing into different territories. 

    • Trade declined, leading to poor economy

    • Weak central authority

  • Stability:

    • Pepin the Short created a relationship with the pope, increasing Catholicism’s presence in Western Europe.

    • Charlemagne created a Christian Roman Empire - brought unity to Western Europe.

  • Rule of Man - During this time period, kingdoms were ruled by a monarchy. The emperor, king or mayor was one person that held all the power. For example, Charlemagne was the Frankish King and later became the Emperor of the Christian Roman Empire. 


  1. In daily medieval life, loyalties, stability, and security were maintained even in a divided and often violent Europe. How do feudal relationships, the life of the nobility, the manorial system, and peasant life illustrate this point? Choose the best 2-3 supporting details for each category  and explain how they answer the question. 


  • Feudal relationships

    • Feudalism was a social system based on the exchange of land for military aid and loyalty - people were bonded together by loyalty, obligations and oaths (like the homage) - led to order and stability

    • King gives warriors/nobels/local officials estate with peasants (fief) and they swore loyalty and pledged military support to the king

    • Created social order: Kings, lords and then knights - people respected one another and stuck to their roles in society

    • Nobles built castles for security from enemies

  • Life of the nobility

    • Lords and noblemen have complete control over their fief - any outside invasions were prevented through the risk of harsh punishments (security and stability)

    • Nobleman’s son trains to become a knight (page to squire to knight) - continues the feudal cycle and provides security for the kingdom later on

    • Chivalry - code of honor for the knights that keeps them loyal and fair

  • The manorial system

    • Manorialism - system of agriculture production that provided lords and peasants with food, shelter and protection. Concerns economic ties (stability and security)

    • Relationship between Peasants and Lords - services in exchange for protection (loyalty)

    • Advancements in agriculture - plows increased production and there was a lower risk of famine

  • Peasant life

    • Dealt with many harsh conditions like poverty and disease, but could enjoy pleasantries

    • Played their role in society and did not question their obligations (led to stable and secure way of life)


  1. The Catholic Church shaped the political and social development of medieval Europe. Look at 12.3 Use the Headings, subheadings, and vocabulary terms to show how.


  •  Pope became strongest political leader in Western Europe

  • Church Hierarchy (pope, bishops and priests) - created social order and helped strengthen the medieval church 

  • Benedict - founded monastery and monastic life

  • Monastic Life - Monks and Nuns had a strict and isolated lifestyle, but also contributed to the community by helping others and making improvements in arts and agriculture

  • Pope Gregory I spread Christianity throughout Europe by sending missionaries and monks to convert others

  • Bishops and abbots received land from kings in exchange for military service - Feudal ties boosted the Church’s influence and power

  • Church Reform - Pope would be elected by cardinals (church officials) instead of being chosen by political leaders

  • 1073 A.D - Elected Gregory VII as Pope

  • Heresy (denial of basic church teachings) - Church threatened heretics with expulsion from the Church - ex. The Inquisition

  • Friars (wandering preachers) kept people loyal to the Catholic Church

  • Hatred of Jews led to violence and social unrest in communities


  1. In 12.4 focus on what caused conflict between Popes and monarchs. What issue do you think is most to blame?

  •  Both the Pope and monarchs think that they have power over the other

  • Dispute between Holy Roman emperors and the Roman Catholic Popes caused a ununified and weak state.

  • It is difficult to avoid conflict since both parties are competing for the most power. 


Chapter 13: 1050-1500 - Medieval Europe at its Height


  1. Determine the social/cultural, political, and economic impacts of the Crusades on medieval Europe. Which of these 3 categories do you think was impacted the most? Why? 

  • Social/Cultural -  The crusades’s contact with other civilizations brought literature and art to medieval Europe. It also brought new technology like maps, ships, compasses, and skills like siege and military techniques. 

  • Political - Crusades increased power of kings and broke down feudalism. Because of war, land was sold or passed to the king, making the system not work as well. 

  • Economic - Trading in the Mediterranean made European cities prosperous (especially Venice and Genoa in Italy)

  • I think politics were impacted the most because feudalism was a big part of medieval Europe. If this is changing it also means that Western Europe as a whole is also changing too. 


  1.  Create a flowchart or knowledge web for 13.2 to show how each heading/subheading impacts the others. Explain your reasoning for each connection. 

  • Economic Expansion

  • Agricultural Advances - invention of the plow and the collar harness increased food production

  • Expansion of Trade - The growth of towns caused the expansion of trade. Towns became main trading centers and locations for trade fairs. 

  • Banking - Because trade was becoming more common, people needed a better way to exchange goods without the barter system. This caused the rise of a money economy where people used banks to transfer funds, receive deposits and arrange loans.

  • Growth of Towns - Built enclosures around towns to protect themselves from bandits. Located near well-traveled roads.

  • Guilds - Because of increased trading and economic expansion, merchants and artisans wanted to create groups where they could have complete control over their local market. 

  • Rise of the Middle Class - The reduction of the feudal system led to the rise of the middle class or also known as burghers, who no longer needed to rely on working on someone else’s land to make a living. This group was made up of bankers, merchants and artisans, and were an important part of medieval society. 

  • Town Government - Because the middle class were gaining power and wealth, feudal lords began to strictly enforce feudal laws. The burghers were able to resist and avoid their control because of the money economy. Feudal lords lost their power and towns turned into independent city-states. 

  • Education - The growth of towns led to a need for educated officials and lawyers. Therefore, education grew during this time period.

  • Universities -  Because people started being interested in learning, people met outside of religious schools and formed universities. By the end of A.D 1200s, universities reached all over Europe. 

  • New Learning - Universities allowed people to study different fields like philosophy and science. People were able to combine Aristotle's philosophy with christian ideas. 

  • Medieval Literature in Art - A growth in learning at universities inspired advances in literature and art. Works were put into writing.

  • Epics and Romances - Advancements in art and literature caused the rise of many different types of songs, poems and stories.

  • Vernacular Literature - Because medieval literature was so common, people started writing their works in the language spoken in their country as opposed to Latin to make it more accessible to everyday people.

  • Medieval Art - Advancements in art led to different styles and mediums of art. Architects built new structures in a gothic style, and painters created smaller pieces of art. 



















  1. 13.3 says that European monarchs strengthened their powers during the Middle Ages. Given the details provided, rank them (France, England, Spain, Holy Roman Empire, Poland, Hungary) from most to least powerful and explain why.


  1. France - unified and strengthened under Louis XI; obtained half of Burgundy

  2. Holy Roman Empire - Largest political unit in Europe; not total unity - Hapsburg emperors could not control the princes; Maximilian I - acquired land under rule and boosted power of Hapsburg family

  3. Poland - Golden Age under King Casimir III; Marriage unified Poland and Lithuania, creating one of the largest states in Medieval Europe; defeated Teutonic Knights, gaining control of areas near the Baltic Sea

  4. England - unstable at first because of the struggle for the English throne (War of the Roses); Edward’s death brought uncertainty; nephews were murdered; lots of internal conflict with itself; later unified again under King Henry VII

  5. Spain - reobtained lands from Muslims (Portugal, Castile and Argon); power of monarchs were limited due to smaller groups establishing their own laws and officials; But later monarchs reestablished power through the Spanish Inquisition (enforced Catholicism and evoked fear); limited contact with other parts of Europe.

  6. Hungary - Mongols invaded and caused destruction; faced attacks from the Ottoman Turks; Hungary’s King was defeated


  1. Describe the Catholic Church’s troubles in the Late Middle Ages. What were its biggest problems and how did it handle challenges to its authority? How effective was its response, in your opinion? 


  • Problems:

    • Babylonian Captivity - The Pope moved its central location from Rome to France, which made people angry

    • The Great Schism - The Church was led by two popes, which caused people to be confused and divided. This made people lose respect for the Pope.

    • People created a general church council, but this caused many problems.

    • People disliked how the church charged fees 

    • People disliked how the church was wealthy, how they were corrupted and how the Pope was behaving

    • One big problem was that Pope leaders refused to resign, leading to more than one Pope. This led to the Church losing its political influence

  • Solutions:

    • John Wycliffe translated the Bible from Latin to English so people could read it themselves.

    • Lollards criticized the Church and acted against them 

    • Jan Hus led a rebellion against the Church and succeeded - the Church gave them religious liberties but still did not change things

      • I think that these solutions were a little effective because being able to read the bible took power away from the Church and allowed people to see that they were corrupt. But I think that it didn’t work as much as they wanted too, because the Church continued to be corrupt even when they were attacked.