Notes 

1.6, Developments Throughout Europe

 

 

Europe was largely characterized for being spread out as smaller, tribal kingdoms during the Postclassical era. Feudalism grew as a popular system, which established specific relationships between members of society:

• The monarchs were of the highest authority, and would grant land (fiefs) to lords. 

• The lords acted as vassals to the king and provided land to knights while protecting peasants. 

• The kings pledged to fight for the lord of the king for land. 

• Peasants/Serfs: These are the people who farmed the land, did the physical work and would provide livestock to the lord in exchange for protection. 

Chivalry was an unstated, unwritten code of loyalty and conduct for knights to focus on courtesy and bravery. In a feudalistic society, wealth was determined on the basis of landholdings over cash.

 

Economic systems: 

• The manorial system was where manors (large estates) essentially contained all that anyone would need  to survive (blacksmith, mill, etc.). As serfs were tied to the land, they often were not able to travel without permission from their lords. This led to a sense of self-sufficiency as everything was on one manor. 

• The three-field system was a system where crops were rotated on one expanse of land to increase fertility. On the other hand, new technologies such as windmills facilitated population growth. 

 

Political Structures:

• During the later Middle Ages, as a result of growing bureaucracies, many monarchies rose to power.  Such examples include that of France, where King Philip IV would go on to establish the Estates-General (which had representatives from the clergy, nobility and commoners) to offer support to the King. 

• The Holy Roman Empire rose to power, although they did experience the Lay Investiture Controversy (a dispute over whether the pope or secular leaders could go on to appoint bishops).

• In Norman England, as the monarchy grew so did certain fundamental structures.  

• Magna Carta: The Magna Carta limited the King’s powers, introducing a sense of fairness. The King would have to respect specific rights (such as the right to a jury trial). 

• The Parliament was formed to represent the wealthy townspeople (and nobility), and went on to acquire great power. 

 

The Roman Catholic Church: 

• In 1054, the Christian church would experience the Great Schism where it would break into the Roman Catholic and Orthodox branches. The Roman Catholic Church went on to unify much of Europe, going on to control education and art.

• Monasticism was a key feature of The Church, which served to be centers or prayer and meditation. 

 

The Crusades went on from 1095 to the 1200s. They were a series of military campaigns executed by Western European Christians who aimed to control the Holy Land that was previously under Muslim control. 

• The Crusades were largely motivated by primogeniture laws, where the youngest sons were not given any inherited land. These sons would have to go on and find other ways to establish their wealth, leading to multiple Crusades.

 

Socially, as Europe began to change so did societal and economic structures. A new middle class emerged (often referred to as the bourgeoisie or burghers) who were composed of merchants. 

 

Agricultural surpluses occurred at the start of this time period, but were halted by the Little Ice Age, which was a period of regional cooling. 

 

Unfortunately, in the realm of Christendom both Muslims and Christians would go on to experience discrimination.

• Jews, who had served as moneylenders, faced antisemitism and were eventually expelled from Spain, France and England. 

• Muslims were also expelled from Spain in 1492, but would later serve to connect Europe and the rest of the world. 

 

Europe went on to experience a period of renaissance following a decline in productivity, which was a revived interest in culture, literature and the arts that was often defined by humanism (an overall focus on the individual over God).