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48 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Middle Ages |
the period in western European history from the decline/fall of Rome until the 15th century |
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Muslim writers views on Europeans: |
viewed them as tragically backward (less advanced economy and manners less polished) |
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What was hard hit by Roman collapse? |
postclassical Europe, through the Catholic Church advanced and a new empire briefly surfaced |
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Vikings |
seagoing Scandinavian raiders from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway who disrupted coastal areas of Western Europe |
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Manorialism |
system the described economic and political relations between landlords and their peasants laborers during the Middle Ages, involved a hierarchy of reciprocal obligations that exchanged labor or rents for access to land |
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serfs |
agricultural workers who received some protection |
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moldboard |
a better plow (a curved iron plate) that allowed deeper turning of the soil |
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three-field system |
system of agricultural cultivation by the 9th century in Western Europe, included 1/3 in spring grains, 1/3 fallow |
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Clovis |
early Frankish king, converted Franks to Christianity, allowed establishment of Frankish Kingdom |
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Benefits of Monasteries: |
-discipline the intense spirituality felt by some individual Christians -promoted unity in western Europe -served ordinary people as examples of holy life -improve cultivation of the land -provided education -promoted literacy |
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Carolingians |
royal house of Franks after 8th century |
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Charles Martel |
Carolingian monarch of Franks, responsible for defeating Muslims in Battle of Tours in 732, ended Muslim threat to western Europe |
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Charlemagne |
Carolingian monarch who established substantial empire in France and Germany |
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Holy Roman Emperors |
emperors in northern Italy and Germany following split of Charlemagne's empire, claimed title of emperor in 10th century, failed to develop centralized monarchy in Germany |
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Vassals |
members of the military elite who received land or a benefice from a feudal lord in return for military service and loyalty |
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Feudalism |
linking military elites, mostly landlords, who couldn't afford weapons for war with greater lords who provided protection and aid to vassals who then owed them military service, goods, or advice |
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What did European feudalism inhibit? |
the development of strong central states, but it also gradually reduced purely local warfare and gave king more power |
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Feudal monarchy in France vs England |
France: gradual
England: abrupt |
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William the Conqueror |
invaded England from Normandy in 1066, extended tight feudal system to England, established administrative system based on sheriffs, established centralized monarchy |
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Magna Carta |
Great Charter issued by King John of England in 1215, confirmed feudal rights against monarchical claims, represented principle of mutual limits and obligations between rulers and feudal artisocracy |
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parliaments |
bodies representing privileged groups, institutionalized feudal principle that rulers should consult with their vassals--strongest in England |
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three estates |
the 3 social groups considered most powerful in Western countries (church, nobles, urban leaders) |
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Hundred Years War |
conflict between England and France from 1337-1453, fought over lands England possessed in France and feudal rights vs the emerging claims of national states |
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Pope Urban II |
called First Crusade in 1095, appealed to Christians to mount military assault to free the Holy Land from the Muslims |
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Gregory VII |
Pope during 11th century who attempted to free church from interference of feudal lords, fought with Holy Roman emperor Henry IV over practice of lay investiture |
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investiture |
practice of state appointment of bishops |
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What did Christian culture dominate? |
European philosophies and art, but it generated both change and some conflict |
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Peter Abelard |
author of "Yes and No" applied logic to problems of theology, demonstrated logical contradictions within established doctrine |
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Bernard of Clairvaux |
challenged Abelard, emphasized role of faith in preference to logic and mystical union with God |
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Thomas Aquinas |
creator of one of the greatest syntheses of medieval learning, taught at University of Paris, believed that through reason you could learn about God and order, made Summas |
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Scholasticism |
dominant medieval philosophical approach, so called because of its base in the schools or universities based on use of logical to solve problems |
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Gothic |
an architectural style developed during the Middle Ages in western Europe |
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What gained ground in Western Europe? |
merchant capitalism, but other economic values predominated |
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Hanseatic League |
an organization of cities in northern Germany and southern Scandinavia for the purpose of establishing a commercial alliance |
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Guilds |
sworn associations of people in the same business or craft in a single city, stressed security and mutual control, limited membership, regulated apprenticeship |
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women: |
-vital economic roles -Christianity *equality * female religious figures |
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Shifting of key characteristic in Europe: |
-after 1300 -facing new problems of overpopulation and disease |
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Black Death |
plague that struck Europe in 14th century, significantly reduced Europe's population, affected social structure |
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Rome's death affected: |
-Italy fragmented -commerce shrinking -Spain (Muslim) -Frequent invasions` |
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Copied structure of Roman Empire |
-Pope : top authoritiy -Regional bishops -supervised local priests |
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Charles the Great achievements |
-substantial empire in france and germany -restored church-based education -intellectual activity gradually restored |
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Growth of towns: |
-literacy spread -professional entertainers -monastic schools/hospitals -merchant activity/craft production |
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Explain Pope Gregory VII |
-insisted on holy character of priesthood -priests stay unmarried -free church from state control |
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West became a commercial zone: |
-italian merchants wanted cloth from north -northern cities became centers for western exchange/markets |
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Urban growth: |
-specialized manufacturing -increased commercial activites -greater trade -banking introduced |
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Futility of military methods |
-paid armies better than knights -ordinary archer better/cheaper -castles ridiculous to gunpowder |
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agriculture can't keep up with population growth |
-land used up -no new technology -led to several families |
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Signs of strain: |
-land owning aristocracy fading -church losing power -breakdown of intellectual/aristic/synthesis |