France

Why did Kings in France have less power than Kings in England?

English Kings controlled the WHOLE country

French Kings only owned a small PART of the country (The Ile-de-France)

Louis VII

Married to Eleanor of Aquitaine

Raised for a career in the church, only made King when his older brother died.

Failed in the 2nd crusade

Son was Phillip II (by another wife)

Why didn’t Louis VII and Eleanor remain married?

Different upbringing She hadn’t produced a male heir She was power hungry They were too closely related

Phillip II Augustus

Forced to go on the Third Crusade with Richard the Lionhearted and Frederick I Barbarossa

When he left the crusade he went to try to gain territory from Richard in France

He eventually conquered Normandy from John I

The Reforms of Phillip II

1. Increased his own lands (added Normandy)

2. Appointed bailli: supervisors that were very similar to Justices in Eyre, except he was a paid official.

3. Centralized administration

St. Louis (Louis IX)

One of the greatest figures (political and religious of the 13th century)

Even during his life was considered saintly

Was the first King to legislate the whole of France

Created the Parlement of Paris

St. Louis and the 7th and 8th Crusades

After an illness and miraculous cure, he made a serious vow to take an active part in the crusades.

He led the 7th and 8th crusades, which were largely unsuccessful

During the 8th crusade he died from dysentery

We know many details of his life because of his historian, Jean de Joinville

The Iberian Kingdoms

Why were the Iberian Kingdoms

extremely independent after the Reconquista?

Portugal, Castile, and Aragon

The three major Christian kingdoms in Spain after the Reconquista

They were NOT united by law, custom, or religion

Because women were scarce at this time in Spain they had more rights than the average Medieval woman

The aristocracy owned private land, there were no fiefs or oaths of fealty

Monarchs Stayed Strong

The tradition of war against Muslims gave the kings prestige

The rivals were too diverse and were fighting each other

To make their reign even stronger they began to systematize laws and customs in their realms

Alfonso X of Castile

Issued the Siete Partidas (Seven Divisions)

Looked somewhat similar to Roman Law, but the King was the source of all justice

Developed a cosmopolitan court that encouraged learning

Was nicknamed El Astrologo

The Alphonsus Crater

Found and named by Alfonso X of Castile

Cortes- Spanish Representative Assemblies

Spanish monarchs began to realize the need for powerful subjects to have a say in government.

They began representative assemblies by the end of the 12th century

They were the most powerful representative assemblies in Europe in the 13th century

Germany: The Holy Roman Empire

The Struggle of German Monarchs

Unity The lure of power in the East and in

Italy kept the attention of German monarchs

It kept them from unifying their kingdoms

The German kingship also remained elective

Frederick I Barbarossa

Came closest to building a lasting German empire

Barbarossa- red beard Had a mythical persona and

was a great statesman He claimed to be the special

protector of the church, therefore a holy figure

He called his empire the Holy Roman Empire and its’ ruler the Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick I’s Goals

1. Consolidate a strong imperial demesne

2.Force the great German princes to become his vassals

3. As the successor of the Caesars he wanted full sovereignty under Roman law.

Frederick I’s Death

During the Third Crusade he drowned in the Saleph River

He decided to walk his horse through the river in full armor instead of taking the bridge because ti was too crowded

His men preserved his body in vinegar to transport it home

Henry VI

The son of Frederick I Barbarossa

Tried to unify Italy and Germany even further

He only ruled for 7 years and did not have time to do so

He did raise money for the mission by imprisoning Richard I on his way home from the Third Crusade

Frederick II-Stupor Mundi

Nicknamed wonder of the world

The first example of a modern ruler. He was a cold, calculating statesman.

He spoke 6 languages, patronized poets, founded Universities, and conducted scientific experiments

The Pope crowned him emperor in 1219

Frederick II’s Rule

He fragmented Germany in his attempts to unite Italy He gave the Emperor only the powers of foreign

policy, making war, and deciding disputes between princes

He attempted to control Italy, but they felt threatened and the Pope, Gregory IX excommunicated him. Twenty two years after his death all of his heirs had been killed by the church

He also failed to lead a crusade and made a treaty instead, which some saw as dishonorable