Nation States In the High Middle Ages and Early Renaissance

Some Caveats…• These states will all develop at different times for

different reasons• This is a general concept that honestly covers the

time period from about 1100 – 1800 – well past what we will do in this class.

• We are going to focus on a few major states– England– France– Spain– Netherlands– Russia– Italian Papal States

Keys to the Development of the Modern State

• Fight with the Catholic Church leads to trust in monarchy (England, France, Dutch)

• Large Scale Wars Cause a Need for Large Scale Armies (England, France, Russia, Spain

• Wealth and Development = larger state (Dutch)

• Crusades leads to a need for more centralized state (England, France, Spain)

• Infrastructure improvement (All five)

Problems with the Catholic Church…

• Lay Investiture – • The Papacy – Pope was as much a political office as king or duke

in the Middle Ages– Popes would often come from rich families that

had already paid for them to become cardinals.– Typically competing families would attempt to

become popes – Italian and French being most prominent.

– Popes were often times plagued with…problems.

Problem Popes• 955-964 – Pope John XII – gave land to mistress, murdered

several people, was murdered by man who caught him in bed with his wife

• 1032-1048 – Pope Benedict IX – Pope at appx. 20 y.o., orgies, out of wedlock births, SOLD papacy to uncle when bored.

• 1277-1280 – Nicholas III – gave land and power to family• 1294-1303 – Pope Boniface VIII – centralized personal

authority, sent troops to attack nobles and take land away• 1305-1314 – Pope Clement V – nepotism again, eliminated

Knights Templar• 1492 – 1503 – Pope Alexander VI (Roderic Borgia) –

corrupt, had 4-5 children, used them to gain wealth and power. Cesare and Lucretia.

Western Schism of 1378

• Pope Urban VI was elected to appease Italians after decades of French domination

• Urban was harsh and alienated French Cardinals – accused them of not being pius (they weren’t)

• Cardinals created their own anti-pope – Clement VII – and sought to rival Rome.

• Catholicism split by pope in Avignon, France and Rome.

How did it end?

• Two rival papacies continued until 1414 when • Both rival groups agreed to meet at Savona, but

eventually left and abandoned both of these popes.

• Met a Pisa and elected…wait for it…a THIRD pope Alexander V, who was succeeded by John XIII.

• Eventually two Roman popes resigned and at Council of Constance a new pope was elected, Martin V. Avignon papacy didn’t end until 1429.

England and France

• Are inexorably tied together because of their common land ownership and fights over it…

• Centralization of the state necessary because of the 100 years war.

• 1337-1453 – not continuous a series of wars that have been put together by historians

• House of Valois and Plantagenet's attempting to take over French Throne

England

• William of Normandy - 1066– Prior to William – England was a true backwater

nation– William “the conqueror” took over England at the

Battle of Hastings – he was from France (Normandy)

– Doomsday Book– Reformed English feudal system and built up

castles and army.

England leading up to the war…

• Since Norman conquest – England had owned land in France – William of Normandy

• William’s grandson, Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine – who encouraged her sons to revolt against him. Kill Thomas Beckett – Arch. Of Canterbury• Took over Ireland, Parts of Scotland

• They lose but Richard still becomes king.• In 1189-1199 – Richard I in charge but goes to

crusades (homosexuality?)• Leaves John I in charge

Plantagenet Kingdom under Henry and Eleanor

The Terrible Plantagenet's

• Richard captured by Duke of Austria - ransomed

• John I – revolted after Richard and ruled in his stead during crusades – allied with Philip II of France

• Lost Normandy, forced to sign Magna Carta• Richard set free with ransom – reunited with

brother John – attacked Philip II rest of life.• Died by crossbowman in meaningless death

Lead up to war…• Plantagenet's spent next 100 years fighting over

Scotland and France (Edward Longshanks, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce)

• Ardent anti-semites.• Henry III loses a series of conflicts in 1220’s and

forced to sign treaty that makes English barons of France on French soil. Oops.

• Later Edward III (the Black) claims French throne when Charles IV leaves no heir to Capetian throne.

The War Itself

• Phase I – The War of Breton Succession – English won much land / power – Battle of Cercy (Plantagenet's sort of end in 1399)

• Phase II – Henry V (Lancasterian line) invades – wins at Agincourt – 40% of French nobility lost here – by 1429 looked like French going to lose

• Phase III – Joan of Arc and Battle of Orleans, sold to English and tried as heretic burned at stake.

• However…Charles VII becomes king afterwards and starts Valois dynasty

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqq-p04_IPs

So…what about France?• After Carolingians (Charlemagne) end – get first true

French (not Frankish) king in Hugh Capet (elected).– Made Paris center of French life and gov’t

• “France” a very general term until 100 years war. Most of power actually in “English” hands after William of Normandy united areas

• Attempt by Louis VII (the younger) to gain power by marrying Alienor of Acquitaine for dukeship. Divorced because 2 daughters.

• Married Henry II – renamed Eleanor…

Height of Capatians

• Louis XIII – part of Albigensian Crusades (Gnostic version of Christianity) – Count of Toulouse

• Louis IX – “Saint Louis”– Helped fund Crusades – 7th and 8th

– Founded Anjou and Bourbon Dynasties• Anjou ruled Naples, Sicily, and Hungary• Bourbon – succeeded as final French line.

• Grandson Philip IV – established Estates General and allied with Scots

End of Capatian Line leads to Hundred Years War

• Philip IV had three sons and one daughter – Isabella.

• None of the sons produced an heir and when the last son Charles IV died, sister Isabella claimed that her son should be king.

• Claim rejected and then since Isabella was married to Edward III the Blackheart helped lead to war over crown succession.

• Transition to the Valois Dynasty

Russia – The Mongols Screw It All Up

• Russia– Ruik Dynasty – 860’s – Boyars made subservient– Kiev Centered – Vladamir I and Yaroslav the Wise

• Mongolian Invasions• Began under Genghis• By 1238 Mongols under Batu Khan subjugated Rus’.• Destroyed Kiev by 1240 – burned to ground• Age of “Tartar” Rule

Life under the Mongols

• “Golden Horde”• Mongols conquered and then…left• Wanted tribute and loyalty• Raided on regular basis, but then left to

princes self government.

Expulsion of Mongols – Rise of Moscow

• By 1400’s openly challenging Mongol rule.• Battle of Kulikovo Fields – Prince Dmitry of

Moscow wins fame• Grandson Ivan III spread out by conquest and

agreements • Moscow grows by 3x in size• 1453 – Constantinople Falls to Muslims –

Russians see selves as “New Rome”

Ivan III

• Officially kicked Tatars out – built new Manor system that functioned to create cavalry

• Afterward consolidates power • Proclaims self “Tsar” or Caesar in Russian• Powerful expansion but no real connection to

Western Europe• Cultural dead period

Ivan IV – The Terrible

• First TRULY centralized autocratic ruler• Forced boyars to completely cave to his will –

killed or exiled dissenters• Livonian War a failure• Expanded Khazaks, Astrakhans, and Siberia• Massacre of Novogord – 1570 – crippled

empire and Crimean Tartars invaded.

Time of Troubles

• Ivan the Terrible’s death led to this period because of childless son Feodor dying.

• Invasion and war commenced in and out of government.

• Eventually ended by Michael Romanov coming to power

• Romanovs will rule until 1918– Peter the Great– Catherine the Great

Holy Roman Empire

• Neither Holy (started by Church as an homage to Charlemagne for supporting the church – not papal lands at all)

• Nor Roman (Primarily German, named so to harken back to Roman age)

• Nor an Empire (a collection of individual principalities and states – not really a unified state)

Early Formation

• In 800 Charlemagne named Emperor of the Romans – some credit this as start of empire.

• After his descendent died in 911 (Louis the Child) some of the barons stopped accepting automatic Carolingian dynastic rule.

• Conrad of Franconia “elected” by a group of states as the Rex Francorum Orientalum

• No permanent capital city – traveled around (Kaiserpfalz) to deal with affairs

Otto the I• Elected king in 936 AD at Aachen • Came to aid of Adelaide in 951 AD – widowed

queen of Italy• By 955 AD Otto led to decisive victory over the

Magyars at the Battle of Lechfeld.• By 962 pope John XII officially crowns him emperor• Three expeditions to preserve Italian conquests –

One to reinstate John XIII as pope• Historical beginning of the HRE

Lay Investiture• Kings employed bishops in a set of basic administrative duties• Pope wanted them to be chosen by him, kings had

traditionally had say• Pope Gregory attempted to do so• Henry IV repudiated it and got his bishops to excommunicate

pope• Pope excommunicates Henry• Walk to Canossa• Concordat of Worms – 1122• Weakened Emperor

HohenstaufenDynasty

• Established ministerialia (non-service men) with land – becomes knights

• Reorganizes law to establish – rule of law (Landfrieden)

• Reorganizes economic fortunes around explosion of cities (Munich, Freiberg)

• Frederick Barbarosa I – reemphasized “Romaness” of divine rights – lists areas he controlled

More of Hohenstaufen

• By 1190 – spread eastward. Christianized Prussians with Teutonic Knights

• Frederick goes on Third Crusade – drowns• Pope gets concerned by 1208 that HRE was

trying to claim Sicily. Pope installs “anti-king”• Frederick II grants dukes “ownership” of land• Weakens power of Emperor – doesn’t return

for a while

Interregnum

• After Frederick’s death no one could get elected. 1250-1273

• Ends with election of Rudolph I• After the end of the interregnum, throughout

the 1300’s HRE transitions to a monetary value system replacing land and vassals (happening all over Europe)

Golden Bull of 1356

• This bull (proclamation) stated that from now on the Empire would have permanent electors that were hereditary. In addition the Emperor must get the majority of the electors votes.

• Kurfürsten – permanent set of prince-electors• Slowly land was transferred to princes from

Reichsput (Empire lands)• Basis of power shifts to Emperors own

personal land

Reichsreform (1400’s)

• Series of changes to government structure that established “constitutional” reform

• Imperial Court Established• Reichstag created as an Imperial Diet (body of

officials)• Created by 1512 the Imperial Circles –

regional territories used for taxation, courts, and duchy ownership

Charles V - Hapsburg

• Because of Succession rules in Spain – Charles V became ruler in 1516.

• Through Grandfather Maxmillion I had claims to Germanic territory.

• In 1519 elected as HRE – faced revolts in Netherlands, Peasant revolt in HRE, Martin Luther and Lutheranism, expansion into New World via Spain.

• Would reign until 1556 and retired• Gave HRE to brother, Spain to son.

Netherlands

• Tribal communities conquered by Romans and Raided by Vikings for generations

• Originally part of the Holy Roman Empire via Otto the Great

• Divided into several small counties until the Duke of Burgundy in 1453 – started Dutch nationalism

• Gained great wealth by expanding trading networks and defeating Hanseatic League

Charles V - Hapsburg• Born in Ghent – a son of the Dutch area was forced

to put down multiple revolts• By 1515 he left to become king of Spain and the HRE.• Sent Spanish viceroys to rule in Netherlands.• After Martin Luther / John Calvin, many Dutch

princes converted to Protestantism• Leads to William of Orange declaring a revolt and an

80 year long revolution.• Becomes a religious war fueled by money.• Gain independence in 1648 but only northern

sections.

Commercial Revolution• The shift from a feudal economic system to a system

of trading, banking, and commerce.• This was started because of a whole host of factors.• Changed the economic climate dramatically in

Europe• Gave rise to new groups (Hanseatic League)

established new trading areas (China / Middle East) and created powerful new nations (Spain / Netherlands)

Causes• Crusades – exposed Europeans to new items and

ideas• Hundred Years War / Reformation – created national

identities and tied them to wealth and power• Marco Polo – His travels book inspires curiosity

about Asia and Africa• Black Plague – killed ¼ - ½ of Europe. Led to the

enclosure movement• Age of Discovery – Starting in late 1400’s with new

routes to Asia and you know…Columbus• 1453 – Ottoman Turks take over Constantinople –

cut off Europe from Asia• Had no silver left to trade with Far East for goods• Technological innovations in sailing

What did it look like?

• After fall of Rome, “Money” became minimally existent.

• After Black Death and Crusades we see a return to money and trade.

• Banks established, and not just by Jews (mostly Italian)

• Stock Exchanges will be created in Antwerp, London, and Paris.

• Insurance created to manage risk of trade and travel.• Joint Stock Trading companies created.

Inflation and Enclosure

• Spain gained huge amounts of silver and gold – caused inflation in the prices– Black death causes under population – allows tenant

farmers to demand more for work.– Aristocrats used to paying little for work, forced to sell

land or suffer inflation big time.

• Enclosure movement– Closed off “common land”– Helped with agriculture - hurt small farmers.– Many forced to move to city.

Hanseatic League

• Commercial and defensive agreement among merchant guilds in Northern Europe

• Dominated sea trade in Baltic and North Seas from 1200’s – 1500’s.

• Able to keep monopoly like control on goods within cities.

• Got into wars with Dutch over trading rights in 1438 and by 1441 lost exclusive trading rights in area.

• Slowly destroyed by expansion of banks, new trading companies and Dutch War

Major Economic Theories

• Mercantilism – goal of nations to gain as much gold and silver as possible by creating an imbalance of trade with colonies– Richer a nation = more powerful

• Free Trade – Private ownership of the means of production. Developed late in era – also known as capitalism

Conclusions

• The Renaissance could have begun 100-200 years earlier if not for the Hundred Years War and Crusades

• Trade started getting ramped up….• ….then trade was shut down because of the

Black Death