Transformation of Western Civilization: 1450-1715
Section I: Foundations of Western Civilizations: Summarize the chief contributions of each of
the following to Western civilization:
A. Greeks: On a military standpoint they formed alliances and created a navel empire. They
established the foundations of Western philosophy. They influenced western literary and
political terms. They thought of the concepts of rights and duties of citizenship and
democracy. They raised and debated fundamental questions about the purpose of human
existence, the structure of human society, and the nature of the universe.
B. Romans: They produced achievements in language, law, engineering, and government.
They were great builders and passed on aqueducts and roads. Also aspects of Roman
administrative practices survived.
C. Christianity: The church developed an organized government under the leadership of the
pope. It simulated the classical tradition and through its clergy brought Christianized
civilizations.
D. Feudalism/Manorialism: European society was dominated by a landed aristocracy whose
primary function was to fight. These nobles built innumerable castles in the country side.
Lords and vassals seemed forever mired in endless petty conflicts but over time medieval
kings began to exert centralizing authority and inaugurated the process of developing new
kinds of monarchial states.
E. Terms:
1. Babylonian Captivity/ Great Western Schism: The 'Babylonian Captivity' - the
period from 1309 to 1378 when the Popes were based in Avignon, France rather
than Rome - and the Papal Schism of 1378-1417,when French Cardinals
abandoned a Papacy that had returned to Rome in favor of their own French Pope
back in Avignon severely damaged the credibility of the Catholic Church.
2. Conciliar Movement: A Church movement centered on the three general councils
of Pisa, Constance, and Basle. Its original purpose was to heal the papal schism
caused by there being two, and later three, popes at the same time. The movement
was successful, deposing or accepting the resignation of the popes concerned. It
declared the superiority of a general council of the Church over the papacy
3. Wycliffe and Hus: Jon Wycliffe was an English theologian and early proponent of
reform in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. He made an
English translation of the Bible in one complete edition (King James Version) and
is considered a precursor of the Protestant Reformation. Jan Hus was a religious
thinker, philosopher, and reformer. His followers became known as Hussites. The
Roman Catholic Church considered his teachings heretical, and Hus was
excommunicated in 1411, condemned by the Council of Constance, and burned at
the stake on July 6, 1415.
Section II: Transformation to Modern Society
A. Renaissance: Describe the following movements of the Renaissance era
1. Secularism: the belief that government or other entities should exist separately from religion
and/or religious beliefs.
2. Humanism: The ideal that through education in the sources of classical, and especially
Christian, antiquity, one could instill a true inner piety or an inward religious feeling that would
bring about a reform of the church and society.
3. Italian Renaissance: The opening phase of the Renaissance, a period of great cultural change
and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 13th century to about
1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. It was spawned by the
birth of the philosophy of humanism, which emphasized the importance of individual
achievement in a wide range of fields. The early humanists, studied the works of the ancient
Greeks and Romans for inspiration and ideology, mixing the philosophies of Plato and other
ancient thinkers with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Under the influence of the
humanists, literature and the arts climbed to new levels of importance
4. Northern Renaissance: The Northern Renaissance is the term used to describe the Renaissance
in northern Europe, or more broadly in Europe outside Italy. Before 1450 Italian Renaissance
humanism had little influence outside Italy. From the late 15th century the ideas spread around
Europe. After 1500 Renaissance spread around Europe, but Late Gothic influences remained
present until the arrival of Baroque. In France, King Francis I imported Italian art, commissioned
Italian artists, and built grand palaces at great expense, beginning the French Renaissance.
B. Modern State: Answer the following questions
1. Describe the general nature and accomplishments of the New Monarchies
They limited the power of the feudal aristocracy while creating efficient, centralized systems
of taxation. They maintained a standing army loyal to the monarch while encouraging some
sense of national identity. They fostered trade, both internally and externally and enforced
religious unity within their countries.
2. Describe the political and economic life in the early modern period in these places:
a. Spain: Spain had absolute monarchy but was controlled by the Holy Roman Empire
(Charles V) around mid-1500s. Their government was strongly tied to the church unlike
most of the Protestant nations. After they found the New World they obtained lots of gold
and silver which caused inflation in their homelands. The Spanish set up sugar and other
cash crop plantations and started the transatlantic slave trade.
b. France: During this period France evolved from a feudal regime to an increasingly
centralized state organized around a powerful absolute monarchy that relied on the
doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings and the explicit support of the established Church.
It experienced an economic recovery.
c. England: During the early modern period England changed from being series of regional
economies largely isolated from one another, to being an integrated national economy.
London played a crucial role in this development. The battle of Bosworth marked the end
of the long period of civil war known as the Wars of the Roses and the establishment of
the Tudor dynasty under Henry VII, which brought a greater degree of stable centralized
government to England.
d. Poland: They saw a rise and partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the rise of
strong centralized governments, and the beginnings of recognizable nation states.
Economic origins of anti-Semitism began during this period.
e. Holy Roman Empire: The fundamental institutions of the later Middle Ages( the feudal
system, the universal authority of the Pope, the Holy Roman Empire, and the system of
trade regulated by Mediaeval guilds) were all undermined. As a result of large-scale
investment of capital, booming manufacture, and expanding trade and commerce, the
focus of economic life increasingly shifted away from the manorial estates of the feudal
nobility to the newly emerging cities, that enabled their prominence as centers of cultural
culmination.
3. What was the relation of the Ottoman Empire to the development of modern Europe?
The Ottoman Empire failed to impact the development of modern Europe, aside for providing a
place for British capital to be spent during the industrial revolution. The conservative forces and
the janissaries prevented the major military and economic reform the ottomans needed to
survive, and the empire collapsed at the end of World War One.
4. Define and tell the importance of each of the following persons or events:
a. Niccolo Machiavelli: Introduced realism into political theory and thought, replacing
"Idealism", a more theoretical judgement of humanity (in art, judgement ).
b. Thomas Hobbes: He believed humans were guided by animalistic ideals and a ruthless
struggle for self-preservation and that is why all power should be in the hands of a
sovereign authority, preferably a single ruler who served as an executor. He believed
subjects most not rebel and if they do they must be suppressed.
c. John Locke: He believed that humans lived in a state of equality and freedom rather than
a state of war. He believed everyone had the natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
The government was established to protect these rights and would work as long as the
people would act reasonably toward it. His philosophies helped support the demand for
constitutional governments.
d. Charles V: He was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and he strongly supported
Catholicism and went to war with the Schmalkaldic League because of their belief in
Lutheranism. After a failed attempt at bring Catholicism back as the only religion in
Germany he stepped down from power.
e. Peace of Augsburg: It was a treaty between Charles V and the forces of the Schmalkaldic
League, an alliance of Lutheran princes, on September 25, 1555, at the imperial city of
Augsburg. The Peace established the principle Cuius regio, eius religio, which allowed
German princes to select either Lutheranism or Catholicism within the domains they
controlled, ultimately reaffirming the independence they had over their states.
f. Treaty of Westphalia: In 1648, it brought an end to the Thirty Years' War, which had
drowned Europe in blood in battles over religion, defined the principles of sovereignty
and equality in numerous sub-contracts, and in this way became the constitution of the
new system of states in Europe.
C. Reformation: Answer each of the following parts relate to the Reformation
1. Define the causes of the Protestant Reformation
a. Political: Pluralism (Bishops, archbishops, and cardinals took over more than one
office which led to absenteeism
b. Economic: highest positions among the clergy were held by nobles or wealth
members of the bourgeoise
c. Religious: Corruption in the Catholic Church; Papal Courts preoccupation with
finances (Indulgences); Lack of Spiritual Leadership
2. Contrast the thinking in each of the following:
a. Martin Luther- thought humans were not saved through their good works but
through faith in the promises of God (Justification in faith alone). Did not agree
with the Church selling Indulgences.
b. John Calvin- agreed with Martin Luther’s justification by faith alone yet also
believed in predestination.
c. Ignatius Loyola- He formed the Jesuits. Believed in absolute obedience to the
papacy, a strict hierarchical order for society, and the use of education to achieve
glory.
d. Erasmus- emphasized inner piety and de-emphasize the external forms of religion
such as sacraments, pilgrimages, fast, veneration of saints, and relics.
3. Define and tell the importance of each of the following terms:
a. Habsburgs- They were one of the principal dynasties of Europe from the 15th to
the 20th century. The highpoint of Habsburg power came under Charles who
ruled over an empire over 'which the sun never set'. The dynastic division at
Charles death initiated the Spanish Habsburg line (until 1700) and the Austrian
line which ruled the Habsburg possessions in central Europe until 1918.
b. Thirty Years’ War- the conflict began in the German states as a struggle between
Catholicism and Calvinism. Europe’s major powers backed either the northern
Protestant Union or the Southern Catholic League. As the war progressed,
religion receded in importance, replaced by a struggle between the French
Bourbons and the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs. War was ended by the Peace
of Westphalia which stated all German States were free to determine their own
religion.
c. Schmalkaldic League-Formed as a result of German Emperor Charles V
demanding that all Lutherans return to the Catholic Church. Eight Lutheran
princes and eleven Lutheran imperial cities formed a defense alliance against
Charles V. The league proved victorious they survived through War. Their actions
helped lead to the Peace of Augsburg which gave Lutherans equal rights in
Germany.
d. Inquisition: It was the "fight against heretics," with the use of torture, by several
institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in
the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy.
Inquisition practices were used also on offences against canon law other than
heresy.
e. Anabaptist: favored radical reform movements. They felt that the true Christian
church was a voluntary association of believers who had undergone a spiritual
rebirth and who had been baptize into the church. Their ideals were attractive to
peasants, miners, an artisans because they could no longer financial afford to stay
part of the Catholic church.
f. French Civil War: Was driven by religious separations. The Huguenots took a
stand against the Catholic Church and French Monarchy. Resentful of the
growing power of monarchial centralization, towns and provinces were willing to
join a revolt against the monarchy.
g. Council of Trent: Reaffirmed traditional Catholic teachings in opposition to
Protestant beliefs. It acknowledged supremacy of popes, who had triumphed over
bishops and councils.
h. Huguenots: French Calvinist who were a major opponent in the French Civil War
D. Economic Revolution
1. What was the importance of the opening of the Atlantic?
The Atlantic Ocean acted as a geographical "buffer" that made more deliberate and
effective control over the colonists impractical and difficult, thereby, allowing those
colonists who advocated revolution and freedom to freely nurture their plans and
ambitions and see them come to fruition.
2. What goods were brought to Europe as a result of the opening?
Tobacco, cotton, and sugar were brought to Europe.
3. What is meant by the term “Commercial Revolution”?
It means a fundamental change in the quantity and scope of commerce.
The focus of commerce shifted from Mediterranean to Atlantic ports, chartered
companies were organized and continued improvements in navigation and ship
construction sped long voyages. As a worldwide trade evolved, the principles of
mercantilism were adopted, and local trade barriers were abrogated, stimulating internal
commerce.
4. What were the effect of the Commercial Revolution in Europe
a. Economic: commercial trade brought economic prosperity to Europe leading to
prosperity financed new forms of cultural expression during this period. Inflation
became a problem as a result of the revolution.
b. Social: population increase, the emergence of the middle class, and changes in the
social structure (role of the nobility)
c. Political: Led to mercantilism in Europe.
d. Religious: Religion was losing its grip on Europe, in part because of the religious
wars. As kings wrenched power from the church, especially after the
Reformation, and intellectuals engaged in thinking outside the boundaries of
church theology secularism grew.
e. Intellectual: Led to more geographical education in preparation for voyages across
the world.
5. Define mercantilism
Mercantilism is the thought that the prosperity of a nation depended on a plentiful supply
of bullion (gold and silver).
E. Scientific Revolution
1. Explain the meaning of the term “Scientific Revolution”?
The Scientific Revolution was a period when new ideas in physics, astronomy, biology,
human anatomy, chemistry, and other sciences led to a rejection of doctrines that had
prevailed starting in Ancient Greece and continuing through the Middle Ages, and laid
the foundation of modern science.
2. How did each of the following contribute to the Scientific Revolution?
a. Francis Bacon: developed a correct scientific method based on inductive
reasoning; proceeded from the particular to the general
b. Nicholaus Copernicus: developed a heliocentric(sun centered) conception of the
universe
c. Johannes Kepler: his 3 laws of planetary motion proved “ Music of the spheres”
& Copernicus heliocentric theory & eliminated he Ptolemaic system
d. Galileo Galilei- 1st European to make systematic observations of the heavens
with the telescope & it was composed of substance similar to the Earth rather than
ethereal substance
e. Isaac Newton- Invented calculus, a means of calculating rates of change;
investigated the composition of light; made the laws of universal gravitation
f. Rene Descartes: emphasized deduction and mathematical logic in his approach to
the scientific method which complemented Bacon’s stress on experiment and
induction; Outlined a new rational-mathematical system
3. What was the impact of the Scientific Revolution on each of the following?
a. Philosophy: Many people began to think in a less restricted manner, and became
more humanistic in their approach to reasoning.
b. Religion: The Reformation led to a weakening of religion. Scientific truths could
be proven while religious truths could not and this led to skepticism in religion.
c. The world of the 17th and 18th centuries:
The scientific revolution led to the enlightenment movement which was a period in which
people were encouraged to use their own intelligence.