04/13/23 1

04/13/23 2

04/13/23 3

04/13/23 4

Constitutional Monarchy

Constitution – document that limits a ruler’s power

Magna Carta – 1215 – 1st piece of the English constitution◦ King John agrees not to

raise taxes without the consent of the nobility

Parliament: the English National Legislature◦ House of Lords: for the

nobility (5% of the English population)

◦ House of Commons: for the commoners (95% of the English population)04/13/23 5

Absolutist Monarchy Backed by “Divine Right

of Kings”◦ Battle of Tours: Franks

lead a Christian army against the Islamic invasion coming from Iberia and North Africa

◦ Pope is eternally grateful (Franks save Christianity)

◦ Church maintains a strong symbiotic relationship with the French government for hundreds of years

◦ Church will keep the people under control

Estates General: French national legislature◦ Tricameral body – one

for each estate (social class)

◦ Each estate got one vote

04/13/23 6

700 year war on the Iberian peninsula (today’s Spain and Portugal)

War was between Christians and Muslims for control of the peninsula

Over the years, Christians are winning

1492 – Reconquista ends

04/13/23 7

04/13/23 8

Jihad between the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic forces coming from Arabia

Islam is winning 1095 – Muslims

take Jerusalem and the Pope calls for all Christians to fight in God’s army (the Crusades)

1453 – Ottoman Turks take Constantinople – Byzantine Empire collapses

04/13/23 9

Linked to the Byzantine EmpireAdopting Byzantine / Roman culture

After 1054 – Orthodox ChristianityCyrillic AlphabetMoscow becoming the “Third Rome”

Ivan the Terrible (Ivan IV)– takes the title “Czar”

04/13/23 10

Vikings – explored the North Atlantic

Settled Iceland and Greenland

Eric the Red – explored Greenland

Leif Erickson – explored the New World – first European settlement of Canada around 1000 AD

04/13/23 11

04/13/23 12

04/13/23 13

Mostly Germanic loose trade alliance that also included the Northern Italian City States

Made up of over 300 separate political units Emperor in Berlin had very little power Not really holy, Roman or an empire Makes German nation-state building impossible

– can’t have Italians in a German nation-state, but can’t give up Italians for economic reasons

Lasts until 1806

04/13/23 14

04/13/23 15

Given to the pope in 800 AD by Frankish king (helps cement relationship between Franks and Papacy)

Pope operates as a king Guarantees the independence of the

papacy Italian nation-state is impossible as long

as the pope controls Italian territory Will last until 1870 and be reborn in 1929 Vatican City is the remnant of the Papal

States

04/13/23 16

04/13/23 17

04/13/23 18

Baptism – infant joins the Church through parents and godparents – wash away original sin

Confession – age 7 – Priest is given the power of absolution

Communion -- age 7 – participation in the last supper Confirmation – teenage years – join the Church as an

adult Marriage – married BY the Church – for Children –

Church does not recognize divorce Holy Orders – Married TO the Church – one becomes a

priest, monk or nun Last Rites – any remaining sin is taken away

04/13/23 19

Get out of sin cards More money = more forgiveness Can buy for family members Can buy for sins not yet committed Huge amounts of money Pays for St. Peters Basilica in Rome

04/13/23 20

04/13/2321

With the Authority of all Saints and with mercy for you, I free you of all sins and crimes and excuse you from all punishments for ten days – Johann Tetzel

Heresy – going against Church teaching

Most famous in Spain during the Reconquista against Jews and Muslims

Church trials – supposedly to save souls

Torture was used against thousands of Europeans – many confessed to crimes they never committed

Many accused of “witchcraft”

04/13/23 22

Medieval Church Philosopher

Studied the ancient Greek works of Plato and Aristotle

Summa Theologica – major philosophical work that tries to prove the existence of God by using logical reasoning

All humans have an innate concept of a divine being, therefore God must exist for us to have that conceptual reasoning 04/13/23 23

04/13/23 24

04/13/23 25

04/13/23 26

Religious wars called for by the Pope after Muslim capture of Jerusalem in 1095

Will eventually be 12 crusades

Sporadic success, but eventual failure

Why is God allowing Christians to fail?

Europeans find:◦ Spices ◦ Gunpowder

04/13/23 27

04/13/23 28

Bubonic Plague – caused by a virus carried by fleas that infest black rats from Asia

Comes to Europe (Northern Italy) with the spice trade from Asia and the Middle East

Weakens the Church – why is God punishing Europe?

Kills 1/3 of Europe’s population within 100 years of its outbreak in 1347

04/13/23 29

04/13/23 30

04/13/23 31

War between England, France and Burgundy

1337 to 1453 Joan of Arc – peasant

girl who led the French to victory and united France

England loses all French territory by the end of the war

Burgundy joins France 04/13/23 32

04/13/23 33