High Medieval Europe

Question 1

Otto I

Answer 1

Regional ruler in Germany; conquered Germany, Poland, Czech, assisted church in Italy; crowned king of HRE

Question 2

Frederick Barbarossa

Answer 2

Medieval emperor from S Germany, sought to conquer Lombardy; could have built large empire but stopped by papal coalition; forced to relinquish rights.

Question 3

Hugh Capet

Answer 3

Elected to govern Paris region; monarchial kingdom based on lord-retainer relations; descendants expanded; centralized rule in France w/ monarchy.

Question 4

Duke William

Answer 4

King of Normandy; tightly centralized; controlled all land; disciplined army; invaded England; introduced Norman gov’t and land tenure.

Question 5

Three estates

Answer 5

Those who prayed: Popes, bishops, clerics. Faced church court; part of spiritual community.
Those who fought: Nobles; military edu.
Those who worked: Peasants; farmers
Showed social inequality/division; specialization of labor.

Question 6

Chivalry

Answer 6

New policy of formality/courtly behavior/ethics in high classes; softened warriors.

Question 7

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Answer 7

Most prominent/celebrated supporter of chivalry; patronized troubadours; cultivated manners/love

Question 8

St. Thomas Aquinas

Answer 8

Prominent scholastic theologian; harmonized Aristotle w/ Christian world; combined rational explanation w/ divine one about world; Aristotle held that conscious agent started world-St. Thomas identified it as god w/ outlined plan.

Question 9

Crusade

Answer 9

Holy war against pagans in N Baltic region and Muslims in Mediterranean.

Question 10

Reconquista

Answer 10

Christian states of Leon and Catalonia conquered Muslim cordoba caliphate in Spain; conquered Granada w/ reinforcements from France and England; immediately established Christianity as main religion

Question 11

Byzantine challenges from E and W

Answer 11

E: Muslim saljuqs invaded and plundered Anatolia for agriculture; started civil war; captured Constantinople
W: Pol. and mil. expansion form economic development; Normans expelled Byzantines from Italy; Constantinople plundered in 4th crusade

Question 12

Struggle between church and HRE rulers

Answer 12

Both made claims to Europe; church prevented imperial until and expansion; tense relations; Gregory VII reserved right to choose popes in Investiture contest; papal coalition prevented Frederick Barbararossa (HRE emperor) from taking Lombardy.

Question 13

French Monarchy

Answer 13

Hugh Capet appointed king after Carolingian dynasty; descendants expanded state; centralized monarchy in Paris; lord+retainer system.

Question 14

English Monarchy

Answer 14

Founded by the Normans; Duke William invaded England and introduced Norman gov’t. Tightly centralized; dukes had all power & land; disciplined army.

Question 15

Differences/similarities between French and English Monarchies

Answer 15

English much more centralized; English was conquered first, then built. Both had lord/retainer system; both faced challenges from retainers.

Question 16

Describe agricultural development

Answer 16

Expanded use of watermills and heavy plows; horseshoe and horse collar protected hooves and reduced strain on horse’s neck; allowed for heavier loads; horses now animal of choice. New cycles of crop rotation; beans provided nutrients; increased cultivation; crops from Islamic world- meat, dairy, vegetables, fish. Techniques with literature.

Question 17

Why did cities and towns grow during this time period?

Answer 17

Increased economic development and urbanization; abundant food supply; new merchant and artisan class; spec. of labor and manufacturing; trade

Question 18

Describe trade in Europe

Answer 18

Mediterranean: Communicated with Byzantium, dar-al-Islam, India, and China; exchanged olive oil and wine for spices and silk; ports off Italy, colonies in trade cities.
Hanseatic league: Commerce in Baltic and North seas; association of trading cities; traded furs and timber.
Business techniques improved too: Letters of credit and partnership investment.

Question 19

Church role in medieval society

Answer 19

Cathedrals were centers of towns and gov’t in Italy; universities; religious people one of 3 estates- provided sanction for spiritual people; inspired art, music, and literature; scholars inspire by bible; sacraments gave meaning to life; relics were venerated- started pilgrimage travel business.

Question 20

Describe the crusades

Answer 20

Holy war; fought against Pagans in Baltic and Muslims in Mediterranean; initiated by Pope Urban II; wanted to restore hegemony in Jerusalem; conquered by French and Norman nobles; expelled from region later by Muslim leader Saladin; 4th crusade plundered Constantinople.

Question 21

Results of the crusades

Answer 21

Economic, cultural, and commercial exchange; spread of ideas, science, food, technology, trade; population growth; no resolution; temporary Christian states; validation of holy war