War and Peace in Stateless France

Question 1

what does ‘Chateau Galliard’ in Normandy symbolise?

Answer 1

it means ‘flamboyant castle’ and was built by the English as a provocation to the French king

Question 2

what are two Medieval Latin words for war and what do they mean?

Answer 2

“Bellum” refers to large-scale, public wars, and “Werra/Guerra” refers to violent strife, feuds, or small private wars

Question 3

What significant shift occurred in Western Frankia between AD 900 and 1200 regarding royal authority?

Answer 3

Royal authority outside the ‘Isle de France’ ebbed away to almost nothing

Question 4

What were the main causes of the collapse of royal power in Western Frankia in the 10th century?

Answer 4

The erosion of the royal fiscus (the king’s income from taxes and lands) and a power struggle between the Carolingians and the Capetians.

Question 5

Who were the Capetians and how did they impact France?

Answer 5

The Capetians were a dynasty that succeeded the Carolingians, struggled to assert their authority, but had greater resources and better reputation.

Question 6

What role did territorial princes play in the kingdom of France around the 10th century?

Answer 6

They controlled much of the kingdom, claimed royal rights in their regions, and their authority was often contested.

Question 7

How did the Ingelgarians, the rulers of Anjou, rise to power?

Answer 7

Through strategic marriages and relentless warfare, expanding their territory significantly.

Question 8

What was the Peace of God movement?

Answer 8

A movement by bishops and clergy using church councils, religious sanctions, and the cult of saints to establish peace and deter violence.

Question 9

What was the Truce of God and what did it aim to achieve?

Answer 9

An attempt to restrict private warfare by limiting the times and days it could occur, specifically during holy seasons and the Sabbath.

Question 10

What was the impact of Fulk III (Nerra) on the expansion of Anjou?

Answer 10

Fulk III expanded Anjou through marriages and warfare, creating a ‘greater Anjou’ that included several counties.

Question 11

How did castles contribute to stability in medieval France?

Answer 11

Castles were difficult to capture and served as powerful deterrents to warfare and encroachment, contributing to peace and stability.

Question 12

Describe the role of private warfare in medieval France.

Answer 12

Private warfare involved violent strife and feuds between nobles of similar ranks, competing for land, property, and people.

Question 13

How did the Peace Movement use religious elements to enforce peace?

Answer 13

By having knights swear oaths on relics and organizing peace councils to instill fear of divine retribution for breaking oaths.

Question 14

What was the significance of the “feudal contract” during the 10th and 11th centuries?

Answer 14

It involved granting property or income rights in return for service, creating complex webs of mutual dependence among lords.

Question 15

How did castles function as both sources of oppression and stability?

Answer 15

While some viewed them as engines of oppression, others saw them as sources of peace and stability, deterring warfare.

Question 16

What was the effect of the Truce of God on private warfare?

Answer 16

It restricted private warfare to specific times, limiting the days and seasons when violence could occur.

Question 17

How did the shortage of manpower affect relations between lords and peasants?

Answer 17

Lords had to give peasants generous terms and effective protection, improving relations and ensuring agricultural productivity.

Question 18

What role did monasteries play in the political landscape of medieval France?

Answer 18

Monasteries were not neutral; they acted like secular lords, maintaining armies and participating in political power struggles.

Question 19

How did the cult of saints and millenarianism influence the Peace Movement?

Answer 19

The belief in the Second Coming and fear of divine judgement drove enthusiasm for the Peace Movement, deterring violence.

Question 20

How did the church use rituals and relics to promote peace?

Answer 20

The church organized processions, displayed relics, and performed miracles to bind the community and enforce peace settlements.

Question 21

What was the main goal of the Peace of God movement?

Answer 21

To establish a general peace by using church councils, religious sanctions, and the cult of saints to deter violence.

Question 22

How did the collapse of royal power affect Western Frankia in the 10th century?

Answer 22

It led to a rise in the power of territorial princes and a decrease in the king’s ability to exert authority.

Question 23

Who were the last Carolingians, and why did they fail?

Answer 23

The last Carolingians were Louis V and his predecessors, who failed due to lack of authority and moral corruption.

Question 24

What was the significance of the Capetian kings’ access to resources and reputation?

Answer 24

It helped them repel Viking attacks and eventually claim greater legitimacy and control over France.

Question 25

How did castles function as deterrents to warfare?

Answer 25

Once constructed, they were difficult to capture, making it harder for aggressors to conquer fortified regions.

Question 26

How did the Peace Leagues function in the 1030s and 1040s?

Answer 26

These were associations of warriors and townsmen who served in peace militias to enforce and fund the peace.

Question 27

What were some of the new elements introduced to the feudal contract in the 10th and 11th centuries?

Answer 27

Horizontal alliances between lords, mutual exchange of fiefs, and shared ownership of castles to ensure mutual dependence and peace.

Question 28

What was the importance of the territorial principalities in France during the 10th and 11th centuries?

Answer 28

These principalities, often controlled by powerful counts and dukes, held significant authority and challenged the power of the French kings.

Question 29

What role did the introduction of the three-field system play in medieval agriculture?

Answer 29

It increased agricultural productivity by allowing more efficient use of land, contributing to economic stability and growth.

Question 30

What was the purpose of knighthood and chivalry in medieval society?

Answer 30

Knighthood and chivalry established codes of conduct for warriors, promoting virtues like bravery, loyalty, and courtesy, and shaping medieval military and social culture.

Question 31

What was the state of political authority in France during the 11th century?

Answer 31

French kings struggled to assert authority, with many territories ruled by dukes and counts, leading to a state of flux and the breakdown of old Carolingian systems.

Question 32

What was the relationship between wealth, status, and military power in 11th century France?

Answer 32

Wealth, status, and military power were closely linked, with wealth coming from land and produce, and soldiers often being paid in land or produce.

Question 33

What was the role of knights in the peace movement?

Answer 33

Knights, who had access to weaponry, armor, and horses, were expected to fight only other knights and not harm those who couldn’t defend themselves, such as peasants, women, children, and unarmed clergy

Question 34

How did monasteries participate in the political dynamics of the time?

Answer 34

Monasteries were not neutral and exerted power like secular lords, having armies and paying people to fight for them, acting similarly to other nobles

Question 35

How did the church try to sell the idea of limiting violence?

Answer 35

The church linked being a good Christian to being merciful, used excommunication as a threat, and emphasized acting in a Christian manner for salvation, compromising by limiting rather than forbidding violence.

Question 36

What was excommunication, and how was it used by the church?

Answer 36

Excommunication excluded individuals from the community and sacraments, denying them Christian burial, using fear of exclusion to persuade better behaviour

Question 37

How did the church use relics and processions to impose peace settlements?

Answer 37

The church held processions with relics on holy days, performing miracles and holding mass to bind the community together and demonstrate divine support for peace.

Question 38

What was the significance of miracles and divine retribution in maintaining order?

Answer 38

Miracles, both positive and negative, were expected as signs of God’s justice, rewarding good and punishing evil, reinforcing respect for the church’s authority and interlinking Church and State

Question 39

who was Thomas of Marle?

Answer 39

the lord of the County Picardy from 1078-1130. he was a petty tyrant - he hung captives by their testicles and tore them from their bodies

Question 40

how were castles a source of security?

Answer 40

they made it harder to expel the lords who controlled them