AMSCO AP World History Chapter 12

Middle Ages Overview

• Middle Ages spanned from the 5th to the 15th century; began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance.
• Divided into two parts: Dark Ages (first 500 years) and High Middle Ages (last 500 years).

Key Groups and Leaders

• The Franks: A prominent Germanic kingdom, with Paris as its capital.
• Clovis: First monarch to unite all Frankish tribes and the first Roman Catholic ruler of the Franks.
• Charles Martel: Military leader of the Franks and founder of the Carolingian Dynasty.
• Charlemagne: Third ruler of the Franks who promoted church-based education.

Invasions and Conflicts

• Battle of Tours: Significant battle where the Franks halted Muslim expansion into northern Europe.
• Vikings (Norsemen): Scandinavian invaders known for coastal raids and founding Kievan Rus.
• Magyars: Central Asian invaders; modern descendants reside in Hungary.

Feudal and Economic Systems

• Feudalism: Defined by obligations between lords and vassals, a dominant social system in medieval Europe.
• Manorial System: An economic and social framework where lords exerted legal and economic control over peasants.
• Fiefs: Land pieces used as payment for service and loyalty within the feudal system.

Social Structure

• Lords: Landowners who held power and authority as vassals to kings.
• Vassals: Individuals who pledged service and loyalty to a lord in exchange for land.
• Knights: Vassals of lords trained for combat, providing military service.
• Squires: Assistants to knights, often training to become knights themselves.
• Serfs: Peasants bound to the land, providing labor for lords.

Cultural and Agricultural Advancements

• Code of Chivalry: A code of honor and etiquette that guided knightly conduct, comparable to Japanese bushido.
• Three-field system: Agricultural technique that improved productivity by rotating crops among three fields.

Major Events and Movements

• Black Death: Bubonic plague that spread via trade routes, significantly decreasing Europe's population.
• Hundred Years War: Prolonged conflict between England and France that encouraged the use of gunpowder.
• Clunaic Reforms: Church reforms initiated at the Cluny monastery in France.

Rise of Political Structures

• Magna Carta: Established political rights for English barons, signed by King John in 1215.
• Estates General: An advisory body created in early France to provide counsel to the king.

Intellectual and Religious Developments

• Scholasticism: Philosophical and theological teaching prevalent in medieval European universities.
• Pope Urban II: Initiated the Crusades, a series of religious wars.
• Investiture Controversy: Dispute over who held the authority to confer church roles, highlighting tensions between the papacy and monarchs.
• Pope Gregory VII: Known for efforts to enhance papal authority amid the investiture controversy.

Trade and Economic Organizations

• Hanseatic League: A commercial alliance formed among cities in northern Europe to facilitate trade.
• Guild: An association of craftsmen or merchants to regulate their trades and uphold standards.