Medieval European History

Monarchs and Wars

• Monarchs frequently engaged in wars with other kings and faced opposition from their own subjects.

Establishment of Permanent Royal Armies

• Monarchs created permanent royal armies to reduce dependence on nobility, Church, and cities.
• This led to increased stability and fewer social conflicts in the kingdoms.

Financing Royal Armies

• Royal treasuries collected money to maintain administrative and military systems.
• Monarchs increased financial resources by:
  • Creating taxes
  • Borrowing from the richest members of the middle class
  • Asking regional courts for larger financial contributions or services
  • Conquering other territories to obtain more wealth

Demographic Factors

• Population growth occurred after the demographic stagnation of the Late Middle Ages, leading to an increased demand for precious metals and products from the East.

Political and Religious Factors

• Religious rivalry with Islam, reinforced by the Ottomans, drove European Christians to explore and discover.
• Conflict with Islam was particularly prominent in the Iberian kingdoms, where the spirit of the Crusades continued.

Sociological Factors

• The Renaissance inspired people to explore and discover new lands.
• Books like The Travels of Marco Polo served as a source of inspiration for many.

Scientific and Technical Factors

• Advances in navigation led to the development of new ships, such as carracks and caravels.
• Geographers began to believe that the world was round, rather than flat.

Economic Factors

• Europeans needed gold and silver to produce coins.
• They relied heavily on products from the East, including silk and spices.
• The fall of Byzantium to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 closed the traditional trade route, prompting Europeans to search for alternate routes.