The Middle Ages in Europe Quiz

The Middle Ages in Europe

• The Middle Ages began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and Age of Discovery.
• Medieval civilization combined three primary elements: Judeo-Christian religion and values, Classical (Greco-Roman) civilization, and barbarian culture.
• Western Europe lacked a strong central government during this period.

The Dark Ages

• The collapse of Roman civilization in Western Europe was followed by a Dark Age of barbarian invasion, settlement, and supremacy, lasting around 300 years.
• Many Roman Empire's advancements in agriculture, road networks, water systems, and shipping routes decayed significantly, along with artistic and scholarly pursuits.
• Trade was disrupted, and urban centers disappeared as people moved to rural areas due to safety concerns.

Political Events

• Charlemagne established a centralized kingdom in 800 AD.
• Charlemagne's coronation by the Pope on Christmas Day 800 united the sacral and royal functions.
• After Charlemagne's death in 843 AD, the Holy Roman Empire split into three parts. This division led to internal tensions, dynastic competition, and external pressures, ultimately disintegrating the empire and forming France and Germany.
• A lack of strong leaders led to the development of feudalism, a new system of government and land holding, to provide protection against Viking, Magyar, and Muslim invaders.

Political Characteristics of Feudalism

• Feudalism featured decentralized governments and a system of local government based on land control and mutual obligations.
• Kings granted land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military support.
• Local lords created their own laws and commanded their own armies.

The Roman Catholic Church

• The Church provided hope of eternal life for those with limited social mobility.
• The Church kept records of births, marriages, and deaths.
• Canon law (the law of the Church) regulated church practices and individual deeds.
• The Church was the largest landholder in Western Europe, and citizens paid a tithe (10% income tax) to the Church.
• The Church played a significant role in preserving learning and education, establishing early universities.

The High Middle Ages

• The growth of towns led to the rise of an influential middle class (burghers/bourgeoisie) comprising merchants and artisans.
• This period saw a revival of learning.
• The guild system, designed to protect the interests of tradespeople, was established.

The End of the Middle Ages

• The Middle Ages ended around 1453 AD with the fall of Constantinople.
• The Reformation began around 1517.
• The Renaissance, a rebirth of classical ideas and achievements, occurred in the 15th and 16th centuries.

The Crusades

• In 1095 AD, Pope Urban II called for a crusade of Christian knights to recapture the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from Muslim control.
• Tens of thousands of European knights participated in the Crusades.
• The crusading knights were motivated by promises of salvation, relief from taxes and debts, and the potential spoils of war.
• The Crusades, lasting for several hundred years, had significant effects, including stimulating trade between Europe and the Middle East, and exposing Europeans to Muslim advancements in math, science, and medicine.
• Muslims maintained control of the Holy Land.

Italian City-States

• Italian city-states gained power due to trade along the Mediterranean Sea.
• Notable examples included Florence, Siena, and Venice.
• These city-states developed as autonomous entities, establishing their own governments, laws, courts, and systems of taxation.
• City-states also challenged the power of the Roman Catholic Church, influencing appointments and levying taxes on the clergy.

Autonomous Cities

• During the Middle Ages, both the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy sought to claim succession from ancient Rome. Competition between these two powers facilitated the development of autonomous cities in Northern and Central Italy.
• City-states' power and wealth stemmed increasingly from trade, industry, and finance, including banking and insurance.
• City-states were independent entities governed by their own communities instead of relying on the privileges of a higher power.
• Status and citizenship within a city-state was determined by the community, rather than wealth, power, or feudal obligations.