Political part of Middle Ages

Franks Settled In Northern Gaul

250

In the 250s, one Germanic tribe, the Franks, entered the Northern Gaul by the mouth of the Rhine River. The Franks became one of the strongest empires of their time. The Frankish Empire eventually included most of Western Europe and thus expanded Frankish rule, culture, and trade throughout the area. Their empire created a bond between the Papacy and the state, which would eventually spread across western Europe. (Image is Map of Rhine)

Clovis’ Successors Divide Kingdom

511

Clovis’ sons divided the kingdom between themselves. They and future Merovingian kings were weak rulers and left it to palace officials to govern. The chief of the royal household, or mayor of the palace, ended up ruling. Pepin II was the first mayor to reunite the Frankish Empire, in 687, due to weak political power in the kings. This changed who/which class was in power in the Frankish Empire. (Image is of Clovis)

Christian Involvement In Government

Nov 3, 751

751-1500
The Pope traveled to France to crown Pepin, and it then became a tradition for kings to be crowned by the Pope. The Papacy gradually gained power over time, to the point where the Church was more powerful than the state. The Christian Church governed Western Europe for many hundreds of years. (Image is of the Pope crowning Pepin)

William the Conqueror Spreads Altered Form of Feudalism

Nov 3, 1066

William spread an altered version of feudalism to England, which gave the king the authority over the land rather than the nobles, and thus strengthened the king’s position. He spread where his followers fiefs were so that the nobles couldn’t unite. The nobles also had to swear an oath of loyalty to the king to get land, further weakening them. (Image is a painting of William)

England

Nov 3, 1066

1066 to Present
England was one of the strongest empires in the later Middle Ages. The Norman invasion of England was the first time the isle was unified under one empire. A sole king/queen led England, until the Magna Carta gave England its first general assembly: the Parliament. This government system is still used. England was also the first to use Common Law, which is still the basis of their current law system. (Image is a map of England)

Pope Urban II calls for Crusade Council of Claremont

Nov 2, 1095

At the meeting Pope Urban II urged the powerful feudal nobles to stop fighting among themselves and to join in one great war to recover the Holy Land for Christians. The feudal nobles eventually began the Crusades. (Image is of Pope addressing Council)

First Crusade

Nov 3, 1096

1096-1099
The First Crusade starts from France, and eventually takes back and establishes the County of Edessa, Principality of Antioch, County of Tripoli, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Church assumed more political power. (Image is a map of the First Crusade route)

Concordat of Worms

Nov 3, 1122

The Concordat of Worms was an agreement between Pope Calixtus II and Emperor Henry V of the Holy Roman Empire. It was the first step towards ending the power struggle between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire. The agreement stated that the emperor must be present for all religious elections. The Concordat of Worms gave the Holy Roman Empire some nation-based sovereignty. (Image is of Concordat of Worms)

Second Crusade

Nov 3, 1147

1147-1149
King Louis VII and Emperor Conrad III led the Second Crusade but don’t join forces until the very end. The Crusaders ended up returning in disgrace after failing to take Damascus. This would have disrupted loyalty towards Louis VII and Conrad III and did not look well on the Church. (Image is of a Second Crusade route map)

Henry II

Nov 3, 1154

1154-1189
Henry II established circuit judges, or traveling judges with certain routes, who enforced his laws throughout England. This was cheaper because each region didn’t need its own judge and would have spread consistent legal rulings. (Image is Henry II)

Third Crusade

Nov 3, 1189

1189-1192
This crusade was not successful, but gave the crusaders a few Palestinian towns, and allowed Christians to enter Jerusalem freely. The Crusades are an example of the power of the Church in this time period, however each failed Crusade decreased the image of the Church. (Image is map of Third Crusade routes)

Pope Innocent III

Nov 3, 1198

1198-1216 Pope Innocent III was the most powerful and influential Pope of the Middle Ages. He asserted himself above all political and religious leaders in western Europe by refining the canon laws. He also organized the Fourth Crusade. (The image is of Pope Innocent III)

Fourth Crusade

Nov 3, 1202

1202-1204
The Fourth Crusade was the last full-strength crusade, which failed miserably. This failure led to the decline of support for these crusades and the Church itself, with the last one occurring in 1291. (Image is of Fourth Crusade route map)

Magna Carta, King John, and the Nobles' Revolt

Nov 3, 1215

After unjust taxes, the nobles revolted and forced King John to sign the Magna Carta and protect the liberties of nobles. Ordinary people gained more rights this way, and the king was now restricted by the law as much as anyone else was. He also had to go through the Great Council to make new taxes. (Image is King John signing the Magna Carta)

Simon de Montfort Leads Way To Parliament

Nov 3, 1265

Simon de Montfort led the nobles in a revolt against King Henry III and while controlling the throne, they tried to gain support with diverse representation in the Great Council. In 1265, he summoned certain knights and citizens to meet with nobles. The Great Council, later called Parliament, was split into two houses: one of nobles and clergy and one of knights and citizens. Parliament gained power due to their control over taxes leading to influence on government decisions. (Image of Simon)

Edward I and Common Law

Nov 3, 1272

1272-1307
Edward I divided the court into three branches: the Court of Exchequer for finances and taxes, the
Court of Common Pleas cases between private citizens, and the Court of the King’s Bench for cases with the king or government. This created common law, the use of previous judges’ decisions in future cases. (Image is of Edward I)

The Estates General

Jan 1, 1302

Established by King Philip IV, The Estates General was France’s first general assembly. It was made of three groups: the clergy, the nobles, and the common people. They advised the King on passing laws and controlling finances. The Estates General sporadically appears multiple times throughout French history. (Image is of Estates General in Versailles in 1700s)

Babylonian Captivity

Nov 3, 1309

Babylonian Captivity (1309-1377) was the name given to the period of time when Pope Clement V moved the Papacy from Rome to Avignon in southern France. It was named after the period of Hebrew exile in Babylon more than 16 centuries before. This was the first time in 1000 years that the Papacy was headquartered outside of Rome. Rome fell into turmoil because of this, showing the power the Church had. Seven French Popes including Clement V ruled during this time. (Image is of Pope Clement V)

Hundred Years War

Nov 3, 1337

1337-1453
A war between France, England, and both their allies. Advancements in weapons, tactics and army structure, and a change to the meaning of war all occurred during this period. France ultimately won the war, stopping English expansion and isolating England on the British Isles for hundreds of years. (Image is a painting of forces facing off during the war)

Hanseatic League

Jan 1, 1356

1356-1862
The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns in mainland northwestern Europe. The league dominated Baltic maritime trade for hundreds of years. The league protected economic interests and gave individual cities diplomatic/legal rights. The Hanseatic League lasted until the mid-1800’s, making it the last political unit in western Europe to use a feudalistic form of government. (Image is a map of Trade Hubs)

Joan of Arc

Nov 3, 1412

1412-May 30, 1431
“The Maid Of Orléans” was one of the world’s few heroines before the modern era. She was declared a Roman Catholic Saint for her contribution to France in The Hundred Years’ War and a martyr for being wrongly executed at the age of 19. Joan Of Arc is still held as a symbol of national pride for France and helped the French war efforts, including getting Charles VII on the throne. (Image is of Joan)

The Wars of The Roses

Jan 1, 1455

1455-1485
The Wars of The Roses were a series of wars that followed The Hundred Years’ War and were fought by two branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Whoever won the wars would seize England’s throne. The House of Lancaster won, leading to the establishment of the Tudor Dynasty. (Image is of a battle)

The Unification of Spain

Nov 3, 1479

1479-1515
King Ferdinand and Isabella unified Spain through their marriage, military conquest, and acquisition. In doing this they forced the non-Christian civilians (the Moors and the Jews) to convert to Christianity, bringing the whole Spanish to Peninsula under Christianity for the first time in several hundred years. (Image is of Isabella and Ferdinand in their court)

Capetian Kings

Mar 2, 2022

987-1328
Capetian kings continuously fought with vassals due to feudal lords struggling for power. Strong kings gained authority and with it royal lands while weak kings resulted in nobles with power. To maintain rule, Capetian kings increased central government by using loyal and well-trained officials, extending the jurisdiction of the courts, gaining control of the church later on, and also creating the Estates General, a representative body of society. (Image of French/Capetian emblem)

Frankish Decline

Mar 2, 2022

Charlemagne’s son Louis left the empire to his three sons, who divided it. His descendants were poor rulers, and could not unite against enemies, so they soon broke apart from internal feuds and external invasions from Muslims, Slavs, Magyars, Huns, and Vikings. Louis’ sons had weak central power due to their poor rule, which ultimately led to their end. (Image is Louis the Pious)

Charlemagne

Mar 2, 2022

768-814
Charlemagne gained control of much of western Europe with the aim of renewing the Roman Empire’s power and glory. Charlemagne was the first leader since the Roman Empire to be given the title “Emperor of the Romans.” The empire consisted of regions ruled by counts who raised their own armies and administered the laws, although the empire was unified and had missi dominici who monitored the laws and counts. (Image is Charlemagne)

The Vikings

Mar 2, 2022

790-1060
The Vikings’ empire was based in Scandinavia, but they raided and traded all over Europe. They were some of the best seafarers of their time. Their explorations led them as far as North America and eastern Asia. The Vikings invaded all along the the coasts of western Europe and inland to Slavian territory. Normandy in France was named for a large settlement of Vikings. The Vikings raided much of feudal Europe and disturbed much of the political stability. (Image is of Vikings)

Feudalism

Mar 2, 2022

In the 900s:
Feudalism, a system in which lords granted land to vassals in exchange for services, becomes firmly established. Lords held the same powers as the government and as a result the position of a king became little more than a title. (Image is the Feudalism Power Pyramid)

Holy Roman Empire

Mar 2, 2022

December 25, 800 - August 6, 1806
The coronation of Charlemagne is believed to be the start of the Holy Roman Empire even though the term wasn’t used until the 13th century. It was one of the largest empires in western Europe during its time. The empire dedicated itself to the Roman empires of the past. They used the term emperor and had imperium, which was the first time it had been used since Roman times. (Image is the flag of the Holy Roman Empire)

Otto I

Mar 2, 2022

936-962
Otto I was elected by the feudal lords and was a powerful leader. However, he invaded Italy instead of building up the kingdom in Germany. Pope John XII asked for assistance with the Roman nobles, and Otto complied. The Pope crowned him Emperor of the romans and the relationship between Germany and italy continued. Otto I mixed the kingship, feudal lords, and the Church in his reign while maintaining and expanding control. (Image is of Otto I)