High Middle Ages Part II:The Crusades, Bubonic Plague, and the Hundred Years War

1000-1500

The Crusades

Muslim Turks became very powerful in the 11th Century • Islam had spread into western Europe in the 8th

Cent.• Fear that Islam would overtake Christianity– Byzantine Empire in a state of decline, emperor even

appealed to the Pope

The Crusades

1095 Pope Urban II called on Christians to take the city of Jerusalem back from the Turks in the name of Christianity• Publicized Turkish atrocities• Offered to protect the lands of knights who went to

fight– Many younger sons volunteered as a result of

primogeniture• Gave out indulgences (forgiveness of sins) for those

who went on Crusades• Knights brought home many relics

The Crusades

Crusades—holy wars between European Christians and Muslims over control of the Holy Land (Jerusalem)• 9 total Crusades, the first 3 considered the

most significant

The First Crusade—Constantinople

Led by Peter the Hermit who had previously been to Jerusalem and was persecuted by the Turks• By 1096 had several thousand volunteers: only a

handful were knights, several misfits• Walked 3k miles, attacked Jewish settlements along

the way—massacre at Worms, Germany• Reached Constantinople and waited for orders from

the Byzantine Emperor to attack the Turks• Emperor did not have enough supplies, most starved

or were captured by the Turks

The First Crusade—AntiochCrusaders seized the walled city of Antioch for 7 months• Earthquake strikes and is taken as a sign from God • Christian Crusaders pretend to leave, but had a traitor

inside to let them in• Christians invaded the city and killed the people of

Antioch• Muslim Turks then surround the Christians inside the

city walls for 3 months• After a priest’s vision from God, the Crusaders were

inspired to leave the city and kill the surrounding Turks

The First Crusade—Jerusalem

In 1099 the Crusaders set out for Jerusalem• City walls a barrier• Following a priest’s vision, Crusaders decided to

take off their shoes and march around the city chanting

• Freaked the Turks out• Crusaders broke into the city and killed all the

Muslims and Jews

• Though violent and disorganized, the first round of Crusades were a success for the Christians—captured Antioch and Jerusalem

The Second Crusade

Beginning in 1147, Muslim forces under Saladin began taking back territory won by Christians in the 1st Crusade• Battle of Hattin (1187) a decisive Turkish victory• Three months later, Muslims retake Jerusalem– Saladin did not massacre Christians, instead

negotiated a formal surrender

Second Crusade

• Second Crusade a Muslim victory

The Third CrusadeOrganized by three kings• Richard the Lionhearted—England• Philip Augustus—France• Frederic Barbarossa—Germany

Third Crusade did not go well—a truce • Barbarossa’s army made it as far as Asia Minor. His troops

returned home when he drowned in a river.• Philip and Richard got into a fight, Philip returned home.• Richard unable to take Jerusalem alone, so a truce was called

and Muslims and Christians both allowed to safely worship in Jerusalem.

The Children’s CrusadesIn 1212, a French shepherd boy named Steven had a vision from God that said children were the only way to drive the Muslims from the Holy Land• King Philip Augustus denied his request for a children’s crusade• Marched thousands of children to the Mediterranean where

the prayed for the waters to part• A group of merchant ships agreed to take them—2 sank, 1 sold

them into slavery in EgyptSecond kids crusade led by a German boy named Nicholas who wanted to lead the children to Rome• 2/3 died crossing the Alps• Once in Rome, the Pope ordered them home. None made it.

Results of the CrusadesBy 1300, all Christian holdings gained from the Crusades had been lost to Muslim forces. Consequences:• More contact between east and west new ideas, new

products, rebirth of international trade• Europeans introduced to Muslim ways of thinking– Islamic Golden Age from 750-1258 while Europe in the

Dark Ages– Muslim institutions advanced in medicine, math, and

science• Decline of feudalism and the strength of centralized states

The 14th Century (1300s)

Middle Ages take a turn for the worst in the 14th Century• A population increase put a strain on resources• Europe’s climate got colder around 1300; drove

agricultural production down• The Great Famine of 1315-1317– Infectious diseases in animals caused epidemics of

diphtheria, dysentery, etc.• Kings and nobles shut themselves off—raised taxes

to support lavish lifestyles

Bubonic Plague

Bacterial infection transmitted by blood• Spread rapidly by flees biting infected rats• Symptoms: high fever, delusions, swollen lymph

nodes, boils (called “buboes”), rotting flesh, corpse turns black

• Death 5-7 days after contracted• Bizarre cures often caused more harm than

good

Bubonic Plague

Economic consequences• Plague caused a huge drop in food production

and massive inflation• Nobles passed this burden onto the peasants• Peasant revolts became common, but were

often brutally crushed

The Hundred Years’ War

Going back to William the Conqueror (1066), the England and French argued over territorial boundaries– England claimed much of mainland Europe in present-day

France– France claimed much of the lower half of the English isles

1328 the last French king of the Capetian Dynasty dies• Phillip II assumed the throne in France beginning the

Valois Dynasty• A closer relative to the throne, Edward III of England

claimed the title to the French throne should actually be his

French fleet attacks on England

The Hundred Years’ War

The English had considerable European support and won several early battles against the French:• 1346 Battle of Crecy• 1356 Battle of Poitiers• 1415 Battle of Agincourt

Joan of ArcThe French make a final comeback after Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who had visions of God, rallied French troops to liberate the city of Orleans in 1429• 1431 English burn her at

the stake for witchcraft• Becomes a martyr and

rallies the French to drive the English out of mainland Europe by 1459

The Hundred Years’ War

Consequences of THYW• Thousands of peasants killed• Marauding English soldiers terrorized the

French countryside• Nationalism increases dramatically in both

countries• Kings used the war to consolidate their power

Decline of the Papacy

The decline of the power and prestige of the Pope was due to two major trends in the 14th Century:• Kings became more powerful• Popes became more involved in politics

Decline of the PapacyPhilip IV of France imprisoned a bishop over a dispute. In response, Pope Boniface issued the Unam Sanctam decree– Pope is only judged by God– Opposing the Pope is opposing God– All humans are subject to the Pope

1303 Philip IV sent troops to capture the Pope; later released

Decline of the Papacy

During Philip’s reign, the next two Popes were under his control• Papacy moved from Rome to Avignon, France

(1309 – 1377)– New Popes were French, not Roman

• 1324 Marsilius of Padua publishes Defender of the Peace, highly critical of the Papacy– Papacy returns to Rome in 1377

Decline of the Papacy

• A Great Schism occurs in 1378 when College of Cardinals re-elect a second Pope after the first angered them– Each Pope excommunicated the other– In 1409 a council met in Pisa and elected a third

Pope– By 1417 all three Popes were out of the picture and

an attempt was made to create a conciliatory council—a democratic body that ruled alongside the Pope. It failed.