Middle Ages

Struggle for Power in England

Struggle for Power in England

• Anglo-Saxon and Norman England– Before the1000’s – Kings and lords struggled for power

• Anglo-Saxon England– By 450 Roman rule in Britain ended– Germanic tribes moved in– Culture that emerged called “Anglo-Saxon”– Over time they formed several independent kingdoms

• Northumbria – Northern England• Mercia – Central England• Wessex – Southern England• Kingdoms divided into districts called Shires• Governed by shire-reeve which becomes the word Sheriff

Section 4

Alfred the Great

• 800’s Kings of Wessex controlled

• Vikings (Danes) challenged Wessex kings– Over ran much of England

• Alfred the Great - 871 CE– Wessex King– Attacked Danes-lost fight– Made a temporary peace and spent 5

years built powerful army and navy– 876 - Attacked Danes-won in 886

• Treaty allowed Danes to live and govern themselves

• Alfred’s successors – Strengthened the government– Spread Christianity– Unified country

• Danes began to attack again – 1013 Danes control England til 1042– Anglo-Saxons choose Edward the Confessor

The Norman Conquest

• Edward died had no heir in 1066 – Duke William of Normandy

• From France – A distant relative - claimed the throne– Anglo-Saxons refused to recognize his claim– Selected Harold of Wessex to be king

• Edwards brother-in-law

• William was determined to win the throne– Crossed the English Channel with group of knights– Defeated Harold’s army

• Crowned William I King of England– Known as William the Conqueror

The Conqueror and his Successors

• William the Conqueror ruled from 1066–1087– Brought feudalism to England– King, not nobles held supreme authority

• lord swore loyalty to king• Stopped the lords from uniting against him • Scattered their fiefs throughout England

• Sent royal commissioners to count shire’s people, assess land holdings, and measure type and value of property to set up accurate tax system– Domesday book

Reforms under William’s Successors

• Henry I – Ruled from 1100 - 1135 – Williams son, Able ruler– Exchequer-finance dept.

• handled king’s finances• government more efficient

– Sent traveling judges throughout the country to try cases• Weakened feudal lords• Kings royal court, not the lords

feudal courts dispensed justice

Henry II

• Henry II - 1154 – 1189– increases royal authority– England’s legal system grew

• Traveling judges established routes or circuits

• Used a 12 member jury system– Replaced trial by ordeal or combat– Decided civil as well as criminal cases

– Vassals could pay the king a fee instead of performing military service

• Money used to hire soldiers • Military loyal because they are paid

Henry II

• Sought to try members of the clergy who had already been judged in church courts– To decrease the influence of church courts

• Thomas Becket - Archbishop of Canterbury– Refused to allow his clergy to be tried– Becket and Henry became bitter enemies

• 4 of the king’s knights murdered the archbishop in his cathedral, to help the king

• Henry denied any part of the murder, but did penance to appease the church

– Henry leaves church alone

Henry II

• The Last years of his reign were trouble– Sons plotted against him– Marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine was stormy– She brought into their marriage a lot of French

lands which ended up causing conflicts with the French

• Overall Henry strengthened the English monarchy, reduced influence of the nobility.

King John and Magna Carta

• King John– Henry II’s son

• Demanded nobles pay more taxes– To support wars with France– His actions led nobles to revolt– In 1215 group of nobles joined together

against the king• Threatened armed revolt against him • Forced John to accept a

document--the Magna Carta

Magna Carta and beyond

• Magna Carta– Protected the liberties of the

nobles– Provided a limited outline of rights for England’s

ordinary people– King John agreed no new or special taxes without

consent of the Great Council• A body of nobles and church leaders who

advised the king– Promised not to take property with out paying for

it– Promised not to interfere with justice of the courts– Agreed to trials by jury of peers

– Importance: King is not above the law

Parliament

• 1260’s - Nobles revolt against Henry III– Threatened the Monarchy– led by Simon de Montfort (Lord)– Tried to build middle class support for the

nobles• To unite against the king

– The Great Council – Nobles and Clergy• Middle class representatives

– becomes the English Parliament

divided into 2 “houses”» Nobles and clergy - House of Lords» Knights and burgesses - House of Commons

Common Law

• Edward I - ruled from 1272 – 1307– One of England’s greatest monarchs– Divided the king’s court into 3 branches

• Court of Exchequer – kingdom’s financial accounts– Tried tax cases

• Court of Common Pleas– cases between ordinary citizens

• Court of the King’s Bench– Conducted trials concerning king or government

• Decisions made by royal courts were collected and used as the basis from future court verdicts– Known as Common Law– Applied equally to all citizens– Living Law, not based on code, but on modern times.

Rise of Capetian Kings

• France– Last of the Frankish/Carolingian kings die.– Nobles choose Hugh Capet as King of France– Will work to create a strong central government

• Create Estates General– Representative body of the three social classes– Commoners, nobility, and clergy

– unsuccessful, no support at local levels• France remains feudal

Clash over Germany and Italy

• After Charlemagne’s death his empire slowly fell apart

• Several of Charlemagne’s descendants in Germany inherited the title of Holy Roman Emperor–However they did not really rule Italy–Part ruled by the Pope–Part ruled by the Arab Muslims

Holy Roman Empire

• Germany– Feudal lords elected Otto I - 936

• Known as Otto the Great• Worked to developed a strong kingdom in Germany• In 951 Otto attacks territory in northern Italy• Later Pope John XII struggled with Roman nobles

– Begged Otto for help– Pope crowned him ‘Emperor of the Romans’ in 962

» Same title given to Charlemagne• Otto rules Germany and northern Italy• Germany becomes a major power

Holy Roman Empire

• Henry III - 1046 – 1056– Viewed the church as a branch

of the imperial government– Expected the church to

actively support the empire and its ruler

– 3 different men claimed the papacy during his rule

– Removed them from office and elected a German pope• Also chose next three popes

Struggles - Papacy vs. European Rulers

• Henry III dies– 5 yr old son Henry IV king– German nobility sees this as an opportunity to

regain their independence– The church also moves to restore its power– At age 15, he tries to strengthen his rule

• Pits him against Pope Gregory VII– one of the most powerful popes in the Middle Ages

• Clash between Pope and Henry IV

Pope Gregory VII

• Pope Gregory was a strong & able leader– Worked to bring spiritual

reform– Increased the power and

authority of the papacy• Believed the church was the

supreme spiritual and temporal power in the earth

• Thought had control over rulers and people

Pope Gregory and Henry IV• Main Conflict involved lay investiture

–Appointment of bishops by temporal rulers• Henry believed he had the right to

appoint bishops • Gregory opposed this

–In reaction he excommunicated Henry–Also released Henry’s subject from

their vows of loyalty–Urged nobles to elect another king

Imperial Submission

• Fearing rebellion Henry sought the pope’s mercy– Traveled to meet the pope– Met in the mountains of northern Italy

• Bitter cold, icy mountain paths

– Pope made Henry wait 3 days to see him – Henry pleaded for the pope’s mercy

• Pope revoked his excommunication

Imperial Submission

• Struggle continued over lay investiture

• Finally representatives for both sides meet – Agreement reached called Concordat of Worms

• Named after city they met in• Limited imperial power of the German church• Emperor could appoint bishops to fiefs (land

grant)• Only the pope had power to name bishops• Recognized the spiritual leadership of the pope

Frederick Barbarossa

• Frederick I (Frederick of the Red Beard)– Ruled Germany from 1152-1190– Set out to capture Lombard states in

northern Italy• Captured Milan

–Destroyed city and drove out the people

• Other city states and Pope unite to form the Lombard League

–Raised a powerful army – defeated Fredrick

Innocent III

• 1198 – 1216• Strongest of the medieval pope’s• Skillful political leader• Believed in the supreme earthly power of the

papacy• Felt he had authority to settle all political as

well as spiritual problems– Involved himself with disputes all over Europe

• Used his powers of excommunication and interdiction