Lecture Notes: Developments in Europe (1200-1450)

Introduction

• Overview of Europe's developments from 1200 to 1450
• Focus on religion, political organization, and social systems

Christianity in Europe

Roman Empire Influence

• Christianity became the state religion under Emperor Constantine
• Unified Romans until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE

Byzantine Empire

• Eastern half of the Roman Empire continued as the Byzantine Empire
• Practiced Eastern Orthodox Christianity
• Centralized political and social organization
• Declined by 1200 due to conflicts with Islamic powers
• Fell in 1453 when the Ottoman Empire sacked Constantinople (renamed Istanbul)

Eastern Orthodox Christianity

• Continued by the Kievan Rus after the fall of the Byzantine Empire
• Adopted Byzantine architecture, alphabet, and state organization

Western Europe

• Roman Catholic Christianity maintained influence despite political decentralization
• Church hierarchy provided a common structure
• Organized Crusades to fight Muslims, linking Europe to wider trade networks

Minority Religions

• Islam and Judaism held minority positions
• Muslims controlled the Iberian Peninsula
• Jews scattered throughout Europe, involved in trade but faced anti-Semitism

Political Organization

Lack of Large Empires

• Europe lacked large empires compared to other regions like the Americas, China, and Islamic Empires
• Characterized by decentralization and political fragmentation

Feudalism

• System of allegiances between lords and monarchs
• Land exchanged for allegiance, known as manorialism
• Peasants (serfs) worked land in exchange for protection, were bound to the land

Shift Towards Centralization

• Post-1200, monarchs began to centralize power
• Introduced large militaries and bureaucracies
• Nobility previously held most power, but monarchs began to assert authority

Consequences of Centralization

• Rise in powerful monarchs led to competition over influence and territory
• Resulted in wars of conquest to establish dominance

Conclusion

• Europe's development involved significant religious, political, and social changes
• Transition from feudalism to centralized monarchies laid groundwork for future developments