REVISION GUIDE TURNING POINTS IN EUROPEAN HISTORY
Week 1
The Fall of the Roman Empire
410: The Sacking of Rome
476: Fall of the Western Roman Empire to Germanic Barbarians
The Fall of the Western Roman Empire is ofen seen as the birth of the middle
ages around the year 500AD
The fall of this civilized high society (with its network of citess imperial elite
and organized city based tax system) is seen to have long lastng signifcance
on the Middle Ages and beyond
Problems with the humanist view that the sudden rupture of 476AD as a
turning point in history include:
In the Wests Roman culture was stll present and no destructon of this
were notceable
The Germanic barbarians had been involved with the Roman Empire and
stll saw themselves as part of the Roman Culture and formed a new
elite with Roman habitss most notceably in their religion
In facts one can see a contnuaton of culture in Western Europe
In Eastern regions of Europes the development of the Byzantum Empire
contnued the presence of a strong Roman Empire that was yet to fall for
another 1000 years
It could also be said that the Islamic conquest of the Mediterranean and
East Europe really brought about the destructon of East and Western
Roman rule and set foundaton of the schism between West and East
Although it could be said that many changes did occurs such as:
The Roman cites began to shrinks as did trade
Trade was now merely on a local level
Loyalty to the empire collapsed and more loyalty was given to feudal
kings
,Howevers it must be noted that important legacies from the Fall of the Roman
Empire contnue to live on and hold importance in the development of
European history
The Roman Legacy:
The idea of a prestgious Empire is taken on by many predecessors of
Roman Emperors the symbols and ideology of great Emperors was
reused under the reign of Napoleon
The Roman rule of law was transformed in many ways through the
Middle Agess as there is a legal unity that condemns most of Europe
Catholicism persists as a dominant religions and the clothes and
traditons are contnued
Cites: visually and physically Europe is divided into clear defned cites
that stll mirror ours today
Critcisms:
- J.Goody – stated that the whole Antquity was invented and claimed
there was no direct historical line between Roman and Middle Age
history. It’s a way that contemporary historians aim to class diferent
periods in history. Claiming it’s not a unique era and actually an
appropriaton and centralisaton from African and Asian history.
- Many old Roman landmarks were found in the Middle East
Lecture 2
The Middle ages show a slow shif from an agrarian society to a commercial
one spanning from the 10th to the 13th century.
In the 15th to 16th centurys there was a simplifcaton of societes as economies
became less advanced and trade became localised
Charlemagne became known as the Father of Europes however his views stll
dated back to antquity and he was critcised for his desire to rebuild the
Roman Empire afer its fall.
Markedly the prosperity within European from 1000-1300 can be atributed to
a feeling of successs thus the gradual formaton and developed of states.
Contnuous warfare is an integral part to European historys which declined
with tme
,There was almost a contnuous state of war – there was also a medieval arms
race. The cost of warfare increased and only the strongest states could survive
and monopolising over smaller states.
1000-1300: Expansion of Europe:
- The growth of populatons this was made possible by the increase of
agricultural producton
- This populaton growth made growth of cites become more well
known (they had a huge impact of European civilizaton)
- Rise of literacy: the creaton of universites (they were to a certain
extent autonomous created by bishopss and they had their own court
and legal status)
- Catholic Church grews although pagan religions contnued for a very
long tme
- Internal European colonizaton (Fronter society)
- Expansion in the artss the gothic styles were invented by France
- Treaty of Verdun 843 – Death of Charlemagne saw a division of his
Empire into modern day Frances Germany and Northern Italy
Holy Roman Empire:
- 10th and 11th century
- Successful in rebuilding itself as a successful state
- The Roman church was known as a ‘knowledge organisaton’
- Administraton by the clergy and it’s disadvantages
- Territorial state formaton
- Germany did not build a strong natonal state in this period
France and England: Contrasts
- In England a unitarian monarchy was being built afer the conquest of
1066s there was no local power bases so it was easy to centralise
power.
- In Frances concentric state formatons the great Dukes had more
power than the French king and most power was centred around the
areas surrounding Paris
, Urbanizaton
- Medieval cites were much more modern and developed
- The idea of the public goods a move away from a loyalty to a specifc
person
- Legal equality
- The frst development of public taxaton to fund the building of these
cites
- Accountability from the governing bodies
- Welfare for the elderly and sick (mainly religious organizaton)
- Control of confict mediaton to prevent a disrupton of commerce
- A new ratonal mentality (about a precise tmes there were huge clock
towers)
This glorifed a new era of social awareness and led to the creaton of
citzenship
This period founded the nucleus for most European naton statess and a clear
distnct loyalty was taken of the dynasty and onto the naton
So how can the Middle Ages be seen as a turning point? :
There was a slow shif from agrarian to commercial society
There was a boom in populaton
Growth of cites
Public Admin
New mentalites arose concerning public citzenship
And how can it be deemed purely as a slow period of changes instead of this
sudden rupture? :
There was a return to the medieval city
The idea of change is not recognised by contemporaries
Christanity was stll the main dominant religion
Decentralisaton was stll very prominent
Week 1
The Fall of the Roman Empire
410: The Sacking of Rome
476: Fall of the Western Roman Empire to Germanic Barbarians
The Fall of the Western Roman Empire is ofen seen as the birth of the middle
ages around the year 500AD
The fall of this civilized high society (with its network of citess imperial elite
and organized city based tax system) is seen to have long lastng signifcance
on the Middle Ages and beyond
Problems with the humanist view that the sudden rupture of 476AD as a
turning point in history include:
In the Wests Roman culture was stll present and no destructon of this
were notceable
The Germanic barbarians had been involved with the Roman Empire and
stll saw themselves as part of the Roman Culture and formed a new
elite with Roman habitss most notceably in their religion
In facts one can see a contnuaton of culture in Western Europe
In Eastern regions of Europes the development of the Byzantum Empire
contnued the presence of a strong Roman Empire that was yet to fall for
another 1000 years
It could also be said that the Islamic conquest of the Mediterranean and
East Europe really brought about the destructon of East and Western
Roman rule and set foundaton of the schism between West and East
Although it could be said that many changes did occurs such as:
The Roman cites began to shrinks as did trade
Trade was now merely on a local level
Loyalty to the empire collapsed and more loyalty was given to feudal
kings
,Howevers it must be noted that important legacies from the Fall of the Roman
Empire contnue to live on and hold importance in the development of
European history
The Roman Legacy:
The idea of a prestgious Empire is taken on by many predecessors of
Roman Emperors the symbols and ideology of great Emperors was
reused under the reign of Napoleon
The Roman rule of law was transformed in many ways through the
Middle Agess as there is a legal unity that condemns most of Europe
Catholicism persists as a dominant religions and the clothes and
traditons are contnued
Cites: visually and physically Europe is divided into clear defned cites
that stll mirror ours today
Critcisms:
- J.Goody – stated that the whole Antquity was invented and claimed
there was no direct historical line between Roman and Middle Age
history. It’s a way that contemporary historians aim to class diferent
periods in history. Claiming it’s not a unique era and actually an
appropriaton and centralisaton from African and Asian history.
- Many old Roman landmarks were found in the Middle East
Lecture 2
The Middle ages show a slow shif from an agrarian society to a commercial
one spanning from the 10th to the 13th century.
In the 15th to 16th centurys there was a simplifcaton of societes as economies
became less advanced and trade became localised
Charlemagne became known as the Father of Europes however his views stll
dated back to antquity and he was critcised for his desire to rebuild the
Roman Empire afer its fall.
Markedly the prosperity within European from 1000-1300 can be atributed to
a feeling of successs thus the gradual formaton and developed of states.
Contnuous warfare is an integral part to European historys which declined
with tme
,There was almost a contnuous state of war – there was also a medieval arms
race. The cost of warfare increased and only the strongest states could survive
and monopolising over smaller states.
1000-1300: Expansion of Europe:
- The growth of populatons this was made possible by the increase of
agricultural producton
- This populaton growth made growth of cites become more well
known (they had a huge impact of European civilizaton)
- Rise of literacy: the creaton of universites (they were to a certain
extent autonomous created by bishopss and they had their own court
and legal status)
- Catholic Church grews although pagan religions contnued for a very
long tme
- Internal European colonizaton (Fronter society)
- Expansion in the artss the gothic styles were invented by France
- Treaty of Verdun 843 – Death of Charlemagne saw a division of his
Empire into modern day Frances Germany and Northern Italy
Holy Roman Empire:
- 10th and 11th century
- Successful in rebuilding itself as a successful state
- The Roman church was known as a ‘knowledge organisaton’
- Administraton by the clergy and it’s disadvantages
- Territorial state formaton
- Germany did not build a strong natonal state in this period
France and England: Contrasts
- In England a unitarian monarchy was being built afer the conquest of
1066s there was no local power bases so it was easy to centralise
power.
- In Frances concentric state formatons the great Dukes had more
power than the French king and most power was centred around the
areas surrounding Paris
, Urbanizaton
- Medieval cites were much more modern and developed
- The idea of the public goods a move away from a loyalty to a specifc
person
- Legal equality
- The frst development of public taxaton to fund the building of these
cites
- Accountability from the governing bodies
- Welfare for the elderly and sick (mainly religious organizaton)
- Control of confict mediaton to prevent a disrupton of commerce
- A new ratonal mentality (about a precise tmes there were huge clock
towers)
This glorifed a new era of social awareness and led to the creaton of
citzenship
This period founded the nucleus for most European naton statess and a clear
distnct loyalty was taken of the dynasty and onto the naton
So how can the Middle Ages be seen as a turning point? :
There was a slow shif from agrarian to commercial society
There was a boom in populaton
Growth of cites
Public Admin
New mentalites arose concerning public citzenship
And how can it be deemed purely as a slow period of changes instead of this
sudden rupture? :
There was a return to the medieval city
The idea of change is not recognised by contemporaries
Christanity was stll the main dominant religion
Decentralisaton was stll very prominent
