1. European Studies
Study Guide for Berka

2. Early Middle Ages
• Disruption of Trade
• Merchants faced invasions from both land and sea. Their
THIS IS REALLY
businesses collapsed. The breakdown of trade destroyed
Europe’s cities as economic centers. Money became scarce.
• Downfall of Cities
BORING SORRY
• fall of the Roman Empire, cities were abandoned as centers of
administration.
NOT SORRY LOL
• Population Shifts
• nobles retreated to the rural areas. Roman cities were left
without strong leadership. Other city dwellers also fled to the
countryside, where they grew their own food. The population of
western Europe became mostly rural.
• The Decline of Learning
• Loss of a Common Language

3. Church
• Became secular under Pope Gregory 1
• Center of the Roman government
• “Church Kingdom” where the pope was the ruler

4. Reason For Religious Wars - Funny

5. Charlemagne
• Crowned emperor by
Pope Leo III
• Limited authority of
the nobles
• Encouraged learning
• Left 3 sons who fought
over the kingdom and
lead to its downfall

6. Feudalism
• Based on rights
and obligations
• Social class was
inherited
• Most peasants
were serfs
• Peasants were
made to pay
tithe; or church
tax

7. Chivalry
Ideals;
• that a knight fight in
defense of three masters.
• He devoted himself to his
earthly feudal lord, his
heavenly Lord, and his However, many knights only
chosen lady. used these ideals when they
suited them. For
• The chivalrous knight also example, knights usually
protected the weak and treated the poor harshly.
the poor. The ideal knight
was loyal, brave, and
courteous.

8. The Late Middle Ages
• Some priests were nearly illiterate and could barely read their
prayers. Some of the popes were men of questionable morals.
duties as spiritual leaders
• Many village priests married and had families. Such marriages
were against Church rulings
• Bishops sold positions in the Church, a practice called simony
• Using the practice of lay investiture, kings appointed church
bishops. Church reformers believed the Church alone should
appoint bishops

9. New Architecture
• more money from the growing
wealth of towns and from trade
helped fuel the building of
churches in several European
countries.
• Gothic, evolved throughout
medieval Europe.
• Unlike the heavy, gloomy
Romanesque buildings, Gothic
cathedrals thrust upward as if
reaching toward heaven. Light
streamed in through huge
stained glass windows.

10. Magna Carta
• guaranteed certain basic
political rights
• nobles wanted to safeguard
their own feudal rights and
limit the king’s powers
• applied to every citizen
• guaranteed rights included
no taxation without
representation, a jury trial,
and the protection of the law

11. The
Bubonic
Plague
• Symptoms of the Bubonic Plague
Painful swellings called buboes in the lymph nodes, particularly
those in the armpits and groin
Sometimes purplish or blackish spots on the skin
 Extremely high fever, chills, delirium, and in most cases, death

12. Effects of the Plague
 The economic and social effects of the plague were enormous
 The old manorial system began to crumble
 Town populations fell, trade declined, prices rose
 The serfs left the manor in search of better wages.
 Nobles fiercely resisted peasant demands for higher wages, causing peasant
revolts in England, France, Italy, and Belgium.
 Jews were blamed for bringing on the plague. All over Europe, Jews were
driven from their homes or, worse, massacred.
 The Church suffered a loss of prestige when its prayers failed to stop the
onslaught of the bubonic plague and priests abandoned their duties

13. Hundred Years War
• French had medieval weapons, the English invented the
longbow
• English longbowmen let fly thousands of arrows at the
oncoming French. The crossbowmen, peppered with English
arrows, retreated in panic. The knights trampled their own
archers in an effort to cut a path through them.
• English longbowmen sent volley after volley of deadly arrows.
They unhorsed knights who then lay helplessly on the ground
in their heavy armor. Then, using long knives, the English foot
soldiers attacked, slaughtering the French.

14. Joan of Arc
Renée Jeanne
Falconetti as
Joan of Arc in
La Passion de
Jeanne d'Arc
• A teenage peasant girl that claimed Saints talked to her and
urged her to fight against the English
• Captured by England’s allies, she was condemned a witch and
heretic, then burned at the stake
• Although the King Charles VII owed his crown to Joan, he did
nothing to rescue her

15. Impact of the Hundred Years War
• A feeling of nationalism emerged in England and France. Now
people thought of the king as a national leader, fighting for
the glory of the country, not simply a feudal lord.
• The power and prestige of the French monarch increased.
• The English suffered a period of internal turmoil known as the
War of the Roses, in which two noble houses fought for the
throne

16. The Renaissance
• The term means rebirth, and in this context, it refers to a
revival of art and learning.
• The educated men and women of Italy hoped to bring back to
life the culture of classical Greece and Rome. Yet in striving to
revive the past, the people of the Renaissance created
something new.
• The contributions made during this period led to innovative
styles of art and literature. They also led to new values, such
as the importance of the individual.
• Humanism
Focused on human potential and achievements
Enjoy life by eating good food and fine wine
Secular outlook
Patrons of the arts

17. Renaissance Art vs. Middle Ages Art

18. • pointed out that most people
Machiavelli think it is praiseworthy in a
prince to keep his word and live
with integrity
• argued that in the real world of
power and politics a prince
must sometimes mislead the
people and lie to his opponents
• suggested that in order for a
prince to accomplish great
things, he must be crafty
enough to not only overcome
the suspicions but also gain the
trust of others

19. Legacy of the Renaissance
Changes in the Arts
• Art drew on techniques and styles of classical Greece and Rome, paintings
and sculptures portrayed individuals and nature in more realistic and lifelike
ways.
• Artists created works that were secular as well as those that were religious
• Writers began to use vernacular languages to express their ideas
Changes in Society
• Printing made more information available and inexpensive, a greater
availability of books prompted an increased desire for learning and a rise in
literacy throughout Europe
• Published accounts of new discoveries, maps, and charts led to further
discoveries in a variety of fields
• Published legal proceedings made the laws clear so that people were more
likely to understand their rights
• Christian humanists’ attempts to reform society changed views about how
• life should be lived, people began to question political structures and
religious practices.

20. Luther and The Reformation
Luther’s Teachings
• People could win salvation only by faith in God’s gift of forgiveness. The
Church taught that faith and “good works” were needed for salvation
• All Church teachings should be clearly based on the words of the Bible. Both
the pope and Church traditions were false authorities
• All people with faith were equal. Therefore, people did not need priests to
interpret the Bible for them

21. This is funny okay~

22. England Becomes Protestant
• When Henry VIII became king of England in 1509, he was a
devout Catholic.
• Henry wrote a stinging attack on Luther’s ideas. In recognition
of Henry’s support, the pope gave him the title “Defender of
the Faith.”
• Political needs, however, soon tested his religious loyalty. He
needed a male heir. Henry’s father had become king after a
long civil war

23. Henry VIII’s Song

24. Queen Elizabeth’s Reign
• Queen Elizabeth I loved physical activity and had a particular passion
for dancing. Elizabeth also resembled her father in character and
temperament. She was stubborn, strong-willed, and arrogant. And
Elizabeth had a fierce and unpredictable temper.
• Calvinism
 Developed from Luther’s teaching
 Predestination – God had already determined who would earn
salvation
 Theocracy – government ruled by religious leaders
• Anabaptist
 Believed that the church and state should be separate
 Refused to fight in wars
 Baptized older people

25. Age of Absolutism - Problems
• Inflation
a declineDutch Revoltof money, accompanied
The in the value
by a In in the prices Netherlands, Philip had to maintain
rise the Spanish of goods and services
an army to keep his subjects under control
Spain’s population had been growing, growing
need for food and other goods, merchants
wereThe to raisehad little in common with their Spanish
able Dutch prices.
rulers. While Spain was Catholic, the Netherlands
Silver bullion flooded the market, its value
had many Calvinist congregations
dropped. People needed more and more
amounts of silver to buy things.
Spain had a sluggish economy, while the Dutch
had a prosperous middle class

26. Reign of Louis XIV
• Known as the “Sun King”
• Cardinal Richelieu
Strong minister that helped Louis
Weakened the nobles power
• Skepticism - the idea that nothing can
ever be known for certain
• Lesser nobles waited in the palace
halls and hoped Louis would notice
them. A kingly nod, a glance of
approval, a kind word—these marks
of royal attention determined
whether a noble succeeded or failed.

27. Austria & Prussia
• Thirty Years’ War
 a conflict over religion, territory, and power among European
ruling families
 Bohemian peasants revolt
Hapsburgs
• weakened the Hapsburg states of Spain and Austria;
• strengthened France by awarding it German territory
• made German princes independent of the Holy Roman
emperor
• ended religious wars in Europe
• introduced a new method of peace negotiation whereby all
participants meet to settle the problems of a war and decide
the terms of peace. This method is still used today

28. Russia
• Ivan the Terrible
 Accused the boyars of poisoning his wife
 organized his own police force, whose chief duty was to hunt down and
murder people Ivan considered traitors
 Using these secret police, Ivan executed many boyars, their
families, and the peasants who worked their lands.
 Ivan seized the boyars’ estates and gave them to a new class of
nobles, who had to remain loyal to him or lose their land.
 Eventually, Ivan committed an act that was both a personal tragedy and
a national disaster. In 1581, during a violent quarrel, he killed his oldest
son and heir.
 When Ivan died three years later, only his weak second son was left to
rule.

29. Russia - Continued
• Peter the Great
he was fascinated by the modern tools and machines in the
foreigners’ shops.
above all, he had a passion for ships and the sea. The young czar
believed that Russia’s future depended on having a warm-water
port.
introduced potatoes, which became a staple of the Russian diet
started Russia’s first newspaper and edited its first issue himself
raised women’s status by having them attend social gatherings
ordered the nobles to give up their traditional clothes for
Western fashions
advanced education by opening a school of navigation and
introducing schools for the arts and sciences

30. Parliament
• By 1628, Charles was forced to call Parliament because of
money
• This time it refused to grant him any money until he signed a
document that is known as the Petition of Right
He would not imprison subjects without due cause.
He would not levy taxes without Parliament’s consent.
He would not house soldiers in private homes.
He would not impose martial law in peacetime.
After agreeing to the petition, Charles ignored it.

31. Oliver Cromwell
• Cromwell held the reins of power
• In 1649, he abolished the monarchy and the House of Lords.
• He established a commonwealth, a republican form of
government
• Cromwell’s associate John Lambert drafted a constitution, the
first written constitution of any modern European state
• However, Cromwell eventually tore up the document and became
a military dictator
• Cromwell almost immediately had to put down a rebellion in
Ireland. In 1649 Cromwell landed on Irish shores with an army
and crushed the uprising.
• He seized the lands and homes of the Irish and gave them to
English soldiers. Fighting, plague, and famine killed hundreds of
thousands.

32. The
James II
had an older daughter, Mary, who was
Glorious
Protestant, she was also the wife of William of
Orange, a prince of the Netherlands.
Parliament invited William and Mary to
Revolution overthrow James for the sake of
Protestantism
When William led his army to London in
1688, James fled to France
• Bill of Rights
 no suspending of Parliament’s
laws
 no levying of taxes without a
specific grant from Parliament
 no interfering with freedom of
speech in Parliament
 no penalty for a citizen who
petitions the king about
grievances

33. Northern Ireland
• IRA – Irish Republic Army
Recognized Irish Free State as a self-governing dominion within
the British Commonwealth of Nations (rather than British
Empire)
 A split occurred within the IRA Members who supported the
treaty formed the nucleus of the Irish National Army founded
by IRA leader Michael Collins
 Much of the IRA was opposed to the treaty. The anti-treaty
IRA fought a civil war with their former comrades in 1922–
23, with the intention of creating a fully independent all-
Ireland republic

34. Northern Ireland vs. The Republic of Ireland
• Protestant • Green, White, Orange
• Red, white, blue, orange • Catholic
• Loyalist/Unionist • Republican/Nationalist
• “No Surrender” • United Ireland
• “Remember 1960” • "Brits Out"
• “Ulster Says No” • "Remember 1916"
• Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster • "Tiocfaidh Ar La"
Unionist Party, Ulster Defense • Sinn Fein
Association, Ulster Volunteer • SDLP
Force, Ulster Freedom • Provisional IRA, Official
Fighters, Loyalist Volunteer IRA, NLA, Real
Force, Red Hand Commandoes IRA, Continuity IRA

35. Map of Ireland

36. Vigilante Justice
• Rules of the Game: Irish Republican Army (similar for
Loyalists)
Allowed to rob a bank or post office for the movement
Allowed to steal from government but not neighbors
Looting after bombings sometimes allowed
Stealing cars/trucks only when barricades were needed
During riots, buses can be stolen, not black taxis
Police were legitimate targets of abuse/fire department
off limits
Dealing in smuggled goods okay/dealing stolen goods
forbidden
Selling English newspapers prohibited/no liquor to
minors

37. Vigilante Justice - Continued
• Ghetto Police (all paramilitaries)
Punishment squads: Kneecapping (victim compensation)
Light Sentence: fleshy part of thigh shot
Variations: One leg, both legs, both legs and arms
No counseling available for victims (some community
services)
Young delinquents usually beaten/women never
kneecapped
Parent Responsibility: Beatings, banned from drinking
clubs
Tar and Feathering
Compensation: 800-4,000 pounds depending on wounds
Independent commission: positive report on IRA after
cease-fire