HIST108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 22: Feudalism, Primogeniture, Europe 1
Middle ages is the time when European culture emerged as a unified culture
How and why did medieval 'Europe' expand geographically?
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--- 'Internal expansion' of Europe in the Middle Ages (Robert Bartlett)
Tendency to expand geographically right from the beginning of its formation.
Western Europe with a humble origin with Frankish empire (France and Germany)
and not much more than that. Europe was expanding in the middle ages and 15th C
onwards expanded further and beyond the geographical area.
The 'Pirenne Thesis' the birth of 'Europe' in the early middle ages, by the 9th C the
central part of Western Europe was Christian.
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Medieval 'Europe' = Christendom
By the ninth century, France, Germany, British Isles, northern Italy and northern
Spain were Christianised
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After 1000: further Christianizing movement in all directions (e.g. Scandinavia,
Iberian Peninsula) Southern Italy, Poland, Hungary etc.
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In the middle ages the eastern part of Budapest was considered to be the edge of
Europe.
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Spain had been Muslim since the early 8thC until the reconquest throughout the
middle ages resulting in the return of the Iberian Peninsula return to Christendom in
1492.
The expansion of Medieval Europe
The Christianization of European peripheries
Imposing the practice of the Roman Church on the peripheries →the expansion of
'Latin' Christendom . Through the uniformed liturgy and admin.
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Latin people (gens latina) = the Franks Refers to the practice of the latin = the
church. Cultural and religious concept. Obeys the authority of the Roman Church.
Not an ethnic concept. Ethnically speaking they were Franks. Who had migrated to
peripheral areas of medieval Europe, therefore spreading the ideas throughout
Western Europe. Those who migrated weren't just missionaries and church men but
everyone.
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Medieval Europeans = mostly 'Christian' and 'Frankish'
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How did it expand from the heartland of France and Germany? Christianisation,
Geographically though Christianisation.
The military conquest of medieval Europe
The Frankish conquest of the peripheries → the imposition of feudal practices
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Feudal society: expansionist ← the vassals needed fiefs, while the lords desired more
warriors.
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Expansionist because of the desire to spread the Christian faith far and wide. The
feudal society was also expansionist. The Feudal society needed fiefs. Always
requires this grounding. Typically the Vassals wanted needed more fiefs. More land =
more knights. More knights = easier conquest.
Acceleration of conquest movement
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Frankish warriors conquered pagans who lived on the peripheries of Europe and made
them their vassals. The conquest was the transplantation of the feudal practice on new
lands. = migration of labour force.
Why did feudal aristocrats migrate to peripheries.
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Why was the feudal society expansionist?
Castles = symbols of militarization of medieval Europe
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Constructed on the peripheries of Europe. Display of might and wealth.
500 castles in 5 decades. Symbolized the militarization of medieval Europe.
← a cause: primogeniture, a social system which entitles the eldest son to inherit the
lands estate of the family = only the eldest son inherits so the younger sons have no
entitlement to the wealth. Thus meaning they had to gain wealth by themselves = aquire
land elsewhere out of the feudal society. = younger sons migrated from the center of
Europe while the eldest stayed in the center of Europe.
When migration peaked in the 12th C-13th C the European population was growing
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Coincided with demographic change.
New settlement and labor recruitment
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Franks had successful conquests yet felt the shortage of labor, Europe was sparsely
populated, local workforce difficult to source.
Demographic change and migration
Before the Age of Columbus: The 'internal
expansion' of Medieval Europe
Lecture 22: HIST108
Monday, 30 September 2019
2:13 PM
HIST108 Page 1
Document Summary
Before the age of columbus: the "internal expansion" of medieval europe. Middle ages is the time when european culture emerged as a unified culture. -- "internal expansion" of europe in the middle ages (robert bartlett) Tendency to expand geographically right from the beginning of its formation. Western europe with a humble origin with frankish empire (france and germany) and not much more than that. Europe was expanding in the middle ages and 15th c onwards expanded further and beyond the geographical area. The "pirenne thesis" the birth of "europe" in the early middle ages, by the 9th c the central part of western europe was christian. By the ninth century, france, germany, british isles, northern italy and northern. After 1000: further christianizing movement in all directions (e. g. scandinavia, In the middle ages the eastern part of budapest was considered to be the edge of.
