Ch13, Sec 4 continued: FRANCE IN THE MIDDLE AGES
1.
The ______________________ were the Germanic Tribe who settled in what is now France, and
became the French.
_________________– united the Franks; 1st king; started the Merovingian dynasty
________________-Mayor of the Palace, who defeated the Moors at the battle of Tours
________________inherited the title Mayor of the Palace; ousted the last Merovingian & became king
_______________________-greatest king of the Franks; conquered more land and ruled the great
Carolingian Empire; was crowned “Roman Emperor” by the Pope in 800AD.
2.
After Charlemagne died, his grandsons fought over his empire, and it was eventually divided into
_____parts by the treaty of ______________in 843AD. Approximately the lands of the
western kingdom of _________________________the Bald (+ a little more) would eventually
become France
3. In 987, the last _______________________ king (descendant of Charlemagne) died. The nobles in what had
been the western kingdom chose _____________________ to be King of France.
_______________________ and his descendants, known as the ___________________, ruled France for
more than 300 years.
4.While ______________________ was chosen in 987 to be “king of France”, but really he only controlled a
small area called ____________________________________. The feudal lords ruled the rest of France,
known as duchies.
5.The ___________________ kings aimed to ______________ the duchies of France under the rule of the
French monarchy.
6.The Capetian kings gradually increased the lands under their control in several ways
Married noblewomen whose __________________ included great ____________
Took control of the lands of noble families that ______________________
Conquered lands held by the ___________________________________
7. In 1066, _____________________________, conquered England, and controlled both England and Normandy.
Through inheritance from both sides, and his wife’s _________________, in 1180 ______________ II, king of
England, actually controlled over half of France.
8. _______________ II (Augustus) was King of France from 1180-1223. When he became king of France,
________________II was King of England. He waited until ______________was king of England.
When ____________ was king of England, he waged military campaigns
and________________________________________, thus greatly increasing the royal landholdings.
9. The Capetian kings continued to ____________________ the lands over which they had direct control, in
several ways. The Capetian kings appointed well trained officials, often of the _________ __________, to run
the government. They extended the jurisdiction of the royal _____________. The Parliament of Paris, the
highest royal __________, became like a supreme ________________.
10.______________ IV (the Fair) ruled from 1285-1314. Controversy with the Church:
a.
He wanted to ______________ the clergy of France, and ordered them to pay
_______________.
b. Pope _______________ ordered the French clergy not to pay ___________ to the French king.
c.
Pope ________________ excommunicated King _____________ IV (The Fair).
d.
King ________________ IV had agents kidnap Pope _______________VII and hold him.
e.
Pope _______________was rescued, but he was old, died soon after, from the shock, or wounds .
f.
King ________________ IV used his influence to get a Frenchman, ________________V,
elected as the next Pope.
11._________________________IV moved to increase his popularity with the people by starting a
representative assembly, the ______________ _________________. The _____________ _____________
was an assembly of representatives of the 3 social classes (“estates”) of France: _________________
_____________ _____________ The ___________ ____________ however, never had as much power in
France, as Parliament did in England, because it was merely advised the king.
12. The ______________________intended to increase the power of the kings of France, and did, to a certain
extent. However, the nobles of France still had _________________________________, and France continued
to be ___________________in political organization.
13. The ________________________ dynasty died out in 1328. Philip IV had 3 sons, but none produced an heir.
A new dynasty, the Valois, came to power.
CH. 13, Sec 5: THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
N1: Now we’ve learned about England and France. What about Germany in the Middle Ages?
SPIRIT1: There was no country called Germany in the Middle Ages. There were “Germanic people” and a German
language, but no country called “Germany” until the 1800s. Instead, there was the “Holy Roman Empire”.
N2: What was the Holy Roman Empire?
SPIRIT2: It wasn’t holy, it wasn’t Roman, and in some ways, it wasn’t even an empire. But it was a country on the
map of Europe for about 800 years! It covered about what Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy
cover today.
N1: How did the Holy Roman Empire begin?
SPIRIT1: It goes back to Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire. You remember that Charlemagne was crowned
“Roman Emperor”. You should also remember that after Charlemagne died, his grandsons fought over his empire,
and it was divided into 3 parts at the treaty of Verdun.
N2: I remember.
SPIRIT2: The western part of the Carolingian empire eventually became France, and was ruled by the Capetian
Kings. The Holy Roman Empire grew out of the eastern section (and some of the middle) of the Carolingian Empire.
Some historians consider Charlemagne himself to be the first “Holy Roman Emperor”. Others consider Otto the
Great as the first “Holy Roman Emperor”. It makes more sense to call Otto the first H.R. Emperor, since
Charlemagne actually ruled more land than was included in the Holy Roman Empire. Let’s talk to Otto the Great.
OTTO: I am Otto the Great. The feudal lords (Dukes, Counts, etc) in what is now Germany, chose me as their King
in 936 (about the same time the feudal lords in France chose Hugh Capet as their King). I then took control of
Northern Italy also. Then it happened that the Pope, Pope John XII, was having trouble with the nobles of Rome.
He asked for my help.
POPE JOHN XII: Otto came to Rome and put down a rebellion of the Roman nobles for me. In gratitude, in 962 I
crowned him with the title “Roman Emperor”, the same title Charlemagne had used. Otto’s successors began to add
“Holy” to the title, and used the title “Holy Roman Emperor”, to distinguish their empire from the old Roman
Empire.
N1: What lands did the “Holy Roman Empire” cover?”
OTTO: It covered approximately the area that is now Germany, Switzerland, Austria and northern Italy. It did not
include Rome, which was actually ruled by the Pope. Label England, France and the Holy Roman Empire on the map:
N1: The H.R.E. certainly covered a lot of land. Was it a strong empire?
SPIRIT1: From about 1000-1200, the H. R. E. was strong, and the Emperors were powerful rulers. However, it
gradually became less and less unified. After about 1300, the Holy Roman Emperor became more and more of a
figurehead, and the local nobles ruled their own lands almost independently.
1.
What lands did the Holy Roman Empire cover?
2. What two rulers are sometimes called the “1st Holy Roman Emperor?
3. Was the H.R.E. strong from about 1000-1200? How did it change after that?
HEINRICH ( Henry) III: I am Emperor HEINRICH III of the H.R.E.. When I ruled, the H.R.E. was at its
strongest. There was a close relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the H.R.E.. I had a strong voice
in who was chosen as Pope. When I died, my son, Heinrich IV, who was just a baby, became Holy Roman Emperor.
HEINRICH (Henry) IV: I am HEINICH IV. All during my reign, I struggled to keep control of the German nobles.
I also had a power struggle with Pope Gregory VII.
POPE GREGORY VII: I am Pope Gregory VII. Before I became Pope, I was the Abbot (the head) of the great
monastery called Cluny. Cluny, which located in France, was the largest and most powerful monastery in Europe.
Cluny, which was founded in 900 AD, was at the center of a movement to bring a revival of intense religious
devotion in the Church. It was stricter than other monasteries, and the monks were expected to be very intensely
devout.
N1: So did you want to reform the Church and bring about a revival of religious devotion?
POPE GREGORY VII: Yes. I realized the Church had problems. One of the biggest problems was that rulers were
trying to control the Church in their lands, by choosing their Bishops and Archbishops. I said that only the Church
could choose Bishops and Archbishops.
N2: Why was it so important that rulers should not get to choose the Bishops and Archbishops in their lands?
POPE GREGORY VII: Because the power to choose Bishops and Archbishops meant the power to control them and
to control the Church. I wanted the Church to be purely and intensely religious, not controlled by any king or
government. This controversy became known as the Lay Investiture controversy.
N1: What is Lay Investiture?
POPE GREGORY VII: Lay Investiture was the practice of the ruler of the land giving a Bishop his ring and staff
when he was “invested” as Bishop. It was the person who chose the Bishop or Archbishop who gave them the ring
and staff. A “layman” is any person, including a king or emperor, who is not a priest. So if the King or Emperor
chose a bishop and gave him the ring and staff, it was “Lay Investiture”. This is what happened in my power
struggle with the Holy Roman Emperor:
LETTER FROM POPE GREGORY VII TO ALL THE RULERS OF EUROPE: The practice of Lay Investiture
must stop. Only another priest can give the Bishops the ring and staff, and only the Church can choose
bishops and Archbishops. - Pope Gregory VII.
LETTER FROM HEINRICH IV TO POPE GREGORY: I intend to keep on giving Bishops and Archbishops in
my lands their ring and staff, and I intend to keep on choosing them. - HEINRICH IV< Holy Roman
Emperor.
LETTER FROM POPE GREGORY VII TO HEINRICH IV: You are rebellious and rude. If you do not do as I
say, I will excommunicate you!
LETTER FROM HENRICH IV TO the ONE WHO CALLS HIMSELF POPE GREGORY VII: You are merely an
ignorant monk, and not a true Pope. Don’t tell me what to do.
LETTER FROM POPE GREGORY VII TO HENRICH IV: You are excommunicated!!!!
HEINRICH IV: ( to himself) Oh no! This will give my nobles the chance to rebel against me.
Excommunication means my subjects and vassals are released from their vows of loyalty to me! I guess I’m
going to have to pretend to repent. I’ll put on ragged clothing and beg for forgiveness.
SPIRIT1: So the Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich IV put on rags and went to where the Pope was staying, which
happened to be a castle at a place called Canossa in the Italian Alps. There was snow and ice on the ground.
Heinrich and came and stood barefoot in the bitter cold outside the Pope’s window, begging for forgiveness. He
was a great actor! He had to stand in the cold for 3 days before the Pope would listen to him.
HEINRICH IV: Please, please forgive me, Your Holiness. I don’t want to go to hell!
POPE GREGORY VII: I know you are faking, Heinrich. But I have to forgive a sinner who repents. O.K.,
Heinrich, I forgive you. You are un-excommunicated. You are back in the Church.
HEINRICH: (to himself) Hurray! Now I can go back to doing exactly what I was doing before, I’ll just be
more discreet about it!
N2: Did this mean that the Pope won the power struggle?
SPIRIT2: Not completely. The issue of Lay Investiture was finally resolved at a meeting in the city of Worms. The
settlement was called the Concordat of Worms, and the outcome was complicated and unclear. It said that only the
Pope had the power to choose Bishops and Archbishops. However, the rulers of countries had the power to give
these Bishops and Archbishops their fiefs, or lands, from which the Bishops and Archbishops derived much of
their power and financial resources. This power meant that the rulers of countries still had some power over the
Bishops and Archbishops.
1. Who was Heinrick IV?
2. What was Cluny? What type of change did Pope Gregory VII want to bring in the Church?
3. What was lay investiture?
4. What was the outcome of the lay investiture controversy?
N2: Were their any other famous Holy Roman Emperors?
FREDERICK BARBAROSSA: I am Frederick I, also known as Frederick Barbarossa. I was a famous and powerful
Holy Roman Emperor from 1152 to 1190. My greatest desire was to control the cities of Northern Italy which were
growing in power and wealth, such as Milan, Padua and Verona. They were technically a part of my Empire, but they
were also very independent and becoming very wealthy. I sent my agents to take control of the city governments
of these cities. Milan resisted. I took my army to Milan, and captured Milan and destroyed it! The Pope helped the
other cities of Northern Italy organize in a group called the Lombard League. My army fought the army of the
Lombard League.
N2: What happened?
FREDERICK BARBAROSSA: We finally made a treaty. The cities recognized me as their overlord, but they kept
their right to govern themselves. I never fulfilled my dream of truly controlling these cities.
N2: Were there any other important Emperors?
FREDERICK II: I am Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, and grandson of Frederick Barbarossa. I am different
from most men of the Middle Ages, very different. I was raised on the island of Sicily, where I learned 9
languages, and had many Muslim friends. I spoke fluent Arabic. I expressed doubts about many Christian
teachings. Pope Innocent III excommunicated me several times, but I kept repenting and getting back in the
Church.
N2: Tell us a little more about Pope Innocent III.
POPE INNOCENT III: I was Pope from 1198-1216. I was the strongest of the Medieval Popes. I used
excommunication and interdict frequently to get my way. I once put England under an interdict during the reign of
King John. To lift the interdict, John had to become my vassal, and England had to agree to pay me an extra annual
fee. I once put France under an interdict, and forced King Philip II to take back a wife he had tried to annul
without my permission. I believed that the Pope and the Church should have ultimate power in all matters, both
spiritual and worldly. I said:
Papal Authority: Letter of Pope Innocent III to the prefect Acerbius and the nobles of
Tuscany, 1198
Just as the founder of the universe established two great lights in the firmament of heaven, the greater light to
rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, so too He set two great dignities in the firmament of the
universal church..., the greater one to rule the day, that is, souls, and the lesser to rule the night, that is, bodies.
These dignities are the papal authority and the royal power. Now just as the moon derives its light from the sun
and is indeed lower than it in quantity and quality, in position and in power, so too the royal power derives the
splendor of its dignity from the pontifical authority...
N1: You were very powerful!
POPE INNCENT III: Yes, but after me, the power of the Popes began to gradually decline, and the power of the
Kings of Europe began to increase.
1.
Who was Frederick Barbarossa?
2. Who was the strongest of the Medieval Popes?
3. In his famous statement on Papal authority, what did Pope Innocent III compare his power to? What did he
compare the power of kings to? What does this tell us about how he viewed Papal and royal authority?