How did monarchs in England and France expand royal authority and lay the foundations for united nation-states?
Monarchs in England and France struggled for power with the nobles and Church. The Black Death and Crusades as well as political and religious changes during the Middle Ages led to the expansion of royal authority and laid the foundations for united nation-states.
The dominant force of the Middle Ages was feudalism. Feudal lords had control over the land and the serfs who were tied to the land and forced to work it. Although the feudal lords pledged allegiance to the King, the King was very dependent on the support of the lords. In times of trouble, the lords may not support the King. The Catholic Church also claimed control over a wide are of land, and many feudal lords felt closer ties to the Pope than to their King.
Several items led to a decline in feudalism by the end of the Middle Ages. The Black Death or plague killed hundreds of thousands in Europe. This decreased the number of serfs available to work the land and support the lords. The Crusades also distracted the lords from managing their lands. The feudal system was further weakened as the Pope called on lords to recruit people for the holy wars in the Middle East.
With these changes occurring, the Monarchies used the …show more content…
The invention of the printing press was one of the greatest achievements as it allowed books to be printed into common languages for the commoners instead of Latin which only the clergy and noble people knew how to read and write. Scholars translated the great books from early philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato. This resulted in a new way of thinking throughout Europe as these ideas that had been lost for hundreds of years had been rediscovered. Europeans also discovered Arabic Numerals which were easier to use than the traditional Roman
Monarchs in England and France struggled for power with the nobles and Church. The Black Death and Crusades as well as political and religious changes during the Middle Ages led to the expansion of royal authority and laid the foundations for united nation-states.
The dominant force of the Middle Ages was feudalism. Feudal lords had control over the land and the serfs who were tied to the land and forced to work it. Although the feudal lords pledged allegiance to the King, the King was very dependent on the support of the lords. In times of trouble, the lords may not support the King. The Catholic Church also claimed control over a wide are of land, and many feudal lords felt closer ties to the Pope than to their King.
Several items led to a decline in feudalism by the end of the Middle Ages. The Black Death or plague killed hundreds of thousands in Europe. This decreased the number of serfs available to work the land and support the lords. The Crusades also distracted the lords from managing their lands. The feudal system was further weakened as the Pope called on lords to recruit people for the holy wars in the Middle East.
With these changes occurring, the Monarchies used the …show more content…
The invention of the printing press was one of the greatest achievements as it allowed books to be printed into common languages for the commoners instead of Latin which only the clergy and noble people knew how to read and write. Scholars translated the great books from early philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato. This resulted in a new way of thinking throughout Europe as these ideas that had been lost for hundreds of years had been rediscovered. Europeans also discovered Arabic Numerals which were easier to use than the traditional Roman