Paul Halsall

Introduction to the Medieval World

Class 26: Political and Cultural Developments after the Black Death

Assigned Reading:

I. Introduction A. Yesterday we looked at the Plague It was obviously devastating, but it was not everything. -old trends continued to unroll B. Today we are going to do quick overview the State in the late medieval west. C. Vibrancy of medieval civilization - leads into modern world. II. Economic Activity Not really looking at late medieval economics. But one of the BIG THINGS historians try to explain is why industry and capitalism developed in the West. We have looked at the commercial revolution, And the way commerce tied the world together. But also under way - in the long duree were the processes which led to the industrial revolution, and hence the modern world. III. Political Developments General: a period of destabilization of the gains of the high middle ages, followed by a period of stronger monarchy after 1450. IV. The Empire Falls Apart V. The Hundred Years War A. England B. France C. Origins of the War D. On and Off Nature E. Joan of Arc VI. The Wars of the Roses VII. Spain -Dynastic disputes -Ferdinand and Isabella - 1492 VIII. Italy A. Political Disintegration B. Economic Decline C. The Renaissance IX. The End of the Middle Ages? They begin modern history in Oxford in 476AD. A. The Renaissance? B. 1453 - Fall of Constantinople? C. 1485 - Bosworth Field D. 1492 - Granada and America E. 1517 - the Reformation? F. 1648 - The Treaty of Westphalia? G. 1687 - Newton's Principia? H. 1787 - Treaty between Turks and Russians? I. 1789 - The French Revolution? J. 1917 - The Russian Revolution? K. 1968 - New Political consciousness? X. CONCLUSION ON MEDIEVAL CIVILISATION Aim of this course was to give you some appreciation of the breakup of the classical world and the emergence from it of three vibrant civilizations. We have concentrated on the West. The modern world did not spring up in 1500, or 1776. It emerged from the middle ages. In modern religion, science art and architecture, the lessons of the middle ages are still with us. As we attempt to situate ourselves in the Fourth dimension a knowledge of the middle ages, while not useful, is I hope to have shown, very worthwhile.

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© Paul Halsall, 1996.

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