Developments in Europe
Unit 1: c. 1200-1450
Main Ideas:
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Western Europe was politically fragmented with feudalism and decentralized monarchies
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The Catholic Church (centered in Rome) was the main source of unity throughout Western Europe
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As monarchies started centralizing, more people moved to the cities, sparking a commercial revolution
Western Europe
All of Europe West of the Byzantine Empire
Key Ideas:
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Very politically fragmented and decentralized
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Feudalism: Peasants lived on large rural land plots and worked on the land under the supervision of their lords
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Monarchies were very decentralized and relied on local feudal lords for stability
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The Catholic Church was the main source of centralized power
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Nearly all Western Europeans were Catholic and were under the discretion of the Roman Catholic Church
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Even though Western Europe was politically decentralized, the Catholic Church helped maintain unity
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Monarchies started centralizing power → People moved to the cities → Commercial Revolution
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In mid 1400s, monarchies (Spain, France, England, etc.) started consolidating their power, causing peasants to move from the countryside to the cities
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With more people in the cities, they engaged in commercial activities & traded with other European cities
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One group of commercial cities is the Hanseatic League in Northern Europe
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St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the head of the Roman Catholic Church
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A painting showing crop rotation, an agricultural technique, on a feudal plantation
