Latin West (1071-95) Flashcards
(2 cards)
What were the strengths of the Latin West between 1071 and 1095?
• 1073 – Pope Gregory VII begins reform of the Church: Strong papal leadership initiates the Gregorian Reforms. Aims to eliminate simony, enforce clerical celibacy, and assert papal supremacy over secular rulers. Begins transforming the papacy into a more powerful and independent institution.
• 1075 – Dictatus Papae issued by Gregory VII: Codifies claims of papal supremacy over secular rulers. Asserts that the pope alone can appoint or depose bishops and emperors. Lays ideological groundwork for papal-led initiatives such as the crusade.
• 1077 – Canossa: Henry IV seeks forgiveness from Gregory VII: Demonstrates growing power and prestige of the papacy. Symbolic victory for Gregory VII in the Investiture Controversy. Reinforces papal supremacy in spiritual matters.
• 1084 – Normans rescue Gregory VII from Roman rebels and Emperor Henry IV: Shows the pope can call on powerful secular allies like Robert Guiscard. Demonstrates effectiveness of papal alliances in defending Church authority.
• 1085 – Toledo captured by Alfonso VI of Castile from Muslims: Major success for Christian forces in Spain. Papacy supports Christian reconquest as a holy cause. Demonstrates papal involvement in promoting warfare against Muslims.
• 1087 – Mahdia Campaign led by Genoa and Pisa: Papally endorsed naval crusade against Muslim North Africa. Participants carried the banner of St. Peter and received indulgences. Early sign of papal support for religious-military campaigns.
• 1088 – Urban II elected pope: Committed to continuing Gregory VII’s reforms. Skilled diplomat and orator. Gradually regains papal authority across Europe and repairs relations with secular rulers and the Eastern Church.
• 1094 – Urban II reconciles with Count Roger of Sicily and regains control of much of southern Italy: Enhances papal political security and territorial base. Positions the papacy for greater international influence.
• March 1095 – Council of Piacenza: Urban II receives appeal from Byzantine Emperor Alexios I for military aid. Opportunity for papacy to lead a unifying Christian campaign. Begins planning for the First Crusade.
• November 1095 – Council of Clermont: Urban II preaches the First Crusade to liberate Jerusalem and aid Eastern Christians. Receives enthusiastic support from secular and ecclesiastical leaders. Major turning point where the papacy reasserts spiritual leadership. Successfully unifies warring European nobles under a religious cause.
What were the weaknesses of the Latin West between 1071 and 1095?
• 1071 – Battle of Manzikert: Although it was a Byzantine defeat, the Latin West failed to respond meaningfully to Muslim expansion. No coordinated Western support offered to Byzantium despite shared Christian interests.
• 1073 – Pope Gregory VII begins Investiture Controversy: Sparks major conflict with Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. Politically and spiritually divides Christendom. Undermines papal authority across much of Europe.
• 1076 – Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV: Causes widespread confusion and instability in the German Empire. Weakens credibility of the papacy. Fuels secular resistance to Church reform.
• 1077 – Henry IV performs penance at Canossa: Public humiliation of the emperor. While it shows papal dominance, it escalates political tension. Fails to resolve the Investiture issue, which continues into the 1080s.
• 1080 – Gregory VII deposed by Henry IV; Antipope Clement III installed: Schism within the Latin Church. Papal unity and legitimacy undermined. Church now split between reformers and imperial loyalists.
• 1081–1084 – Henry IV invades Italy and occupies Rome: Papacy physically expelled from its own city. Gregory VII rescued only by Norman forces, who sack Rome. Damages papal reputation among Romans and Christians.
• 1085 – Death of Gregory VII in exile at Salerno: Papal prestige at rock bottom. Reform movement is weakened and unpopular. Rome remains under imperial control via Antipope Clement III.
• 1086–1087 – Brief, ineffective pontificate of Victor III: Ongoing instability at the papal level. Little progress in unifying the Church or continuing reforms.
• 1088 – Urban II elected but lacks control over Rome: Forced to operate in exile from southern Italy. Struggles to gain influence in France, Spain, and Germany. Investiture Controversy still unresolved.
• 1088–1095 – Urban II focused on asserting legitimacy: Still not fully recognized due to ongoing support for Antipope Clement III. Unable to lead all of Christendom. Reform calls largely ignored outside loyalist areas.
• 1090s – Widespread famine and economic hardship in Europe: Poor harvests and hunger. Weakens both nobles and commoners. Undermines social order and increases instability.
• By 1095 – Latin Christendom remains divided and fractured: Papacy has only just begun to reassert itself. Investiture Controversy still pits kings and bishops against the pope. No united political or military response to Muslim threats or Byzantine appeals. Religious authority is deeply contested.
