World History Flashcards
1
Q
Middle Ages
A
- Europe between the fall of Rome (476) and beginning of Renaissance in 14th Century
- Also called Medieval Period
2
Q
Catholic Church during Middle Ages
A
- After fall of Rome, no single state or government united the people who lived in Europe
- Instead, Catholic Church became most powerful institution
- Kings, Queens, and other leaders derived much of their power from their alliances with and protection of the Church
3
Q
Charlemagne (742-814)
A
- Pope Leo III named Frankish king Charlemagne the “Emperor of the Romans”
- Over time, Charlemagne’s realm became the Holy Roman Empire
- United much of modern France, Germany, and northern Italy
- Embarked on a mission to unite all Germanic peoples into one kingdom and convert his subjects to Christianity
4
Q
Franks
A
- Germanic tribe in present-day Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and western Germany
5
Q
Middle Ages: Rise of Islam
A
- After prophet Muhammad’s death (632), Muslim armies conquered large parts of the Middle East
- United Muslims under the rule of a single caliph
- At its height, medieval Islam was more than 3x bigger than Christendom
- Vibrant intellectual and cultural life in Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus
- Poets, scientist, philosophers wrote thousands of books
6
Q
Middle Ages: The Crusades
A
- Began in 1095
- Catholic Church authorized military expeditions to expel Muslim ‘infidels’ from the Holy Land
- Believed that their service would guarantee the remission of their sins and ensure their place in heaven
- No one “won” the Crusades
- Exposed Crusaders to Islamic literature, science and technology
7
Q
Middle Ages: Economic and Society
A
- Rural life was governed feudalism
- King grants large pieces of land called fiefs to noblemen and bishops
- Landless peasants (serfs) work on the fiefs –> planted and harvested crops
- In exchange for their labor, they could live on the land
- Promised protection in case of enemy invasion
8
Q
Magna Carta (1215)
A
- King John faced a possible rebellion by the country’s powerful barons due to years of unsuccessful foreign policies and heavy tax demands
- Agreed to a charter of liberties
- Placed him and all of England’s future sovereigns within a rule of law
- First written constitution in European history
- Many clauses concerned the various property rights of barons and other powerful citizens
- Benefits were for centuries reserved only for the elite classes
9
Q
Byzantine Empire
A
- Justinian first emperor
- Empire included most of the land surrounding Med. Sea,
- Reformed and codified Roman law, establishing Byzantine legal code
- Movement that denied holiness of icons
- Patronized the arts, restored churches, palaces, and other cultural institutions
- Promoted study of ancient Greek history and literature
- Greek became official language of the state
10
Q
Louis XIV (1638 - 1718)
A
- Transformed the monarchy
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