Pu07_WWII and its Aftermath

Axis

2. The ‘period name’ given by historians for the years of genocide that resulted in the deaths of ~10,000,000 victims of Germany’s WWII era.

5. Acronym: A missile, uniquely launched from a submarine, with the capability of delivering a warhead (nuclear or conventional munition) over great distances, even between continents. A major element of the competition between Super-Powers of the Cold War.

7. A set of practices, beliefs, and objects that are dominant or ubiquitous in a society at a given point in time. An iconic representation of this during the WWII era were comics and comicbooks… 2 Words

10. Acronym: National Socialist Party of Germany

11. General Francisco Franco, Benito Mussolini, and Adolf Hitler are all classified as this type of ruler.

13. Acronym: Women’s branch/ Auxiliary of the US Navy during the WWII era.

15. A spike in economic activity resulting from the increased participation of former servicemen seeking homes after WWII… 2 Words

18. WWII era, US sponsored economic revitalization plan meant to accelerate the recovery of devastated European nations… 2 Words

21. From June 1948 to September of 1949 this was a response to a blockade of Berlin sponsored by the Soviet Union in 1948. Its purpose was to transport supplies to the people of West Berlin.…2 words

23. Lead scientist of the Manhattan Project. A key player in the coordination of efforts between the US military hierarchy and the scientists working on the project.

27. A facility or compound often reserved for the imprisonment or detainment of individuals who are viewed as ‘threats’ to the society. In many instances where these facilities were used, those imprisoned had not committed any legal crime. In extreme cases, they may also be slated for execution at the facility… 2 Words

28. The 1951 conviction and subsequent 1953 execution of this Husband-Wife pair for espionage and treason continue to be an iconic representation of Cold War paranoia.

29. A period of heightened tension between two nations without the expected violence normally experienced in traditional military conflict. It was not, however, benign since proxies were violently demonstrating the tension… 2 Words

32. In US history, an expression of the Cold War. Given its chronological placement between WWII and the Vietnam War, it has acquired the moniker of “The Forgotten War”… 2 Words

33. Acronym: The preeminent espionage agency of the United States whose origins stretch to the OSS of WWII.

34. An iconic US ’Spy’ plane central in the era of the Cold War.

35. An American foreign policy following the end of WWII whose stated purpose was to counter Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War… 2 Words

36. German: “Lightning Warfare”

38. Acronym: Women’s branch/ Auxiliary of the US Army during the WWII era.

39. In US history, an expression of the Cold War. Its polarizing affect on US society manifested itself within the Counter-Culture and Civil Rights Movement. Some have come to classify it as “the only war the US ever lost”…2 words

40. The ‘philosophical’ barrier represented by the Communist European nations dividing ‘West’ and ‘East’ … 2 Words

41. A series of military tribunals held by the Allied forces after World War II for the purpose of bringing war criminals to justice…2 words

Democracy

1. A government or group policy with the ultimate aim of eliminating the existence of a targeted segment of a population.

2. This US President gave the order that ultimately ushered the world into the ‘Nuclear Age’ in the most violent setting.

3. Acronym: The official title of the Soviet Union and its component parts.

4. Supreme Allied Commander during WWII. Future (Republican) President of the United States.

6. A US program to supply Free France, United Kingdom, the Republic of China, and (later) the Soviet Union with food, oil, and materials (1941-1945). It’s precursor existed before US entry into WWII… 2 Words

8. A non-public business policy whereby a product is developed and marketed with qualities that will eventually force the consumer to discard and replace it after a designated period of use… 2 Words

9. A demographic spike in the birth rate attributable to returning WWII veterans after 1945… 2 Words

12. A presidential directive of Franklin Delano Roosevelt initiating the eventual internment of American citizens during WWII. …3 AlphaNumeric Words

14. A policy adopted and implemented by Britain’s Neville Chamberlain in the years before WWII. It was believed that German militaristic plans can be curtailed peacefully if European nations agreed to German claims/ demands for territories.

16. In WWII parlance, a place where an undesirable segment of the population would be relocated to. It’s purpose is to isolate that group, and in extreme cases of WWII, provide a ready supply of slave labor destined for eventual execution.

17. Code name for a top-secret WWII-era collaboration between the US military and a group of scientists stationed is Los Alamos, New Mexico. The purpose of the collaboration was the development, production, and deployment of a nuclear device before it could be done by the Axis Powers. Ultimately, that device would be used in Asia.

19. Acronym: A missile with the capability of delivering a warhead (nuclear or conventional munition) over great distances, even between continents. A major element of the competition between Super-Powers of the Cold War.

20. A comic book Superhero who came to represent, for many Americans, the values of the United States as it faced the Axis Powers during the WWII era. His beginning as a patriotic, but physically weak American, was a strong argument that anyone can contribute to the war effort and be a ‘hero’. 2 Words

22. His Cold War US ‘Spy’ plane was shot down and his eventual exchange for a Soviet spy in US custody has become immortalized in the movie “Bridge of Spies”.

24. This leader of the Soviet Union was at the helm during the iconic standoffs of the Cold War to include: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the shooting-down of Francis Gary Powers.

25. An iconic figure representing the moral and legal debate over the internment of US citizens based on racial/ ethnic background. His story, as well as that of others, has forced the nation to reexamine the meaning of ‘Citizen’. 2words

26. The targeted Japanese cities for the A-Bomb… 2 Words written in order of targeting.

30. A US geopolitical strategy to stop the expansion of Communism. It earmarked Cold War foreign policy for the United States and its allies.

31. German word. “Night of Broken Glass”. A precursor of the atrocities that will be perpetrated in WWII Germany.

37. US legislation that provided economic aid to former WWII servicemen that included education assistance. … a two-letter acronym followed by 1 Word

Pu03e_The Crescent and the Cross: The 1st Crusade

The 1st Crusade

Across

1. A question #11 answer. This was the first Crusader Principality to be deceiptfully acquired. A crusader became king.
4. A question #6 answer. There are two words you must insert here. The first word is the term the Catholic Church uses to identify the action a wrong-doer must take to achieve forgiveness. The second word is the term used by members of the three monotheistic faiths to identify the category of actions classified as ‘Wrongs’. These were important terms used in Pope Urban’s speech. The speech did little to clear common misunderstandings by followers of the Christian faith. (2 words total)
7. A question #2 answer.
9. A question #10 answer. They used long-range… (2 words)
10. A question #3 answer. Pope issues order to send, as well as establish goals of these.
11. A question #10 answer. They fought on…
15. A question #3 answer. Pope wishes this ruler to accept papal leadership. (2 words)
16. A question #1 answer.
18. A question #3 answer. Pope calls for the formation of this.
19. A question #4 answer. May reunite the followers of this institution with The Church. (3 words)

Down

2. A question #4 answer. Sets a precedent for Church authority in certains areas of this segment of society.
3. A question #7 answer. A targetted group ‘other’ than that listed in the Clermont speech.
5. A question #11 answer. This Crusader Principality had a significant portion of it’s population slaughtered- including Christians. A crusader became king.
6. A question #11 answer. At Ma’arat al-Numan, crusaders resorted to this most offensive act.
8. A question #10 answer. Their horses were smaller and…
11. A question #6 answer. Automatic acceptance into this realm.
12. A question #4 answer. Rid Europe of these rowdy persons.
13. Question #1 answer.
14. A question #5 answer. Regain control of the land that this figure once resided in.
17. A question #8 answer. Crusaders often sold this most valuable feudal asset.

Pr03b_The Byzantine Empire was Roman with an Eastern Flavor! (Slide by Slide Description)

The accompanying presentation to this slide by slide description can be accessed by clicking the link above.

Cover Slide: The Hagia Sophia is depicted here. See slide #7 for additional information.

Slide #2: Map of Western Europe in the early 6th C. CE.
A major contributor to the collapse of the Western portion of the Roman Empire was the migration/ invasions of nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples from the North and East. For centuries the Roman imperial army was able to repel these incursions and maintain relatively stable borders. That ended in the 5th C. CE.

These invaders are referred to as ‘Barbarians’ by Western texts. However, most had extensive exposure to the former empire and had diffused with it. The stereotypical image of a barbarian as being little more than a Neolithic nomad is false.

The naming of these ‘barbarian’ peoples is quite inaccurate as well. Goths (Ostrogoths and Visigoths) is a large category of peoples and NOT a distinct people. Major groups listed on the map include: Burgundians, Lombards, Saxons, Vandals, etc.

The Eastern portion of the Roman Empire will continue to live on for another 900 years around the former Greek city of Byzantium, to be renamed Constantinople. Historians in the West will rename the empire ‘Byzantine’ to distinguish it from the former empire that included the Western half. It should be noted, however, that imperial citizens of Constantinople still referred to themselves as ‘Romans’.

Slide #3: Constantinople. It’s location controlled the water passage from the Black Sea to the Mediterannean Sea. It was also a militarily strong location to defend from attackers.

Slide #4: This image shows a surviving section of the dual-wall perimeter that protected Constantinople from a land attack coming from the West. This was part of the wall designed under the Emperor Theodosius in the 5th C.

Slide #5: Mosaic depictions of Emperor Justinian and his wife, Theodora (6th C.).

Justinian reigned as emperor for many years and was at the helm for major achievements. Among these we would include: The Hagia Sophia, Corpus Juris Civilis, and reconquest of the former Western-half of the Roman Empire (temporarily).

Slide #6: Innovation continued under the Byzantine emperors. In this image we see the use of ‘Greek Fire’ to repel a sea attack.

Slide #7-8: The Hagia Sophia is depicted here. An architectural project sponsored by the Emperor Justinian (6th C. CE). Though built to serve as a church, it has gone through additional conversions over the centuries. The four towers around the structure are minarets added by the Islamic (Ottoman) Turks that conquered Constantinople in 1454. It now serves as a museum in the heart of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople).

The use of a dome to cap churches is a Roman cultural tradition that has survived until today. This tradition of placing domes on religious structures reaches back into the Roman classical age with the Pantheon being the stereotypical example.

The European Middle Ages will witness the absence of domed churches as the plans, skill, and materials necessary to construct a dome was ‘lost’ along with the Roman Empire in the West after 476 CE. It will not be until the Renaissance when Western Europe will see its next domed structure.

Slide #9: Corpus (Body) Juris (Law) Civilis (Civil) = Body of Civil Law.
Commissioned by Justinian, this compilation of Roman law was a legal and logistical achievement. Justinian had scholars comb the legal archives of the empire to consolidate and edit the statute books of the Roman Empire dating back to the Emperor Hadrian (2nd C.) His goal was to make the legal system nombre efficient by removing laws that were no-longer useful.

Slide #10: Several significant works by one of Justinian’s secretaries- Procopius. Since Procopius’ inflammatory accounts of Justinian’s private life (The Secret History) would surely have had him imprisoned and/ or sentenced to death, he waited to publish it after the emperor’s death.

Slide #11: A map of the Byzantine Empire at it’s height of size under the reign of Justinian.

Slide #12-13: A major holy site for Christians today has it’s origin with the Emperor Constantine, who also established Byzantium as a Eastern Roman capital city in the 4th C.

The church enshrines, on one end, the traditionally accepted site of Jesus’ crucifixion (Golgotha/ Calvary) and Jesus’ tomb on the other end.

Slide #14-15: These two slides begin to show the developing differences between the Christian Church that had developed under a Christian Roman Empire.

After the empire collapsed in the West, the influence of the migrating/ invading peoples contributed to a faith that was developing differently compared to the Eastern half of the empire that remained in Constantinople.

The Byzantine Empire gave birth to the Eastern Orthodox Church (Eastern Church). In this first image we see priests dressed in religious robes.

The Western half gave birth to the Roman Catholic Church (Western Church). In the second image we see a priest dressed in religious robes common to that Church.

Take note how the developing differences are showing up in the garb and the styles of Crosses (Crucifixes).

Slide #16: An image of icons in the form of small statues is shown in the upper-left. The lower-right is a modern image showing the interior of the Hagia Sofia.

A major religious rift between the two Churches was how to treat the use of icons (in the pre-Digital Age, icons were physical and in predominantly in the form of statues and paintings).

A movement referred to as ‘Iconoclasm’ (Icon Smashing) began to appear in the reign of Justinian, but shifted into significance a couple centuries later. The Western Church continued to have icons present in the churches during services, while there was a growing opposition to that practice in the Eastern Church. There were many in the Eastern Church who saw the presence of icons in religious services as a form of idol worship. Those who were against the use of icons were called ‘Iconoclasts’ (Icon Smashers). Sometimes, the dispute became so heated that violence broke out and spread from the churches to the streets of Constantinople in the form of riots.

Slide #17: Since 1054, when the Western and Eastern Churches officially split apart (The Great Schism), there have been repeated attempts by leaders of both Churches to reunify. All attempts, thus far, have failed to achieve that unity.

Pr02b4_Ancient Rome: Rise of Christianity and the Collapse of the Empire in the West (Slide by Slide Description)

Pr02b4_Ancient Rome: Rise of Christianity and the Collapse of the Empire in the West (Slide by Slide Description)

Click on Pr02b4_Ancient Rome: Rise of Christianity and the Collapse of the Empire in the West to view the slides that accompany these descriptions.

Cover Slide: “SPQR”. Represents republican Rome’s creed. As an acronym, it stands for “Senatus Populusque Romanus” => The Senate and People of Rome. Such a phrase/ Acronym would be affixed at the end of official documents and public monuments.

We enter the period of gradual decline and ultimate collapse of the empire in the Western half. The eastern half, later to be known as the Byzantine Empire, will continue on for another nine centuries. If we were to mark off the period of Roman decline and collapse, we would first have to decide what the signs of ‘decline’ are. This would be beyond the scope of our course. Instead, we’ll look at a few of the major decisions in the empire’s two to three centuries before the collapse that later came to aggravate the conditions that brought on a political collapse.

Slide #2: Our first crisis decision is about the Roman institution of Slavery. (There are parallels in the Roman institution with the institution of Slavery as practiced in the United States.)

Do you see any problem with maintaining a high population of enslaved peoples who are kept under control with brutal regulations?

Slide #3: A painting of crucified rebellious slaves from Spartacus’ Slave Army.

Slide #4: Under the rule of an Emperor, the Roman government never adequately solved the problem of who would be the next emperor. Except for a ~100 year period where each emperor hand-picked a successor (adopted as a ‘Son’- think of what Julius Caesar had done with Octavian), transfer of power from one emperor to the next was often accompanied with violence and civil war.

Why do you suppose anyone would plunge their society into violent chaos just to be Emperor?

Slide #5: The Five Good (Adopted) Emperors.

Nerva begins the process that ends with Marcus Aurelius. Augustus (Octavian), as the first emperor, starts a period known as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) that lasts until the end of the reign of the Five Good (Adopted) Emperors.

Slide #6: Another critical period of Rome’s history involves the issue about the empire’s geographic size.

In the United States, much has been debated about the security of the nation’s borders. Rome had a problem with it’s borders and thus became concerned about the empire’s physical size.

A solution to the problem was enacted by Emperor Diocletian- The Tetrarchy.

What difficulties do you see materializing from a division of the empire into four, semi-autonomous regions with their own local ruler with the title of ‘Caesar’?

Slide #7: Maps that are related to the problem of an empire that’s too large to govern efficiently.

The map in the bottom-center shows a city that one emperor, Constantine, uses as a ‘new’ eastern capital for the empire in the 4th C.

In essence, the empire is divided into two large parts: The Western portion- governed from Rome, and the Eastern portion- governed from Byzantium.

Slide #8: For most of Rome’s history, it reflected similar religious beliefs to other ancient civilizations- Polytheistic, nature-based faiths. The emperors Galerius and Constantine make major social changes in this field. The faith developing from the teachings of a Jewish Rabbi (to become Christianity) become increasingly accepted in Roman society. A persecuted faith gradually becomes the empire’s official faith under the reign of the Emperor Theodosius in the 4th-5th C. At that time the government’s position flip-flops. A formerly persecuted faith becomes the official faith of the government and once accepted faiths become targets of persecution.

What disruptions might you envision for a society that makes such a change?

Slide #9: The issue of troublesome borders comes back to haunt the empire in the 5th C. for the final time. Peoples who were once controlled by Rome’s mighty armies become ‘invaders’. These become the mislabeled ‘Barbarian’ invasions.

While these incursions were often violent, border security doesn’t always involve the movement of violent people. Can movement of people across borders, if done in a non-violent fashion, still endanger a society?

Slide #10 – 13: These slides highlight the divided development of the two former halves of the once mighty Roman Empire.

The Western half becomes divided among the ethnic groups represented by the (Barbarian) invaders in the 5th C.
The Eastern half continues on. Modern historians have labeled this remaining half as the BYZANTINE EMPIRE (records indicate that the people stilled referred to themselves as ‘Roman’). It’s capital city being the one Emperor Constantine established as the Eastern Capital in the 4th C.- Byzantium. It would later be renamed Constantinople.

These two halves will pursue divergent religious and political paths. Slides 11 – 12 illustrate some of the religious differences via the priests of the Eastern Orthodox Church (Eastern Christian Church) and the Roman Catholic Church (Western Church). Both of these ‘Churches’ still exist today.

Are you smarter than a 9th Grader?

This map (below) contains the locations of places, persons, and events discussed during the semester. Can you match the icons on the map with the correct description provided in the list that follows? Give it a shot.

World History II Map Review

1. From Tenochtitlan, located in this area, did the Mexica (Aztec) rule over their empire.
2. This is the city from where the Emperor Justinian (Corpus Juris Civilis) and Alexius I (1st Crusade) ruled the Byzantine Empire.
3. This area encompasses much of the Mughal Empire.
4. The Grand Canal, the oldest man-made structure still used for it’s original purpose, is located here.
5. The location of Portugal and Spain since they became ‘nations’ during the Renaissance.
6. This became an Ottoman ‘lake’ after the decline of Venice in the 15th – 16th C.
7. The defeat of the Spanish Armada (1518) at the hands of Queen Elizabeth I’s English Navy occurred here. England was primed to challenge the Spanish Empire in the open seas.
8. Cahokia, the greatest ‘Mound Builder’s’ (Mississippian) city was here.
9. The great cities of Jenne, Timbuktu, and Gao reflected the wealth and political strength of the ‘trade’ empires that developed here.
10. It was to this island that the Mongols attempted to invade, but were repulsed, twice, by a force that came to be known as ‘Kamikaze’.

Pu04b_The European Renaissance

Pu04b_European Renaissance

East – West 

3. 95 formal statements attacking the “pardon-merchants”. Nailed on the door of Castle church in Wittenberg. (2 words)
5. The exclusion of religious considerations from civic affairs. Additionally, the social movement toward a greater emphasis on the non-religious elements of human existence.
7. An Italian author of a famous political text that modeled its protagonist on King Ferdinand II of Spain. It was written in the vernacular.
9. A person faithful to the Roman Catholic religion, but compelled to express his views not in accord with papal policy. (2 words)
12. Benefactor, supporter, or role model for an artist.
13. A movement spearheaded by an office of the Catholic Church. Its purpose was to address the spread of heresy within Catholic Europe.
17. Sculptor and painter. Great works include “David”, “Moses”, and the Sistine Chapel.
19. This is also known as the “Catholic Reformation”. This movement was inspired and led by the Reforming Popes. It’s goal was to address the excesses of Church officials. (2 words)
21. A painter, sculptor, and scientist. Credited with such works as “The Last Supper”, the “Mona Lisa”, and the “Sforza Horse”.
22. This pope was a patron of the Arts. He commissioned works by artists like Raphael and Michelangelo. (2 words)
23. Philosophical and artistic movement emphasizing the centrality of humanity (Man).
24. A priest with a zeal to establish a fundamental Christian lifestyle in Florence. He successfully led a rebellion to overthrow the Medici. He was the organizer of “The Bonfires of the Vanities”.
25. Spanish novelist credited with writing one of the greatest novels of all time- Don Quixote.

North – South 

1. Italian author of The Divine Comedy.
2. This four-armed, four-legged drawing of a man represents the Renaissance’s obsession with measuring (quantifying) nature. (2 words)
4. Author of “In Praise of Folly”.
6. An artistic technique that creates the illusion of a three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface.
8. This movement, accelerated by the Protestant Reformation, resulted in the establishment of non-Catholic Christian churches.
10. A category of painting employing wet plaster as a medium.
11. Patriarch of the most powerful banking family in Florence and Europe in the 15th C.
12. A category of painting whose subject and emphasis is an individual.
14. A period in European History distinguished by the reinvigorated interest in the arts and sciences of the Classical period.
15. This pope issued a papal bull endorsing the authority of the Vatican to sell indulgences. (2 words)
16. This Florentine banking family is credited for funding much of the creativity of Italian Renaissance artists and thinkers.
18. Pardons from the Pope, often in the form of a certificate, that released the holder from performing the penance prescribed for a sin.
20. A literary form focusing on the life and exploits of its author.

AN05a_Philosophical Foundations of Absolutism

AN05_Philosophical Foundations of Absolutism

Timeline: 16th – 18th C.

FS: How did philosophy support Absolutism?

Main Idea

During a time of religious and economic instability, monarchs ruled with a strong hand. The developing world view of Renaissance Europe impacted much more than art and science. Creative expression transcended the new scientific theories and artistic masterpieces and entered into the world of governance. Monarchs and philosophers questioned the role of government and ruler. Sometimes, both arrived at conclusions that were mutually supportive. Others generated ideas that were revolutionary and confrontational. All sought clues to the answers in nature, but supported by faith whenever possible.

Ponder: “Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely”

I. Origins of Absolutism

A. Absolutism: A term used by historians to describe a form of monarchical power that is not restrained by other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or aristocracy.
B. Characteristics of Absolutist Monarchies
C. Historical Precedent
There are numerous examples throughout world history that monarchs justified their exercise of power using religion. Among these we can include:

– Ancient Egypt
– Mesopotamians
– Roman Empire
– China’s Dynastic Period
– Medieval Europe: The Church exercised its influence when it crowned kings of the Franks (eg. Charlemagne) and the Holy Roman Emperors.

D. Philosophy

From the time of the Pax Mongolica, and with increased vigor during the commercial revolution of the High Middle Ages and Renaissance, Europe was on the receiving end of a philosophical exchange with the Asians. During this period European thinkers were able to express their understanding of the human experience through an understanding of the natural world.

The Enlightenment is a period of philosophical expansion. It is nurtured within the Renaissance and is, in essence, Europe’s version of the nature-based philosophies of the Far East. A few of the great Enlightenment thinkers were Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Voltaire. These men looked to nature to find answers that will allow them to explain how nature shapes the relationship between ruler and ruled.

1. Thomas Hobbes (wrote The Leviathan, a philosophical response to the English Civil War).


a. Nature, originally, made everyone mentally and physically equal and with freedom to choose. Nature has also elevated in Man his own self-interests.

b. The goal of “Absolutism” is to control the natural evil (base nature) of people. It exists to benefit the people and the state which are bound together by the national identity.

2. Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)

II. Absolutist Monarchs of Renaissance Europe


A. France: Louis XIV (Sun King)
B. England: Henry VIII (16th C.), Elizabeth I (Virgin Queen, 16th C.), James I (James VI of Scotland, 17th C.)

As daughter of Henry VIII, Elizabeth recognizes the importance of securing power and wielding it when necessary to entrench her position. Elizabeth never married (“The Virgin Queen”) and she reinforced the bond between her and the fortunes of the nation-state. Whether her decision to not marry was one based on love or unwillingness to share power, she did expend effort in making it appear publicly that she was “married to the state” (As priests of the Catholic Church are forbidden to marry a woman, they are expected to conduct themselves as if “married” to the The Church.

The Arthurian Legends proclaim Arthur as “The once and future king” because “He and the land are one.” In reality as in legend, the unity of the state depends a great deal on the ability of the monarch to make the destiny of the people, land, and monarch => One!
 Her efforts in the defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) opened avenues to the wealth of the Americas that before were limited to raids of Spanish galleons by privateers (you might say “hired pirates”). As great as American specie wealth was, the monarchy’s financial needs were in keeping with other absolute monarchs and it often brought her in conflict with the nobility upon whom she depended for funds. The monarch’s need for funding and the aristocracy’s increasing resentment would take England’s succeeding monarchs on a path toward civil war.

C. Russia: Peter the Great (Czar)

In keeping with other Renaissance monarchs, Peter the Great organized the Russian nation-state by clarifying the Russian national identity. As the state formed, he was able to amass the power that came with it. As monarchs, popes, and businessmen of the period exhibited, Peter the Great used art to reflect the values of the nation-state while glorifying his reign (St. Petersburg).

D. Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Netherlands: Emperor Charles V

III. Summary: Why It Matters Now.

When faced with crises, many heads of government take on additional economic or political powers.

Resources
– World History: Patterns of Interaction
– Assorted materials

Pu03c_The Mongols

Pu03c_The Mongols

East – West
2. Lacking a tomb culture, this was a form of burial for peoples living on the steppes. (2 words)
4. A government whose top political figure is a ‘Khan’. Initially, these were sections of the larger Mongol Empire. Eventually, they broke away and became independent.
6. The ‘given’ name of the 12th – 13th C. unifier of the nomadic peoples of the steppes.
8. An action meant to be of short duration for the purpose of stealing property from a neighboring people. Historically common among nomadic peoples of the world.
9. Mongol for “Leader” or “Ruler”.
12. Served as a physical dividing line between the nomadic lifestyle of the North and West, and the sedentary lifestyle of the South. (2 words)
13. Stretches of dry (arid) grasslands in central and eastern Asia. Often the homes of nomadic peoples who depend on the grasslands to raise livestock (sheep, horses, camels, goats, etc…).

North – South
1. Her life is example of the influence and authority women exerted in Mongol society.
3. Today, it identifies a Turkic ethnic group in Russia. Formerly, and erroneously, extended to include nearly all Central Asian, Turkic, and Mongolian ethnic groups.
5. Mongol for ‘Meeting’ or ‘Assembly’ of tribal chieftains. This is a cultural trait of Central Asian steppe peoples.
6. Mongol ‘Sky’ god.
7. The lifestyle that dominated the steppes north and west of the Great Wall.
10. This animal was absolutely pivotal to the peoples of the steppes. Though not often a food source, it was indispensable for survival.
11. Though not a food source, this creature was important as a pack-animal. Another species of this creature roams the arid areas of the Middle East and North Africa.

R03e_Medieval European Jews and Muslims

Note: This document should be read and analyzed in conjunction with R03e_Jean Venette and The Black Death. Mr.V has edited the document for clarity and brevity.

Reading #1
Many of Europe’s Jews lived in the growing towns. Because Jews were forbidden to hold land, they had never been part of the feudal system. Jews were also barred from many businesses, and so, they often did work that Christians could not or would not do. Being literate, Jews sometimes worked as business managers for large landholders. The Church forbade Christians to lend money at interest, yet many people still needed to borrow money. As a result, some Jews became moneylenders. From here, it was a short step to all types of banking. When trade began to revive in the later Middle Ages, Jews were often active in long distance trade. Jewish communities in different cities had the links necessary to arrange credit and transfer of money.

Reading #2
Expelling the Jews and Muslims made Spain a religiously united nation, but it hurt the country economically. Many of Spain’s leaders in business and trade had been Muslims or Jews.

Source:
Reading #1: World History: Perspectives on the Past, p.224-5.
Reading #2: World History: Perspectives on the Past, p.264.

R03e_The Black Plague and Labor (14th C., Scotland and England)

R03e_The Black Plague & Labor (14th C., Scotland & England)

Note: This document should be read and analyzed in conjunction with R03e_Jean Venette and The Black Death. Mr.V has edited the document for clarity and brevity.

[1] ‘In the same year there was a great plague of sheep everywhere in the realm, so that in one place there died in one pasturage more than 5,000 sheep and so rotted that neither beast nor bird would touch them. And there were small prices for everything on account of the fear of death, for there were very few who cared about riches or anything else. A man could have a horse which before was worth 40s. for 6s. … .. Sheep and cattle went wandering over fields and through crops, and there was no one to go and drive or gather them, so that the number cannot be reckoned which perished in the ditches of every district for lack of herdsmen; for there was such a lack of servants that no one knew what he ought to do…. Many crops perished in the fields for want of someone to gather them. . .

[2] The Scots, hearing of the cruel pestilence of the English, believed it had come to them from the avenging hand of God, and – as it was commonly reported in England – took for their oath when they wanted to swear, “By the foul death of England.” But when the Scots, believing the English were under the shadow of the dread vengeance of God, came together in the forest of Selkirk with purpose to invade the whole realm of Englandthe plague () came upon them and the sudden and awful cruelty of death winnowed them, so that about 5,000 died in a short time. Then the rest, some feeble, some strong, determined to return home, but the English followed and overtook them and killed many of them….

[3] At the same time priests were in such poverty everywhere that many churches were. . . lacking the divine offices, masses, matins, vespers, sacraments, and other rites. . . Within a short time a very great multitude of those whose wives had died in the pestilence flocked into orders, of whom many were illiterate and little more than laymen except so far as they knew how to read, although they could not understand.

[4] Meanwhile the King sent proclamation into all the counties that reapers and other laborers should not take more than they had been accustomed to take, under the penalty appointed by the statute. But the laborers were so … obstinate that they would not listen to the King’s command, but if anyone wished to have them he had to give them what they wanted and either lose his fruit and crops, or satisfy the … wishes of the workmen..

[5] Afterward, the King had many laborers arrested and sent to prison; many withdrew themselves and went into the forests and woods; and those who were taken were heavily fined. Their ring-leaders were made to swear that they would not take daily wages beyond the ancient custom then they were freed …….

[6] After the aforesaid pestilence many buildings, great and small, fell into ruins in every city, borough, and village for lack of inhabitants; likewise many villages and hamlets became desolate, not a house being left in them, all having died who dwelt there; and it was probable that many such villages would never be inhabited again.’

Question:

How is The Black Death weakening feudal bonds?

Source: The Human Adventure: Readings in World History Vol.1, 5. Eisen and M. Filler, edu., New York, Harcourt, Brace, Javanovich, 1964, pp.148-149.