Rise of Nation-States

WH I Rise of Nation-States

BIG IDEA: During the late medieval period, some of the feudal sates of Europe developed into strong nation-states. A nation-state is a large group of people who are ruled by one central government, who share a common language, and who feel a sense of loyalty to the group. The rise of the nation-state is one of the most important developments that happened in the late Middle Ages. It marked the end of feudalism and the decline of the political power of the Catholic Church.

France: Hugh Capet becomes king of France in 987 AD. He followed the last of the Carolingian rulers of the Franks. Hugh and his successors (those who come after) known as the Capetian kings, oversaw the steady expansion of the kingdom of France outward from Hugh's massive estate surrounding Paris in northern France. West of Hugh's estate, along the French coast, was the dukedom of Normandy, created by Vikings who has settled down. In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, set out to add the rich Anglo-Saxon lands across the English Channel to his holdings. After a great victory at Hastings, William and his Normans ruled England and most of present-day France. The Normans spoke French and were vassals (servants) of the French king. They brought the French and English closer together. In time, however, the French came to think of the Normans as foreigners, since the center of Norman power was in England. Over the next few hundred years the powerful Capetian kings began to fight to take land from the Normans. The French began to believe their nation should expand to include all French people. Philip II of France unites France under one kingdom. In 1204 he conquered Normandy, and he won the rest of the English King John's lands in France during the next two years. In 1337, the English returned to reclaim their lost lands. For the next 116 years, the French and English fought wars over the lands of France. This period of fighting is called the Hundred Years' War. At one point in the war, the French leader got help from a young peasant girl called Joan of Arc, who led the French forces at the Battle of Orleans in 1429. Joan believed God had chosen her to save France. After her stunning victory there, the French people united under their king to drive the English out once and for all.

England: Along the French coast was the dukedom of Normandy. In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, set out to add the rich Anglo-Saxon English lands across the English Channel to his land. After a great victory at Hastings, William and his Normans ruled England and most of present-day France. The Normans spoke French and were vassals (servants) of the French king. They brought the French and English closer together. The fighting between the English and French kings made the people of France and England think of themselves as separate nations. The English were defined by their island location and the language they spoke. Though the English language was transformed by French influences, it developed into a separate language. English government moved toward a sharing of power among the king and the nobles when King John signed the Magna Carta in 1215. This agreement limited the king's powers in specific ways demanded by the nobles. England fights the Hundred Years' War with France to try and take back lands in France lost earlier. While they do well at first, eventually, they are defeated and kicked out of France. Spain: King Ferdinand and Isabella unified Spain. In 710, the Muslims had conquered Spain, where they were called the Moors. Shortly afterwards, Christian nobles began fighting wars to regain control of their country. In the 1400s, King Ferdinand and Isabella ruled separate areas of Spain. They married and joined their large lands together under one Christian monarchy (kingdom). Only then, after 700 years, was Spain powerful enough to defeat the last Moorish kingdom and drive out the Muslims. This removal was called the Reconquista, or "reconquering." Its completion in 1492 enabled Ferdinand and Isabella to pay for the first trip of Christopher Columbus to America. In the 1500s, Spain developed a powerful empire. Under the rule of Philip II (not the same one as in France), Spain conquered large parts of the Americas. Much of the empire's wealth came from gold and silver mined in Spain's American colonies. There was so much though that it caused inflation, a drop in the value of money. Spain's decline began with the defeat of the Spanish Armada (war ships) in 1588. Philip II sent a vast fleet of warships to attack England, but the English with smaller and faster ships destroyed most of the ships in the Armada. The rest fled into the North Sea, where unfamiliar waters and bad weather wrecked many of them.

Russia: The nation of Russia had its beginnings in the area around Moscow. An aggressive tribe from north- central China called the Mongols defeated the Russians in the early 1200s. The Mongols gave local control to princes who were forced to make payments called tribute. The princes' lands were called principalities. One principality, Moscow, gradually increased its power until in 1480, its prince, Ivan III, challenged his Mongol lords by refusing to give them tribute. The Mongols threatened to attack, but they did not, because Moscow had become too strong to fight. Ivan III wanted Moscow to become the center of a great Christian empire, like the Byzantine empire. he called himself czar, the Russian word for caesar or emperor. His armies attacked neighboring Mongol forces and expanded Moscow's territory. As Moscow expanded, more and more Russians came under the rule of a single Russian government. Ivan IV (4th) got off to a good start. He further expanded Russian territory and gave Russia a code of laws. Around 1560, however, his approach to governing Russia changed for the worse. He established a secret police force and used it ruthlessly against innocent Russians. Thus, he earned the name "Ivan the Terrible," and the Russian people experienced a brutal government for the first time.