Europe and the rise of

monarchies
 The situation
• After the Roman Empire fell apart in 476 CE (Common Era), there was no
longer one strong central power in charge of Europe
• Europe would be divided into a bunch of small kingdoms
 Feudalism
• A system known as feudalism would emerge at this point
• Under feudalism, which was based on an agricultural economy, distinct
social classes were dependent on one another through a complex system of
pledging loyalty in exchange for goods and services.
 The Feudal order
At the top were kings, who owned the land. Beneath them were lords
(noblemen) and clergymen (church officials), who were granted pieces of land
called fiefs (pronounced feefs) by the king. Below the lords were vassals
(knights), who held smaller amounts of land awarded to them by lords. At the
bottom were serfs (peasants), who farmed the fiefs but were not given land of
their own.
Take 2 minutes to draw this out on your computers so you have a nice visual
aid
 Capitalism
Feudalism began to decline in the eleventh century with the rise of capitalism,
an economy based on investing money and earning profits from business
ventures. Capitalism is considered one of the major contributions of the
Renaissance.
 Urban Life
Capitalism brought about the rise of cities, which were built as hubs in a
network of trade routes throughout Europe. The cities replaced fiefs as
population centers. The growth of the new economy posed threats to the
feudal system. Serfs started escaping to urban areas in search of work. A
middle class, consisting of merchants and bankers, was taking power away from
noblemen.
Westminster Hall in 1393
 London
• In the Middle Ages, Westminster was a small town up river from the City of
London. From the 13th century onwards London grew up in two different
parts. Westminster became the Royal capital and centre of government,
whereas the City of London became the centre of commerce and trade, a
distinction which is still evident to this day
 Europe’s division
Although feudalism had been replaced by a new economic system, social and
political structures were still based on the fief. When the Renaissance began in
the mid-fourteenth century in Italy, Europe was divided into hundreds of
independent states, each with its own laws and customs
Map of Europe in 1200
 The Chaos
The result was absolute chaos, as leaders of states vied for more power and
larger territories. In the south, the Italian peninsula was turned into a
battleground. Numerous wealthy city-states competed for trade rights around
the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, and the Italian Wars raged for sixty-four
years. As the Renaissance moved north of Italy in the fifteenth century,
northern and central Europe was even more fragmented.
 Nationalism
Monarchs (kings and queen with supreme rule) in France, England, and Spain
responded to the chaotic situation in Europe by consolidating their power. A
significant development in all three of these monarchies was the rise of
nationalism, or pride in and loyalty to one's homeland, which was a distinctive
feature of the Renaissance period.