EUROPEAN HISTORY - DBQ the Middle Ages (Suggested writing time minutes) Directions: The following question is based on the accompanying documents. (Some of the documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise.) This question is designed to test your ability to work with and understand historical documents. Write an essay that: Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with evidence from the documents. Uses a majority of the documents. Analyzes the documents by grouping them in as many appropriate ways as possible. Does not simply summarize the documents individually. Takes into account both the sources of the documents and the authors points of view. You may (should!) refer to relevant historical information not mentioned in the documents. Historical Background: During the Middle Ages, strong monarchs in England and France worked to increase their land holdings and the numbers of their subjects. In England, people established political traditions such as common law, the jury system, protection of rights, and representative assemblies. In France, strong leaders built an efficient bureaucracy, set up the Estates General, and expanded their territory. Conflicts with the Church and with independent nobles prevented Holy Roman emperors from unifying Germany. The Church and German emperors finally resolved the issue of investiture with the signing of the Concordat of Worms. However, new struggles arose as Pope Innocent III claimed supremacy over all rulers. During the Middle Ages, most people in Western Europe were unaware of advanced civilizations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The Crusades introduced Europeans to a wider world. The Crusades also led to increased trade and more powerful monarchs. Sparked by improving economic and political conditions, a revival of learning took place in the High Middle Ages. Writers across Western Europe began publishing works in the vernacular. Gothic cathedrals served as symbols of wealth and religious devotion. However, by the late Middle Ages, Europe was in a period of decline. The Black Death wreaked havoc throughout Europe. The Church suffered from poor leadership and
accusations of corruption. England and France fought the Hundred Years' War, in which Joan of Arc emerged as a French national hero. Question will be provided on test day... DBQ Question: Some scholars have argued that those who went off on the various and many Crusades to the Holy Land (Jerusalem) were motivated primarily by greed and lust for wealth (land and "booty"). To what extent are these scholars right? Do NOT use signal phrases like: Document 1 shows Document 4 proves As seen in Document 5 Do USE signal phrases like: Pope Leo, in a letter to preaches that which suggests Medieval frescos depict which suggests Document 1 Source: Flordia Holocaust Museum "Jews Executed During Travels to the Crusades"
Document 2 Source: 12 th century painting - Pope Urban's call for the First Crusade (to the Middle East) Document 3 Source: Pope Leo IV (847-855) letter written to the Frankish army, which was engaged in a crusade to expel the Muslims from Spain. Now we hope none of you will be slain, but we wish you to know that the kingdom of heaven will be given as a reward to those who shall be killed in this war. For the Omnipotent knows that they lost their lives fighting for the truth of the faith, for the preservation of their country, aid in the defense of Christians. And therefore God will give the reward, which we have named.
Document 4 Source: Pope John VIII: Indulgence (a papal "ticket to heaven") for Fighting the Heathen 878 - message to his bishops in the realm of Louis II. You have modestly expressed a desire to know whether those who have recently died in war, fighting in defense of the church of God and for the preservation of the Christian religion and of the state, or those who may in the future fall in the same cause, may obtain indulgence for their sins. We confidently reply that those who, out of love to the Christian religion, shall die in battle fighting bravely against pagans or unbelievers shall receive eternal life. For the Lord has said through his prophet: "In whatever hour a sinner shall be converted, I will remember his sins no longer." By the intercession of St. Peter, who has the power of binding and loosing in heaven and on earth, we absolve, as far as is permissible, all such and commend them by our prayers to the Lord. Document 5 Source Urban II: Letter of Instruction to the Crusaders, December 1095 Urban, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to all the faithful, both princes and subjects, waiting in Flanders; greeting, apostolic grace, and blessing. Your brotherhood, we believe, has long since learned from many accounts that a barbaric fury has deplorably afflicted an laid waste the churches of God in the regions of the Orient. More than this, blasphemous to say, it has even grasped in intolerable servitude its churches and the Holy City of Christ, glorified be His passion and resurrection. Grieving with pious concern at this calamity, we visited the regions of Gaul and devoted ourselves largely to urging the princes of the land and their subjects to free the churches of the East.
Document 6 Source: Robert the Monk Robert perhaps 25 years after Pope Urban's speech, but he may have been present at the council. Oh, race of Franks, race from across the mountains, race chosen and beloved by God as shines forth in very many of your works set apart from all nations by the situation of your country, as well as by your catholic faith and the honor of the holy church! Let the deeds of your ancestors move you and incite your minds to manly achievements; the glory and greatness of king Charles the Great, and of his son Louis, and of your other kings, who have destroyed the kingdoms of the pagans, and have extended in these lands the territory of the holy church Let the holy sepulcher of the Lord our Savior, which is possessed by unclean nations, especially incite you, and the holy places which are now treated with ignominy and irreverently polluted with their filthiness. Oh, most valiant soldiers and descendants of invincible ancestors, be not degenerate, but recall the valor of your progenitors. Document 7 Source: Pope Gregory VII: Call for a "Crusade", 1074 Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to all who are willing to defend the Christian faith, greeting and apostolic benediction. We hereby inform you that the bearer of this letter, on his recent return from across the sea [from Palestine], came to Rome to visit us. He repeated what we had heard from many others, that a pagan race had overcome the Christians and with horrible cruelty had devastated everything almost to the walls of Constantinople, and were now governing the conquered lands with tyrannical violence, and that they had slain many thousands of Christians as if they were but sheep. If we love God and wish to be recognized as Christians, we should be filled with grief at the misfortune of this great empire [the Greek] and the murder of so many Christians. But simply to grieve is not our whole duty. The example of our Redeemer and the bond of fraternal love demand that we should lay down our lives to liberate them. "Because he has laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren," [1 John 3:16]. Know, therefore, that we are trusting in the mercy of God and in the power of his might and that we are striving in all possible ways and making preparations to render aid to the
Christian empire [the Greek] as quickly as possible. Therefore we beseech you by the faith in which you are united through Christ in the adoption of the sons of God, and by the authority of St. Peter, prince of apostles, we admonish you that you be moved to proper compassion by the wounds and blood of your brethren and the danger of the aforesaid empire and that, for the sake of Christ, you undertake the difficult task of bearing aid to your brethren [the Greeks]. Send messengers to us at once inform us of what God may inspire you to do in this matter. Document 8 Source: Fulcher of Chartres, written between 1101 and 1128 (account of the expedition to Jerusalem - what Pope Urban said For, as the most of you have heard, the Turks and Arabs have attacked them and have conquered the territory of Romania [the Greek empire] as far west as the shore of the Mediterranean and the Hellespont, which is called the Arm of St. George. They have occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and have overcome them in seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches and devastated the empire. If you permit this supinely for very long, the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them. Document 9 Source: Knytlinga Saga, relating the history of the Danish Kings, tells how Eirik the Good decided to visit Jerusalem (epic poem format) as part of a crusade I describe how the king bold in conflict, to cure his souls scars, from the north set out with his soldiers: he prepared himself for Paradise, and went to explore the peace of Jerusalem, to make his life pure.
Document 10 Source: Illuminated manuscript showing execution of Christian prisoners by Muslim soliders.
Document 11 Source: illuminated manuscript showing Christian Catholic soldiers fighting Eastern Orthodox Christian soldiers at Jerusalem during the 3 rd Crusade
Document 12 Source: Routes of the crusaders... Document 13 Source:The Oxford History of the Crusades: Book by Jonathan Riley-Smith; Oxford University, 1999 It cannot be stressed often enough that crusades were arduous, disorientating, frightening, dangerous, and expensive for participants, and the continuing enthusiasm for them displayed over the centuries is not easy to explain...but if many crusaders had been motivated by ideals, their ideals were certainly not the same as those of high churchmen, and what nobles and knights thought and what their aspirations were have become live issues. Some crusade historians, among them Marcus Bull, Simon Lloyd, James Powell, Jonathan Riley-Smith, and Christopher Tyerman, have been turning their minds to these questions, and a few directions for future research have been signposted.