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Apr 19, 2024 · The Middle Ages was the period in European history from the collapse of Roman civilization in the 5th century CE to the period of the Renaissance (variously interpreted as beginning in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century, depending on the region of Europe and other factors).
- Dark Ages
Migration period, the early medieval period of western...
- Middle Ages Summary
The longest-lasting of these kingdoms, that of the Franks,...
- The Middle Ages
The Middle Ages. The Middle Ages comprise the period in...
- Dark Ages
- Byzantium / Eastern Roman Empire (c. 330-1453) Long after the Western half of the Roman Empire had broken up, the Eastern half, known as Byzantium, would continue to flourish.
- Mongol Empire (1206–1368) After uniting the Mongol people, Chinggis Khan (c.1162-1227) and his successors would use their military power to conquer state after state.
- Republic of Venice (697–1797) The Most Serene Republic of Venice began in a lagoon at the northern end of the Adriatic Sea and was something of a vassal state to the Byzantine Empire.
- Tang Dynasty (618–907) The period of the Tang Dynasty is regarded as one of the most prosperous times in Chinese history. With a population of around 50 million, rising to nearly 80 million at the end of the ninth century, the empire was able to build military forces that moved westward and conquered parts of Central Asia.
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- Middle Ages – The King: Leader of The Feudal System
- Middle Ages – Barons: Executors of The Feudal System
- Knights
- Fire
- Battering Ram
- Ladders
- Catapult
- Mining
- Siege
- Early Middle Ages
The King was in complete control under the feudal system (at least nominally). He owned all the land in the country and decided to whom he would lease land. He therefore typically allowed tenants he could trust to lease land from him. However, before they were given any land they had to swear an oath of fealty to the King at all times. The men who ...
Barons leased land from the King that was known as a manor. They were known as the Lord of the Manor and were in complete control of this land. They established their own system of justice, minted their own money and set their own taxes. In return for the land they had been given by the King, the Barons had to serve on the royal council, pay rent a...
Knights were given land by a Baron in return for military service when demanded by the King. They also had to protect the Baron and his family, as well as the Manor, from attack. The Knights kept as much of the land as they wished for their own personal use and distributed the rest to villeins (serfs). Although not as rich as the Barons, Knights we...
Fire was the best way to attack the early Motte and Bailey castles since they were made entirely of wood. The fire might be started by building a bonfire against the outer wooden fence (palisade) or, more usually, by archers shooting fire-arrows into the castle. As the fire spread through the castle those living inside would be forced to leave allo...
The thick stone walls of the Stone Keep castles were difficult for men to knock down. Although pickaxes could be used against castles with thinner walls, it would take a very long time to knock a hole through a castle with very thick walls. The battering ram was particularly useful since the weight of several men would be put behind it. This would ...
Ladders were used by those attacking a castle to climb over the walls and fight the castle inhabitants within the castle walls. However, ladders had the disadvantage of leaving the man climbing the ladder subject to attack by arrow, boiling water or oil, or by being thrown to the ground if the ladder was pushed away from the wall. To prevent this t...
A variety of catapults or siege engines were developed during the Middle Ages to fire stones, fireballs or other objects such as dead sheep, cattle, or plague victims, at the castle walls or into the castle itself. This type of catapult works by twisting rope as tightly as possible so that it acts like elastic when the arm is released.
A good way of attacking a stone castle was through mining. Attackers would dig a tunnel underground up to the castle walls, under the gatehouse if possible. They would then set a charge and make an explosion which would make the walls crumble and collapse. The advantage of mining was that the attack could not be seen by those living in the castle. ...
Another good way of attacking a stone castle was by placing it under siege. Attackers would surround a castle with both men and catapults so that no one could enter or leave the castle. Sieges could last for months, usually until the inhabitants of the castle ran out of food and were starving. One of the castle owner’s main line of defence against ...
These pictures (above) show the costume worn in the early Middle Ages by the rich. The man is wearing a woollen tunic, belted at the waist that has been embroidered around the hem and sleeves. Over this he has a woollen cloak fastened with a brooch. The man’s wife is wearing a woollen dress, tied at the waist over a white linen underskirt. Over thi...
Map of Europe showing current monarchies (red) and republics (blue) In the European history, monarchy was the prevalent form of government throughout the Middle Ages, only occasionally competing with communalism, notably in the case of the maritime republics and the Swiss Confederacy.
Mar 3, 2021 · Here is a quick summary of what the Middle Ages were all about in Europe. The article also includes a complete timeline of all the major events that characterized the Middle Ages, which is also known as the Medieval Era.
The Medieval State. By Andrew Latham. Explaining kingdoms, principalities, communes and leagues in the Middle Ages. From the mid-thirteenth to the mid-sixteenth centuries, political authorities across Latin Christendom used the new technologies of governance I described in earlier columns to enact the script of sovereign statehood that I ...
