Nation Building AP European History

CAUTION! Taking notes in class is in NO WAY a substitute for reading. On the tests, you will be responsible for whatever I assign you to read and for what I tell you in class. The devil is in the details. Know the details!

What is a “nation”? What terms come to mind when you think of a “nation”?

What is a nation? Simply defined a nation is an “imagined community”. In today’s world, we have nations of peoples that have states of their own. Hence, we have the term “nation-states”. In many ways, this history class will describe the development of the nation-state. From the days of the Roman Empire up to the late-medieval times, nation-states did not exist. Now we will delve into why.

Roman Empire Under the Roman Empire, there was a great deal of unity. How so? There was One system of laws One language, that being Latin. One system of government, the Roman imperial government One religion that most of the population observed in some way, shape, or form, that being Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and the other gods.

In the Middle Ages… In the place of one empire, we had a multitude of barbarian kingdoms. As time passed, new threats and sometimes invasions threatened the existence of these kingdoms. One threat was by the Vikings.

In response to the these and other problems, … a system was established allowing for decentralized control of a kingdom. A king would allow a great deal of autonomy on the part of a local ruler so that he could adequately defend an area. Quick decisions could thus be made. As a result, a king in ruled over a very small area while in fact being king of a vast kingdom.

Note the size of the Royal Domain of France in relation to that of France.

The name of this new system FEUDALISM

Events that Assisted in Nation Building 1. Hundred Years War ( ). Kings of England tried to assert their claim to throne of France. Both kingdoms saw a decline in the ability of the monarch to control his territory. Why? Wars and battles for a hundred years. With the war’s conclusion, the French and English kings had rid themselves of an enormous distraction to state-making.

France vs. England in the Hundred Years War.

Events continued Wars of the Roses. Meanwhile, in England a dispute arose over who would be king. Two different dynasties: York (symbol was a white rose) and Lancaster (symbol was a red rose) engaged in a civil war. The Yorkists won and with them came a new dynasty called the Tudors. England was now free to unify itself.

England Henry VII greatly strengthened the English state at the expense of the nobility and of rebellious subjects. He used the Court of the Star Chamber to generate revenue by assessing fines and other monetary penalties. Henry also used unpaid justices of the peace. Parliament’s power was restricted.

Court of the Star Chamber The Star Chamber received its name because its blue ceiling, like the night sky, was filled with starts.

Geography: “Britain” is an inclusive term for England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England will eventually forcibly subdue Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. Only in the 1700s will we begin to use the term “Britain.”

Forcing a nation in the British Isles Scotland, Wales, and Ireland spoke variations of the Celtic language. Beginning in the Middle Ages and continuing throughout the modern period, England forcibly subjugated and brought about what we call today the “British” nation.

France France arose from the Hundred Years’ War free of the destructive forces of war. One monarch helped the growth of France’s central government. Louis XI was a member of the Valois dynasty. Nicknamed the the Spider (r ) he used intrigue to overcome the power of very strong Dukes and eventually to gain land for the crown.

Francis I (r ) Under the Concordat of Bologna he strengthened the power of the central government. From the Pope he gained the right to make ecclesiastical appointments. He also launched a war to weaken France’s neighbor to the east, the Holy Roman Empire

Limits to French Nation Building Schools, where they existed, were run by the Church. This limited loyalty to the state. Patois (dialects) were so numerous that Parisians could hardly understand the language spoken in the south of France. France was a vast in size with mountains in the center (Massif Central) that limited the reach of the state.

Reconquista of Spain

Geographically, Spain is located on the Iberian Peninsula. There, an 800 year struggle between Christians and Muslims (called Moors) was taking place. By 1492, the last of the Moorish kingdoms (Granada) had been defeated. There was no one united Spanish kingdom, much less a Spanish nation.

A union in Spain Two kingdoms ruled over the Iberian Peninsula: Castile and Aragon. In 1469, Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon wed. In 1492, Spanish Christians defeated the last Moorish kingdom in Spain: Grenada.

An enforced nation Originally, Isabella had made promises of religious toleration. Once Grenada fell, they were broken. Jews and Muslims had a choice of either leaving Spain or converting to Christianity. The Jews who converted were called conversos. Many were secretly still loyal to Judaism. The muslim converts to Christianity were moriscos.

Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews

Failure to convert to Christianity would lead one to be tried by a religious court known as the Inquisition. One could be tortured and burned at the stake.

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Limited Political Unity Spain had enforced sense of cultural unity. Both monarchs were advocates of strong and orderly government. One can see why since both came from very troubled families. For example, Ferdinand father poisoned a son and a daughter. The union of Spain was a highly personal one. Aragon and Castile kept their separate laws and governments. Ferdinand had to work with the Cortes (representative legislative body) of Aragon.

New Monarchs The new monarchies, principally Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, Francis I and the Valois of France, and Henry VII and the Tudors of England, consolidated power in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. They could impose taxes, raise armies, and control the nobles in their respective states

Holy Roman Empire East of France stood the Holy Roman Empire. The name is misleading since the empire was neither “holy” nor “roman” The emperor himself was elected by seven “electors” who were the hereditary lords of vast areas of land within the empire. NOTE: the Hapsburgs were always elected.

Efforts at State Building Italian, German, and other languages were spoken in the empire. Nation building was very problematic. There were efforts to improve the power of the Empire. An imperial assembly was established in Electors and dukes could assemble in what was called the Imperial Diet. Imperial estates were also established.