HISTORY

LESSON 10.1 | FACTORS IN THE RISE OF EUROPE

THE RISE OF THE BOURGEOISIE

In the Middle Ages, there were groups of people who did not belong to the traditional
social classes- landlords, farmers, members of the clergy, or nobles. These groups were
composed of traders and artisans. They were the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie was the
middle class in the society. They developed the market outside the territories of the
landlords and the church. In the beginning of the 18th century, the group included
moneylenders and investors in the government's expedition ventures.

With their rising influence, the bourgeoisie played a major role in the political, economic,
and cultural fields in European society in the latter part of the Middle Ages.

They significantly changed the political views of the Europeans. They extensively promoted
the natural rights of humans against the right to rule asserted by the landlords and the
clergy during the feudal period.

The bourgeoisie established the idea that a person possesses the right to live in freedom
and dignity. This led to reforms related to civil liberties and political power of the common
people.

THE PRACTICE OF MERCANTILISM

Mercantilism was another factor in the rise of Europe. It refers to a theory that the power
of a country lies in its wealth. Under this economic principle, the government became the
intermediary in establishing the wealth and power of the state. The wealth of a state was
measured by the number of its bullion, or gold and silver. The state that had the greatest
number of bullions was considered the richest and most powerful.

1
With the cooperation between the monarchy and the bourgeoisie, mercantilism aimed to
amass wealth for the state by expanding the territory outside Europe that would be the
source of gold and silver. The wealth would be used to strengthen the government,
reinforce the army, and develop the economy of the country.

STUDY AID

The word bourgeoisie is derived from the term burg, which means a "town surrounded by
high walls."

Under mercantilism, the state also aimed to have more exports than imports. In this way,
more bullions came in as payment for the exports than went out as payment for the
imports.

Western imperialism is rooted in mercantilism. The occupation of territories was the

Western countries' way of acquiring wealth. The occupied land not only became the source
of gold and silver. It also served as the source of raw materials and market for products
coming from Europe.

THE RISE OF MONARCHIES

For a long time, the monarchies lost power. As the kingdom of Charlemagne fell in 843 C.E.,
landlords dominated Europe. But the situation changed at the onset of the 11th century.

As monarchies regained power, the influence of the landlords diminished.

The monarchs:

● Expanded territories
● Formed centralized governments
● Issued laws
● Established armies as well as bureaucracies.

These changes happened particularly in England and France.

England

2
As the Roman Empire declined in the fifth century, the territories in Roman Britain were
divided into kingdoms. Later, Germanic tribes like the Angles and Saxons attacked and
occupied them.

In 886 C.E., Saxon leader Alfred the Great of Wessex

● united the kingdoms of the Anglo-axon

● established the Kingdom of England.

But it was only during the reign of a Norman leader named William the Conqueror that:

● A centralized government was established.

● He also formed the Great Council - a council of advisers composed of bishops and
nobles that implemented an effective stem of taxation.

The successor kings of England belonged to the line of William the Conqueror.

His son, Henry I:

● embarked on the codification of the laws in England.

His grandson, Henry II,

● created die system of common law, under which judicial decisions and doctrines
contained therein will serve as bases or laws. Another legacy of his is the jury
system, wherein a group of citizens is appointed to give the final verdict in a trial.

STUDY ENRICHMENT

In 1400 C.E., the Parliament was divided into two: The House of Lords, consisting of
nobles and clergy, and the House of Commons, composed of knights and bourgeoisie.

In 1215 C.E., John I;

● signed the Magna Carta or Great Charter - is a document that limited the powers of
the monarch.

3
Under the Magna Carta, the approval of the Great Council must be sought before a tax was
increased or a person was brought to trial. The signing of this charter also states that the
king is also bound by the law.

When Simon de Monfort became king in 1261,

● He appointed representatives of ordinary citizens to the Great Council.

Under the reign of Edward I,

● The role of the council, called the Parliament, was approved.

Due to the reforms in England, the form of government became a constitutional monarchy.
The citizens gained a more significant role and involvement in the government.

France

France also had a strong monarchy. Unlike in England, the form of government established
here was an absolute monarchy.

In the feudal period, France was divided into territories controlled by landlords.

In 987 C.E., Hugh Capet became the king of France after he and his supporters defeated the
weak Carolingian kings. From the small territory he ruled in France,

● his descendants expanded their dominion and maintained it for 300 years.

When Louis VI was enthroned in 1108,

● the monarchical power grew by gaining the loyalty of the citizens.

● He appointed common people to his government and gave the towns the right to
● self-rule.

Philip II

● increased the territory through marriage and the recovery of lands taken by the
English.

When Louis IX ruled,

4
 ● He issued laws implemented in the entire kingdom.
● He clearly established the relation between the central government and the local
governments.
● He designated representatives of the provinces to make sure laws were
implemented.
● He also forbade private armies and formed an efficient tax system.

Through these laws, Louis IX weakened the influence of the landlords in their territories.

England was a hindrance to the aim of uniting France. The two countries went to a war
known as the Hundred Years’ War in 1337. The French finally won in 1453, leading to the
unification of France.

Germany

As monarchies rose in England and France, Germany failed to establish a strong centralized
government because of the conflicts among the monarchy, nobles, and the Catholic
Church.

As the Roman Empire fell, Germany was divided into duchies, or territories ruled by dukes.

Otto I;

● attempted to revive the empire built by Charlemagne.

In 951 C.E., Otto;

● conquered the cities in northern Italy.

In 962 C.E.,;

● He was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire after freeing Rome and the
pope from the Roman nobility.

His empire covered Germany and Northern Italy.

Frederick I,

5
 ● however, failed to subject the Church and the nobles to his power.
● His army was defeated by the united forces of the city-states of Italy and the Church.

Because of the power of the Church, Germany was divided into states ruled by German
princes.

Frederick II, then the emperor

● was excommunicated when he became a threat to Rome and the Church.

THE RISE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Catholic Church rose to power during the latter part of the Middle Ages. It took the
loyalty of the people from the monarchy and united the divided Europeans under one faith.

In Germany, the strong Catholic Church was a hindrance to the unification of the country
under a centralized government. One cause of the conflict between the Church and the
monarchy was the lay investiture or the appointment and removal of bishops and other
Church officials.

the 11th century, Pope Gregory VIII challenged this practice which led to his conflict with
Henry Iv, king of Germany. This conflict came to be known as the Investiture Controversy.
The Investiture Controversy lasted for decades until a new pope and Henry V, a new
German king, signed an agreement in 1122 known as Concordat of Worms.

In France and England, the Catholic Church helped in the development of city-states.
Through crusades (discussed in Module 9) summoned by the Church, the influence of the
landlords declined while the middle class emerged, and the monarchies became powerful

Reforms implemented during the Counter-Reformation strengthened the Catholic Church

as well (to be discussed in Module 12). The changes in the Church, the rise of the
bourgeoisie and the monarchies shaped the history of the world during the Period of
Transformation from the 16th century to 1945.