Was's European History Blog

PLEASE USE THIS BLOG ONLY TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS. No personal attacks, suggestions, or discussion should go on here. Please remember, I have to read all of the responses each night.

Monday, September 18, 2006

The Birth of the Modern World--Culturally, Politically and Socially

The High Middle Ages was a time of transition towards the Modern World. We saw the weakening of the nobility as well as the Papacy. Education was rejuvenate around the Classical Giants such as Aristotle and Ptolemy. Economies were developing. But, even with the changes, the changes were slow in coming.

The Renaissance was that time in which the Modern World War born. The merchants (such as the Medicis) were dominating the urban areas. The movable type printing press freed the intellectual world from Christendom. Economies were blossoming, especially in Northern Europe.

artistically, these changes were being demonstrated by the Classical masterpieces in Italy as well as the creative works in the North. People were beginning to ponder what else was out there.

politically, the emergence of the Nation-States dominated, especially in the North. France was well on its way of developing absolutism as England was developing some type of limited monarchy. Spain, even though it dominated early, began to divide within itself with the political divisions as well as the Inquisition destroying the economic foundations.

Poland, Hungary, and Bohemia lacked any real power due to the nobility and others dominating those regions.

Russia failed at forming a true nation-state since Ivan the Great were forced to work within the Boyars.

As all of the culture was developing, 1453 also marked a distinct turning point. With limited trade, the Italian city-states competed in economics as well as war. Spain would seek a new route to Asia, followed by the French and English.

Also, the Renaissance Papacy illustrated the corruption of the Medieval Church that needed to be reformed. But nothing could reform it within, therefore it ultimately had to be reformed from the outside.


With this said, do you now see how the Renaissance connected the different aspects of culture? Ask questions.

5 Comments:

At 7:36 AM, Blogger Was said...

Art and politics are not directly related but the are is representative of the change going on. More "perspective" is being used to see in forming nation-states and the such.

Remember, art is also an expression of self. Self-importance was drastically increasing, laying the ground work to today's world.

Was

 
At 8:27 PM, Blogger whitwolfe said...

From what I'm getting, artists and merchants opened people up to critical thinking-which made people such as Wycliffe and Hus speak out against the Pope-and influenced cultural diffusion, with trade.Also monarchies could begin to form and countries could become nation-states,even though some never did?

 
At 8:28 PM, Blogger whitwolfe said...

Actually, I haven't a clue about how it's all supposed to tie together...
Then again, I do have a headache...

 
At 8:36 PM, Blogger Was said...

Reconquista must happen first (the reconquering) Then the Inquisition to solidify the unification

 
At 6:15 PM, Blogger whitwolfe said...

It doesn't make sense...
Well, it does, but...I HATE PUZZLES!

 

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