Throughout history, it's been evident that we rewalk the same path, time to time.
In European history, a common theme is power being challenged. The conflict for power has been over kingdoms, empires, and even the ability to rule one's self, with freedom and rights. In the nonfictional book, A Little History Of The World by Ernst Gombrich, Gombrich displays how history does indeed repeat itself through short stories of European history. History has always been on an endless loop, and where we begin in this loop is 1072: The Investiture Controversy. The Investiture Controversy was a struggle for power between the Pope and the Emperor. The Pope challenged the Emperor on who was the rightful owner of the ability to appoint bishops. An agreement
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The Pope was selling indulgences, which would basically help the sinner who's buying the indulgence lessen his or her punishment for sinning. Martin Luther was against this because he believed people shouldn't have to give their money away to be able to repent, it should be free. In order to challenge the authority, the Pope, Luther creates Protestantism, a religion with similar characteristics to Christianity. This time period was known as the Reformation. The two events, the Investiture Controversy and the Reformation, both have a common theme: An individual of great power has their authority challenged. In the first event, it's the Emperor who's being challenged by the Pope, and in the second event, it's the Pope who's being challenged by Martin Luther.
During the late 16th century, King Philip II ruled over Spain. His name carried infamy as he had thousands killed for heresy. While still in reign, King Philip had created the Spanish Armada, a fleet of 130 ships with tens of thousands of men. Philip had sent Duke of Alba to Holland and Belgium, and during his time there, more people were killed. The people fought against this and rebelled. In the year 1579, the citizens of these Low Countries had become free after getting rid of the Spanish troops who were in their domain at the time. In this event, the people challenged the King and his power, in the process,
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Both the citizens of his kingdom and Parliament had their feuds with the king. King Charles, in this beginning of his reign, married a girl who was of a different religion than his subjects, this offended them. The king was said to be the reason of a civil war; he killed his own people; and he committed treason. Cromwell, the man who wanted him executed, also had his own motives behind the executes: to gain power. Once again, a position of power is questioned and challenged, and in this case, it led to the demise of a human-being.
The boundless loop of power struggles takes one final stop in France, specifically, the French Revolution. Starting in the late 1700s, the people of France had little rights, the economy was a mess, and there was a food shortage. More than 17,000 people had been executed during this time. Aristocrats were said to have committed "crimes against society". The crimes they committed were living a lavish lifestyle as the commoners below them suffered. As a way of revolting, aristocrats were killed via
In the same year, the Catholic and Counter Reformation begins in the European countries, and then spread out toward the world. In 1517, he thought that the Indulgences was a lie and therefore
During the 16th and 17th centuries, absolutism was at the height of its popularity. Monarchs ruled over their countries with total authority. They claimed their spots on the throne by divine right and kept their power by limiting the nobilities’ influence. Spain was ruled by their own monarch, King Philip II. Under his rule, Spain became one of the richest nations in Europe.
Spain was a Catholic country governed by Ferdinand of Aragon and
January 21,1793 began a year long of pandemonium now known as the Reign of Terror caused by King Louis XVI’s poor ruling that landed the country in debt and starvation. Fueled by the need for change, Maximilien de Robespierre started a grand revolution that would demolish absolute monarchy in 1789. The execution of the aforementioned king marked the beginning of a period where public execution was standard and tranquility vanished, or the Reign of Terror. Threats against the country were insinuated which brought about malicious methods in an effort to exterminate the threats, which, like the country itself, revolutionized the French’s ideals. The Reign of Terror was not justified.
The sale of indulgences was the Church saying that if the people paid the Church the pope and God would forgive their sins and they would be able to go to heaven. John Tetzel was the main man who was in charge of the sales. In document 2 Excerpt from Sermon, John Tetzel said that people are sinners and the only way they could get into heaven was if they bought these indulgences and salvation. This was an investment for the Church and used as persuasion to get the people to pay them more money. Martin Luther on the other hand did not agree with the sale of indulgences, so he protested the Church and spread his ideas of what the Church should be.
King Louis XVI, who was the ruler at the time, was a main contributor to these problems that led France to its downfall. The country had a massive lack of resources and food, which led King Louis XVI to borrow more money than he could afford, thus putting the country in immense debt. Despite the very visible crisis overthrowing the country, the king was incapable of accepting his mistakes and refused to change his ways. He maintained the unjust voting system, known as the Estates-General, and worsened the taxing system in order to pay off his debts. The people, especially those of the Third Estate, were clearly angry and dissatisfied with the state of the country, which led them seek out a movement for what was right.
Queen Elizabeth’s rule sported a new humanistic culture and higher literacy rates in England that have not been seen before with previous ruling monarchs. According to Elizabethan England, more books and pamphlets were published in England. This is caused by a growth in printing which in turn means books could be made for less money and significantly less time. The sheer amounts of books now being produced allows cheaper and easier access to books for everyone. With more access to books, literacy rates were able to increase such as the yeomen who “were illiterate at the start of Elizabeth’s reign but literate by its end” (177).
In the church there were two popes who had different ideas on small issues but very huge in their religion. This became very controversial and soon both of the popes excommunicated each other,this was called the Great Schism, this occurred in 1054. This Great Schism created two branches of Christianity, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, this caused a split in the church but it allowed the churches to have their beliefs and take their own actions. In 1060 the church tried to conquer Spain, where the Muslims were causing the Spanish Reconquista. This Reconquista can show us that the Roman Church was gaining control and power, and
In the year 1517, Martin Luther started his protestant revolt. This revolt caused many Catholics to turn away from their faith in Germany, Switzerland, England, and later all around the world. This divided the people of Europe, causing many wars between states and enmities between previous friends. In England, King Henry VIII divorced and remarried, causing the pope to publicly reprimand him.
The French Revolution was caused by the French government’s inability to unite their people as one nation and address the people’s demand for reformation of unjust taxation and citizen equality causing uprisings and revolts among middle and lower class people. The French government was already unstable after their assistance in the United States with their fight for independence, which put France in tremendous debt. Since the nobles and the clergymen were favored by the government, taxes were forced upon the Third Estate resulting in even more unrest. All citizens were not equal under the law, and the government was too occupied by their financial situation to focus on fixing the inequality and lack of representation among their own citizens.
How revolutionary was the French Revolution? Did the Revolution simply replace the old ruling elite with a new bourgeois one? What were the major effects on different groups of people, including nobles, priests, peasants, urban workers, slaves, and women? This essay will address the French Revolution and the degree to which it can be aptly described as “revolutionary.” How revolutionary was the French Revolution? Was the storming of the Bastille, the destruction of feudalism, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of a fundamental and radical and revolutionary nature, or, alternatively, simply a series of historical events that results in the supplanting of one authoritarian regime for another and at great cost in
In France, the people wanted revenge against the oppressive leadership and luxurious lifestyles of the rich in society. Upon finding out that the aristocrats have lost their property, they decide to take action by invading one of France’s most tightly guarded prisons, the Bastille.
Various religions have made a great turning point on European history. One of the most notable figures of European history, a German theologian and religious reformer named Martin Luther, had so much passion about his faith of God. This man leaves a mark on European history for having the courage to lead a revolution against the Catholic Church. He felt that the Catholic Church’s practices were impractical. Martin Luther made a great, positive impact as a religious leader during the Protestant Reformation by his successful achievements as a theologian, starting and spreading the Protestant Reformation to many parts in Europe, and creating his own Lutheran Church.
One day while mining a deadly storm began, Martin feared for his life and promised Saint Anne he would worship God if he survived. When Martin survived, he dedicated his life to God, he became a monk. As a monk Martin Luther began to study the bible and learn about the Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church had extraordinary power, no man wished to oppose the church and therefore the church was rarely challenged and when there was a brave man to stand tall and proud, there was a tall and proud punishment, which followed. The Roman Catholic Church became so driven by power and riches, as a result they began selling indulgences.
By questioning the sale of indulgences and arguing that the pope does not have complete authority over forgiveness of sins and, to a larger extent, salvation, Luther established a precedent for the word of the Church to be called into question rather than it having absolute authority. Given that Luther opens his 95 Theses with “out of love and concern for the truth,” it is clear that his intentions are not necessarily to completely undermine the authority of the Catholic Church, but rather to open a dialogue between the Catholic Church and its faithful on what is actually true in regards to God. The collective judgment of the Catholic community, particularly those who did not have positions of power in the Church, would then have a much greater effect on the direction in which the Catholic Church took than it would have before Luther’s 95 Theses.