HIST 314-01, Medieval france, Fall 1999

Abstract

The course begins with the Franks who, under the leadership of Clovis, managed to blend their barbarian culture with that of Late Roman Christianity to produce the nation we have come to know as France. Next we move to the Merovingians (the “Long- Haired Kings”) and the world of Charlemagne, examining the process of reform that marked the Carolingian Renaissance and the decline that followed the Viking invasions. The Capetian dynasty (987-1328) becomes the focus of the central portion of the course. We look at expanding horizons, the creation of Normandy, an urban explosion, the rise of universities, and cultural and social changes in the High Middle Ages, culminating in the holiness of Louis IX and the arrogance of his grandson Philip the Fair. With the coming to power of the Valois dynasty (1328-1498), we trace a pattern of decline and disaster on all fronts. Finally, we examine the “militant miracle” of Joan of Arc and the process of recovery that set France on the road to royal absolutism.