The Emergence of the NationState in Europe

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The Emergence of theNation-Statein Europe
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Trends of the Late Middle Ages

• Church in crisis?Division Reform
• The Commercial Revolution Rise of trade and
  capitalism
• Changing class system in transition (Money and
  Rise of the Middle Class)
• Philosophical ? From Scholasticism vs. to Humanism

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Trends of the Late Middle Ages

• Old accept authority New challenge
• Changes in warfare ? Expense of new weapons and
  larger armies ? increasing power of monarchs and
  national system
• Rise of Nationalism and National Monarchies
• The Nation-State

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Problem The old system of government is not
functioning well.What is the solution?

• Either the old system will be improved and
  adapted to meet the new challenges
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• A new system will rise to replace the old and
  respond in different ways with new solutions to
  the problems

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Everybody Wants Power
Its all about the Power!

• The 3 main groups vying for power during the
  Later Middle Ages and the Renaissance are
• Monarchy
• Nobility (Aristocracy)
• Church

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Influence is the key!

• The more people that do as you say, the more
  power you have!
• The Monarchs, Nobles, and Church are all trying
  to be the main influence in peoples lives
• The people will support whomever they believe
  will best meet their needs
• Protection
• Increased rights

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Have a plan!

• The People will follow those leaders with a plan
• Whoever can prove to the people they are capable
  of leading will win influence over them
• Whoever can guarantee the people the basic
  security to lead their lives will benefit

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Barriers to the Nation-State

• Political
• Strong Nobility and Feudal System
• Weak-willed King
• Geographic
• Large in size
• Divided by topography
• Lack of natural borders for defense

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Barriers to the Nation-State

• Social
• People are used to the old ways Feudal lords and
  the Church
• Need for strong economic base
• Need for cultural unity
• Religious
• Strong Church opposed government centralization
• Large land ownership by Church

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Characteristics of the New Monarchies

• Centralized government power
• Bureaucracy for national administration
• Uniform law, order, and justice
• Strong military (expensive!)
• Gunpowder and other new weapons
• National Army Commoners with Professional
  Officer class Equipped by state Conscription
• Navy

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Characteristics of the New Monarchies

• Promoted and controlled trade
• More efficient taxation
• Allied with middle class against old aristocracy
• National church
• Catholic State superior in control
• Protestant State church or separate

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Niccolo Machiavelli1469-1527
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Experience has shown that the princes that have
accomplished great deeds are those who have cared
little for keeping their promises and have known
how to manipulate the minds of men with
shrewdness. It is necessary for a prince to know
how to do wrong. In the actions of all men, and
especially of princes, one must think of the
ends.Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
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One becomes a prince through either the support
of the common people or the rich, for in every
state, these two opposing parties exist. The
prudent man who becomes prince with the aid of
the common people keeps their friendship which is
easy, since they ask nothing except not to be
oppressed.Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
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Is it better to be loved than feared or feared
than loved? One should wish to be both, but it is
much safer to be feared than loved. Men on the
whole are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly,
covetous. They will offer you their blood,
property, life, and children when the need is
distant, but when it approaches they turn against
you. . . .
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. . . and a prince who, relies entirely on their
promises and neglects other precautions, is
ruined. Men have fewer scruples in offending one
who is beloved than one who is feared, for love
is preserved by the link of obligation which is
broken at every opportunity for their advantage,
but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment
which never fails. Niccolo Machiavelli, The
Prince
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"The chief foundations of all states, new as well
as old or composite, are good laws and good arms
and as there cannot be good laws where the state
is not well armed, it follows that where they are
well armed they have good laws.-Niccolo
Machiavelli, The Prince
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Status ofthe majorNational Areas, ca. 1450-1500
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c. 2000
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c. 1500
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France, England, and Spain formed strong,
national monarchies
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France

• Victory in the Hundred Years War created a
  strong, centralized monarchy under Charles VII
• Louis XI brought peace and controlled nobility

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England

• Tudor dynasty, beginning with Henry VII, united
  people after Wars of the Roses
• Parliament was included in the Tudor system

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Spain

• Unified by marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and
  Isabella of Castile
• Reconquista completed
• Beginning world exploration and conquest

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Germany and Italy remained fragmented until ca.
1870
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The Italian States

• Warfare, competition among the city-states, and a
  strong Church leaves Italy divided into
  city-states

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The German States

• Power struggle between feudal princes and the
  Emperor and religious division kept the states
  divided

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Portugal

• Unified territory and monarchy
• Taking the lead in world exploration

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The Netherlands

• Divided into 17 feudal provinces under foreign
  rule
• Divided into modern Netherlands (1648) and
  Belgium (1830)

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Russia

• Unifying under the Dukes of Moscow
• Isolated from Europe by geography, religion,
  neighboring countries

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The Ottoman Empire

• Strong and threatening Europe through the Balkans

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ScandinaviaSweden and Denmark

• Baltic trade of the Hansa losing value trade
  shifting away
• Climate change lowered agricultural output

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Poland

• Strong after union with Lithuania
• Weakening due to Nobility holding onto power
• Purposely elected weak kings and blocked laws
  through Liberum veto

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THE END