Leadership In The Middle Ages
Leadership can be defined in so many ways. Some say it is the power someone holds, others say it is the power people give to others. In the Middle Ages, leadership was under a wide umbrella of definition. According to Dictionary.com, a creditable online dictionary, leadership is defined as “the position or function of a leader, a person who guides or directs a group. While nothing about the position is addressed by gender, in the Middle Ages, gender had a lot to do with leadership. A quote from the Prince and the Law, 1200-1600: Sovereignty and Rights in the Western Legal Tradition written by Kenneth Pennington describes the relationship gender had with power. “The king does not have an equal in his own kingdom, since an equal cannot have power
…show more content…
In agreement, the article Anne De Beaujeu describes who this regent was. “Anne [de Beaujeu’s] energy, strength of will, cunning, and political sense enabled her to overcome the difficulties threatening the kingdom, the most important of which was unrest among the magnates, who had suffered under Louis XI’s callous oppressions.” She was not elected like most politicians today nor was she forced, but she had been in the dominant party and when Pierre died in 1503, Anne remained administrator of his Bourbon lands, which also meant protect them from royal encroachment. She knew the kingdom needed help and she accepted the position with open arms. While in power, Anne of France was able to accomplish many tasks successfully. When the Beaujeus ignored that assembly’s demand to control taxation and hold regular meetings, the “Mad War” broke out between, on the one side, the crown and, on the other, the Duc d’Orléans and Francis II of Brittany, which ended in a royal victory. She was able to silence the rebellious nobles and subdued Brittany. She also arranged marriages to create a stronger kingdom. Even with all of the obstacles facing a leader, she also did it with the stigma that women could not do as well as a job as a man. Her dad told her that “’ [She was] the only leading woman in the whole kingdom.’ He was sure, however, that a woman could not rule a kingdom.” By his surprise, she was able to conquer a great deal regardless of her
In agreement, the article Anne De Beaujeu describes who this regent was. “Anne [de Beaujeu’s] energy, strength of will, cunning, and political sense enabled her to overcome the difficulties threatening the kingdom, the most important of which was unrest among the magnates, who had suffered under Louis XI’s callous oppressions.” She was not elected like most politicians today nor was she forced, but she had been in the dominant party and when Pierre died in 1503, Anne remained administrator of his Bourbon lands, which also meant protect them from royal encroachment. She knew the kingdom needed help and she accepted the position with open arms. While in power, Anne of France was able to accomplish many tasks successfully. When the Beaujeus ignored that assembly’s demand to control taxation and hold regular meetings, the “Mad War” broke out between, on the one side, the crown and, on the other, the Duc d’Orléans and Francis II of Brittany, which ended in a royal victory. She was able to silence the rebellious nobles and subdued Brittany. She also arranged marriages to create a stronger kingdom. Even with all of the obstacles facing a leader, she also did it with the stigma that women could not do as well as a job as a man. Her dad told her that “’ [She was] the only leading woman in the whole kingdom.’ He was sure, however, that a woman could not rule a kingdom.” By his surprise, she was able to conquer a great deal regardless of her