Germany During The High Middle Ages Essay

3. Why did Germany remain divided while France and England began to coalesce into reasonably strong states during the High Middle Ages?
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as Germany, consisted of “hundreds of independent territories” (370). Germany remained divided while France and England began to develop into strong states during the High Middle Ages because Germany wanted “to extend their power to Southern Italy and Sicily” (370).

4. How did the responsibilities of the nobility differ from those of the clergy and the peasantry during the High Middle Ages? How did each social class contribute to the stability of society? The nobility social class were “those who fought as mounted warriors” (381). The noblemen were mainly in charge of executing war. This social class was considered “Europe’s most valued military assets” (367). The
These three incidents each had their own negative consequences which affected the course of history. The Hundreds’ Year War was a 116 year war between England and France. The Hundred Years’ War had several “political and social consequences” (371). “The Black Death had great human, social and economic consequences” (372). This plague caused Western Europe to lose about “two-fifths of its population by the early fifteenth century” (372). Both of these incidents “weakened the nobility” (381) and caused great human population loss. Human population loss meant “a shortage of labor and high demand for luxury goods leading to a rise in status for artisans” (381). The Great Schism in the church was the times where popes were considered weaker than kings. The Great Schism made popes even weaker than they already were. The Hundred Years’ War had the most lasting effects on the institutions it touched. It caused a great population loss meaning a major shortage in labor. This event was the longest incident out of the