EUROPEAN HISTORY - DBQ the Middle Ages
(Suggested writing time __________ minutes)
Directions: The following question is based on the accompanying documents. (Some of
the documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise.)
This question is designed to test your ability to work with and understand historical
documents. Write an essay that:
 Has a relevant thesis and supports that thesis with evidence from the documents.
 Uses a majority of the documents.
 Analyzes the documents by grouping them in as many appropriate ways as
possible.
 Does not simply summarize the documents individually.
 Takes into account both the sources of the documents and the authors’ points of
view.
You may (should!) refer to relevant historical information not mentioned in the
documents.
Historical Background: During the Middle Ages, strong monarchs in England and
France worked to increase their land holdings and the numbers of their subjects. In
England, people established political traditions such as common law, the jury system,
protection of rights, and representative assemblies. In France, strong leaders built an
efficient bureaucracy, set up the Estates General, and expanded their territory. Conflicts
with the Church and with independent nobles prevented Holy Roman emperors from
unifying Germany. The Church and German emperors finally resolved the issue of
investiture with the signing of the Concordat of Worms. However, new struggles arose
as Pope Innocent III claimed supremacy over all rulers.
During the Middle Ages, most people in Western Europe were unaware of advanced
civilizations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The Crusades introduced Europeans to a
wider world. The Crusades also led to increased trade and more powerful monarchs.
Sparked by improving economic and political conditions, a revival of learning took
place in the High Middle Ages. Writers across Western Europe began publishing works
in the vernacular. Gothic cathedrals served as symbols of wealth and religious devotion.
However, by the late Middle Ages, Europe was in a period of decline. The Black Death
wreaked havoc throughout Europe. The Church suffered from poor leadership and
accusations of corruption. England and France fought the Hundred Years' War, in which
Joan of Arc emerged as a French national hero.
Question will be provided on test day...
DBQ Question: Some scholars have argued that those who went off on the various
and many Crusades to the Holy Land (Jerusalem) were motivated primarily by greed
and lust for wealth (land and "booty"). To what extent are these scholars right?
Do NOT use signal phrases like:
Document 1 shows…
Document 4 proves
As seen in Document 5…
Do USE signal phrases like:
Pope Leo, in a letter to…preaches that…which suggests…
Medieval frescos depict…which suggests…
Document 1
Source: Flordia Holocaust Museum "Jews Executed During Travels to the Crusades"
Document 2
Source: 12th century painting - Pope Urban's call for the First Crusade (to the Middle
East)
Document 3
Source: Pope Leo IV (847-855) letter written to the Frankish army, which was engaged in
a crusade to expel the Muslims from Spain.
Now we hope none of you will be slain, but we wish you to know that the kingdom of
heaven will be given as a reward to those who shall be killed in this war. For the
Omnipotent knows that they lost their lives fighting for the truth of the faith, for the
preservation of their country, aid in the defense of Christians. And therefore God will
give the reward, which we have named.
Document 4
Source: Pope John VIII: Indulgence (a papal "ticket to heaven") for Fighting the
Heathen 878 - message to his bishops in the realm of Louis II.
You have modestly expressed a desire to know whether those who have recently died in
war, fighting in defense of the church of God and for the preservation of the Christian
religion and of the state, or those who may in the future fall in the same cause, may
obtain indulgence for their sins. We confidently reply that those who, out of love to the
Christian religion, shall die in battle fighting bravely against pagans or unbelievers shall
receive eternal life. For the Lord has said through his prophet: "In whatever hour a
sinner shall be converted, I will remember his sins no longer." By the intercession of St.
Peter, who has the power of binding and loosing in heaven and on earth, we absolve, as
far as is permissible, all such and commend them by our prayers to the Lord.
Document 5
Source Urban II: Letter of Instruction to the Crusaders, December 1095
Urban, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to all the faithful, both princes and
subjects, waiting in Flanders; greeting, apostolic grace, and blessing.
Your brotherhood, we believe, has long since learned from many accounts that a
barbaric fury has deplorably afflicted an laid waste the churches of God in the regions
of the Orient. More than this, blasphemous to say, it has even grasped in intolerable
servitude its churches and the Holy City of Christ, glorified be His passion and
resurrection. Grieving with pious concern at this calamity, we visited the regions of
Gaul and devoted ourselves largely to urging the princes of the land and their subjects
to free the churches of the East.
Document 6
Source: Robert the Monk Robert perhaps 25 years after Pope Urban's speech, but he
may have been present at the council.
Oh, race of Franks, race from across the mountains, race chosen and beloved by God as
shines forth in very many of your works set apart from all nations by the situation of
your country, as well as by your catholic faith and the honor of the holy church! … Let
the deeds of your ancestors move you and incite your minds to manly achievements;
the glory and greatness of king Charles the Great, and of his son Louis, and of your
other kings, who have destroyed the kingdoms of the pagans, and have extended in
these lands the territory of the holy church…Let the holy sepulcher of the Lord our
Savior, which is possessed by unclean nations, especially incite you, and the holy places
which are now treated with ignominy and irreverently polluted with their filthiness.
Oh, most valiant soldiers and descendants of invincible ancestors, be not degenerate,
but recall the valor of your progenitors.
Document 7
Source: Pope Gregory VII: Call for a "Crusade", 1074
Gregory, bishop, servant of the servants of God, to all who are willing to defend the
Christian faith, greeting and apostolic benediction.
We hereby inform you that the bearer of this letter, on his recent return from across the
sea [from Palestine], came to Rome to visit us. He repeated what we had heard from
many others, that a pagan race had overcome the Christians and with horrible cruelty
had devastated everything almost to the walls of Constantinople, and were now
governing the conquered lands with tyrannical violence, and that they had slain many
thousands of Christians as if they were but sheep. If we love God and wish to be
recognized as Christians, we should be filled with grief at the misfortune of this great
empire [the Greek] and the murder of so many Christians. But simply to grieve is not
our whole duty. The example of our Redeemer and the bond of fraternal love demand
that we should lay down our lives to liberate them. "Because he has laid down his life
for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren," [1 John 3:16]. Know,
therefore, that we are trusting in the mercy of God and in the power of his might and
that we are striving in all possible ways and making preparations to render aid to the
Christian empire [the Greek] as quickly as possible. Therefore we beseech you by the
faith in which you are united through Christ in the adoption of the sons of God, and by
the authority of St. Peter, prince of apostles, we admonish you that you be moved to
proper compassion by the wounds and blood of your brethren and the danger of the
aforesaid empire and that, for the sake of Christ, you undertake the difficult task of
bearing aid to your brethren [the Greeks]. Send messengers to us at once inform us of
what God may inspire you to do in this matter.
Document 8
Source: Fulcher of Chartres, written between 1101 and 1128 (account of the expedition to
Jerusalem - what Pope Urban said…
For, as the most of you have heard, the Turks and Arabs have attacked them and have
conquered the territory of Romania [the Greek empire] as far west as the shore of the
Mediterranean and the Hellespont, which is called the Arm of St. George. They have
occupied more and more of the lands of those Christians, and have overcome them in
seven battles. They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the churches
and devastated the empire. If you permit this supinely for very long, the faithful of God
will be much more widely attacked by them.
Document 9
Source: Knytlinga Saga, relating the history of the Danish Kings, tells how Eirik the Good
decided to visit Jerusalem (epic poem format) as part of a crusade
I describe how the king
bold in conflict, to cure
his souls scars, from the north
set out with his soldiers:
he prepared himself for Paradise,
and went to explore
the peace of Jerusalem,
to make his life pure.
Document 10
Source: Illuminated manuscript showing execution of Christian prisoners by Muslim
soliders.
Document 11
Source: illuminated manuscript showing Christian Catholic soldiers fighting Eastern
Orthodox Christian soldiers at Jerusalem during the 3rd Crusade
Document 12
Source: Routes of the crusaders...
Document 13
Source:The Oxford History of the Crusades: Book by Jonathan Riley-Smith; Oxford
University, 1999
It cannot be stressed often enough that crusades were arduous, disorientating,
frightening, dangerous, and expensive for participants, and the continuing enthusiasm
for them displayed over the centuries is not easy to explain...But if many crusaders had
been motivated by ideals, their ideals were certainly not the same as those of high
churchmen, and what nobles and knights thought and what their aspirations were have
become live issues. Some crusade historians, among them Marcus Bull, Simon Lloyd,
James Powell, Jonathan Riley-Smith, and Christopher Tyerman, have been turning their
minds to these questions, and a few directions for future research have been signposted.