THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Power in numbers It wasn’t just the noblemen
who had power and influence. Craftsmen formed
guilds to protect their businesses, making sure they
had high wages and no competition. The guilds
built grand halls (such as the London Guildhall,
left) and influenced the day-to-day life of a city. But
guild masters often used the guilds to increase their
own wealth, rather than look after their members. CRESTS Each guild had a
coat of arms. This one belongs to
the Merchant Adventurers of the
City of York. These cloth traders
funded ships for importing and
exporting goods worldwide.Fighting for control Europe in the Middle
Ages looked different from today. For example,
modern-day Spain was divided into four
separate kingdoms, and parts of France came
under the rule of different kings and princes—
including the English crown. Wars were not
uncommon, since kings sent (and often
accompanied) armies into battle
to take control of new land. The
longest war was between
England and France.HISTORY AND POLITICSTHE REFORMATIONO During the Middle Ages, the Catholic
Church, with the pope at its head, was
very powerful throughout Europe.
O But not everybody was happy with the
Church’s power and influence. The
opponents called themselves Protestants.
O In 1517, German monk Martin Luther
spoke out about corruption of Church
officials. Ulrich Zwingli in Switzerland and
John Calvin in France proposed similar
ideas for reforming the Church.
O New, Protestant churches were set up
in northern Europe, ending the total power
of the Catholics in Europe.TAKE A LOOK: TIMES OF CHANGE WEAPONS OF WAR
Kings often fought alongside
their knights in major battles
over control of land.
BLACK DEATH
In the 1340s, the Great
Plague killed one-third of
the population of Europe. THE NEW WORLD
Explorers like Marco Polo
and Christopher Columbus
opened world trade routes.While warfare shaped the physical boundaries of countries during the Middle
Ages, there were many other events that changed Europe at that time. THE
HUNDRED
YEARS’ WAR
This series of battles
between England
and France
actually lasted
116 years, from
1337 to 1453.MEDIEVAL PERIOD193