Violence and Growing Disorder in Europe (Edexcel A-Level History): Revision Notes
Violence and Growing Disorder in Europe
The problem of violence in France
French society in the early 11th century faced a serious problem with widespread violence. This violence came primarily from the warrior classes—men who had been trained and prepared for fighting. These fighters created significant disorder because they lacked a clear outlet for their military skills. By around 1000, the external threat to Europe from Viking incursions had largely ended, meaning that the warrior classes no longer had foreign enemies to fight.
Despite the end of Viking attacks, military training remained essential. There were still opportunities for warfare, particularly in wars of expansion. The Normans, for example, conquered both Sicily and England during this period. However, these limited opportunities were not enough to occupy all the trained fighters in France.
The fragmentation of French society and the weakness of the French monarchy created a power vacuum in which local lords could operate with little oversight. Without strong central authority to maintain order, violence became a tool for asserting control.
The situation was made worse by the breakdown of central power and the weakness of the French monarchy. Without strong central authority, much of France became divided among local lords called castellans. A castellan was a knight who ruled over a castle, and French castellans dotted the countryside with their fortified strongholds. These castellans used violence as a tool to establish and maintain their authority over their territories. Men, women, and even churchmen became victims of this violence, creating a climate of fear and disorder across France.
Key Definition: Castellan
A knight who rules over a castle. The term is most commonly applied to French knights whose castles dotted the countryside of France, using violence to assert their authority over local territories.
The Church's response to violence
The growing power and confidence of the Church led to a direct challenge against the violence of the warrior classes. In the absence of strong government or powerful secular leadership, the Church stepped in to examine and criticise the behaviour of French knights.
The Cluniac reformers played a crucial role in this movement. These reformers promoted a revolutionary idea: that everyday violence, especially violence directed toward churchmen, was morally unacceptable. This represented a significant shift in thinking, as violence had previously been seen as a normal part of noble life. The Church's message created an increased desire for greater order and stability in society, and conditions gradually began to improve.
To curb violent behaviour, the Church implemented two key measures:
Peace of God
The Peace of God consisted of orders that provided ecclesiastical protection (Church protection) for certain groups of people and their property. These orders were issued by reforming Church councils from the late tenth century onwards. The Peace of God specifically protected vulnerable groups such as women and churchmen, declaring that violence against these groups was forbidden. Property belonging to protected groups was also placed under this protection.
Peace of God Definition
Orders for ecclesiastical protection for certain people, such as women and churchmen, and their property. They were issued by reforming Church councils from the late tenth century.
The Peace of God focused on who was protected from violence.
Truce of God
The Truce of God represented the second stage in what became known as the Peace Movement. Unlike the Peace of God, which protected certain people, the Truce of God focused on when violence could occur. It was an order that prohibited all violence on certain days of the week and during certain times of the year, such as religious festivals and holy days.
The first Truce of God was issued in 1027. To ensure compliance, the truce was enforced by oath-takers—individuals who swore oaths to uphold the peace and monitor the behaviour of knights in their regions.
Unlike the Peace of God which protected specific groups, the Truce of God restricted when violence could occur.
Impact of the Peace Movement
The combined effects of the Peace of God and Truce of God had a significant impact on both the actions and attitudes of the warrior classes. The widespread violence problem began to decline noticeably after the 1020s, demonstrating that the Church's intervention was having real results.
Beyond simply reducing violence, the Peace Movement changed how knights thought about their role in society. Knights began to search for new ways to act in a holy or pious manner. Rather than viewing violence as their natural right, many knights started to consider how they could use their military skills in ways that would be acceptable to God and the Church.
The Peace Movement didn't just reduce violence—it transformed attitudes. Knights who had once seen violence as their birthright now sought ways to use their military skills in service to God. This shift in thinking was crucial for the success of the First Crusade.
How might a crusade help?
The crusade offered an ideal solution to the problem of violence in France by providing a holy purpose for the warrior classes. Instead of fighting each other or terrorising local populations, knights could direct their military skills toward a cause blessed by the Church.
Evidence for this motivation comes from contemporary accounts of Pope Urban II's sermon at Clermont. Both Fulcher of Chartres and Baldric of Dol, who wrote accounts of Urban's famous speech, reported that the pope emphasised how the crusade would stop the infighting between Christians. By going on crusade, Christian knights would no longer be killing fellow Christians, but instead fighting against those the Church identified as enemies of Christianity.
The Crusade as an Extension of the Peace Movement
The crusade can be understood as perhaps another stage in the Peace Movement itself. In Urban's thinking, at least, this was a key motivation for calling a crusade. He hoped the crusade would appeal particularly to knights who had been influenced by the Peace Movement and who were already looking for ways to act piously.
The crusade offered these men a perfect opportunity: they could use their violence, but direct it outside western Europe toward what the Church presented as a holy goal.
By channelling the aggression of the warrior classes toward external targets, the crusade served multiple purposes. It reduced violence within Europe, gave knights a sense of religious purpose, and potentially brought spiritual rewards to those who participated. This made the crusade an attractive proposition for both the Church and the warrior classes of France.
Key Points to Remember:
- French warrior classes in the early 11th century caused serious violence and disorder because they lacked a clear purpose after Viking threats ended around 1000
- The Church, led by Cluniac reformers, challenged knightly violence through the Peace Movement, introducing the Peace of God (protecting certain people and property) and the Truce of God (prohibiting violence on certain days, first issued in 1027)
- The Peace Movement had significant success—widespread violence declined after the 1020s, and knights began searching for pious ways to behave
- The crusade provided a solution by offering knights a holy purpose for their violence, stopping Christian infighting and directing aggression outside western Europe
- Pope Urban II's sermon at Clermont explicitly linked the crusade to ending violence between Christians, making it an extension of the Peace Movement