Europe is, to a large extent, the crucible of world development. Certainly, Asia and the regions of the Middle East are significant too, but Europe is the birth of a Western culture that has spread throughout the globe and affected the world in numerous ways. For this reason, European studies are central to any academic curriculum program. As specific to the U.S., Europe is particularly important since not only has Europe birthed the U.S. But many of its citizens stem from there, the cultures are closely linked, and the U.S. conducts a large part of its trade with Europe. For these reasons and more, it seems to be important that Europe and its development should be the first region addressed in a World Regional Geography course.
The following essay elaborates on the significance of European contributions to world development by tracing key points of European history through feudalism to globalization and neoliberalism. The essay concludes with a brief explanation of why I feel that Europe and its development should be the first region addressed in a World Regional Geography course.
Feudalism in Europe
Feudalism, to some extent, still exists today in certain countries. It is the simple idea that a certain class of people must work for the living standard of another, and that there is the give-an-take between the two classes with the 'higher' status providing privileged protection and support of the lower class. In its most essential form, it refers to the manorial system of the peasant working the lands and property of the noble (a construct that persisted in Russia until comparatively recently). An elaboration of this concept extends to the citizens supporting the monarchy, and the population supporting clergy and Pope.
Feudalism originated in the 8th century under the Carolingian dynasty when Charles Martel granted his nobles tracts of land from which they could gain income to support his army. This fiefdom signified an act of homage where man received something from a 'higher' source obligating him, in return, to recompense the gift. A relationship of sorts, too, was created between lord and vassal. Soon after, a recognized hierarchy developed where monarchs subcontracted land to nobleman and barons who, in turn, hired people to work on the land. Each was responsible to the master on top and proceeds from the land fed into the master's income. Heading this hierarchy was the Pope.
By the end of the 10th century, the entire continent was Christian and the Pope, overseeing this vast mammoth of feudal network, ensured that territory and wealth passed between a few landed, favored players who were wealthy and influential. Retainment of this system resulted in wars (where feudal disputes were resolved by battles) and arranged marriages (in order to justify dynastic claims to a territory). By the 12th to 15th century, however, the influence of the pope was gradually being replaced by that of the various kings and the fiefdom was disintegrating. Originally meant as a system whereby the vassal would supply man for the army, feudalism soon disintegrated into one where the noble / pope (and clergy) / monarch received income instead. The system became increasingly corrupt with higher classes maltreated and manipulated the lower. Fiefs became hereditary weakening the relationship between fief and lord, whilst religious institutions became notorious for their grasping nature.
In the end, feudalism wandered off into two directions. There was centralized monarchy at the one end where kings, such as William I of England, used feudalism to reinforce his position at the top of the pyramid by distributing conquered territory to his followers. On the other end existed anarchy where protests generated movements such as Martin Luther's Reformation (which was protest against the excesses of the Church) and, later, Marxism that attempted to eradicate the excesses of the bourgeoisie and replace the imbalancement of feudalism with an equal class structure.
Feudalism remained a powerful force in Europe until the mid-to late 15th century when it dissipated into the alleged Rights of Monarchy. Feudal rights of France, Germany, Austria and Italy were abolished by Napoleon and the French Revolution in the 18th century (History World; online.)
The effects of feudalism and the battle against feudalism have been enormous. They resulted in the call for egalitarianism that followed the French revolution as well as the tenets of the American Constitution that attempted to build a new world based on democratic principles. Different forms of constitutional governments emerged from European feudalism, and the rights of the people, as opposed to that of one particular ruler, became emphasized. If not for our poor experience with feudalism, we may not have the reactionary results of contemporary democracy and insistence...
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