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Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Medieval History

The Battle Of Tours Reconsidered, Paul Aitchison Aug 2022

The Battle Of Tours Reconsidered, Paul Aitchison

Montview Journal of Research & Scholarship

This paper examines the Battle of Tours/Poitiers in 732 between the Merovingian Mayor of the Palace, Charles Martel, and the Umayyad governor-general of al-Andalus in modern-day Spain, Abdul Rahman Al-Ghafiqi. Since the pivotal works of Sir Edward Gibbons were published in 1776, the battle has been seen as keeping Europe from falling completely to Islam. More recent scholarship highlights the battle as pivotal in Charles's quest to consolidate power in his ultimately successful bid to create a new power in western Europe, the Carolingian dynasty, which would eventually be created in the crowning as the Holy Roman Empire his grandson, …


The Levant: France’S Colonial Crucible, Michael Adelson Jul 2022

The Levant: France’S Colonial Crucible, Michael Adelson

French Summer Fellows

In the medieval era of religious and political tumult that culminated with the Crusades, (mostly) Roman Catholic Western European citizens from all walks of life committed themselves to conquer Jerusalem and wrest control of historically Christian lands from the Muslim polities that claimed the region. The historical Kingdom of France was a major contributor to the Crusades, and as such, the feudal realms established in the Levant in the wake of the First Crusade were dominated by former French crusaders and citizenry. The geographic boundaries and demography of these Crusader States are reminiscent of French hegemony in the Middle East …


Inventing Saladin: The Role Of The Saladin Legend In European Culture And Identity, Brian C. David May 2017

Inventing Saladin: The Role Of The Saladin Legend In European Culture And Identity, Brian C. David

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

This thesis seeks to uncover and understand the strange historical journey of the Muslim Sultan Yusuf ibn Ayyub, known to the West as Saladin. The historic Saladin was a ruler famous for his successful campaigns against the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, his victory at the Battle of Hattin, and his holding action against the Third Crusade. Upon Saladin’s death in 1193, he became the subject of numerous legends, most of which describe him as a merciful, chivalric, and ideal leader of men. The epitome of what a thirteenth century European noble was supposed to be. This thesis seek to explain …


The Social Impact Of The Hundred Years War On The Societies Of England And France, Kody E. Whittington Jan 2016

The Social Impact Of The Hundred Years War On The Societies Of England And France, Kody E. Whittington

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Hundred Years War was a series of conflicts from 1337 to 1453 waged between the House of Plantagenet of England and the House of Valois of France. This thesis will analyze the affect that the Hundred Years War had on the societies of both England and France, and in doing so will show that the war was a catalyst for bringing England and France out of what is recognized as the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance and Early Modern Period. The thesis will do this by looking at three sections of English and French society: the royalty and …


Monstrous Muslims? Depicting Muslims In French Illuminated Manuscripts From 1200-1420, Benjamin Anthony Bertrand Jan 2015

Monstrous Muslims? Depicting Muslims In French Illuminated Manuscripts From 1200-1420, Benjamin Anthony Bertrand

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper examines depictions of Muslims in illuminated manuscripts produced in France between 1200-1420 that feature images of Christian-Muslim interactions. The study specifically looks at three popular manuscripts from the time: the Histoire d'Outremer, the Grandes Chroniques de France, and the Roman d'Alexandre en Prose. By examining the depictions of Saracens in these three manuscripts I attempt to gain an understanding of the artists' perceptions of Muslims. I argue that through analyzing the topoi employed by these artists we can understand how they and their audiences viewed Muslims. These images demonstrate that these artists understood Saracens to …


Bonnie Scotland And La Belle France: Commonalites And Cultural Links., Moira Speirs Ms May 2013

Bonnie Scotland And La Belle France: Commonalites And Cultural Links., Moira Speirs Ms

Oglethorpe Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Auld Alliance between Scotland and France begun in 1295 with the treaty of Paris and continued until the Treaty of Union between Scotland and England in 1707. Successive French and Scottish monarchs kept the alliance in place with formal treaties and marriage alliances. These strong family connections among the ruling classes influenced all ranks in society. Scotland’s military support of France in wars between France and England resulted in many Scottish lords being granted lands and titles as a reward for their service to the French crown. The ties between the two countries developed as increasing numbers of followers …


Jehanne: The Legacy Of A True Heroine., Kacy Tiller May 2013

Jehanne: The Legacy Of A True Heroine., Kacy Tiller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Who was Joan of Arc? That was the first question in my mind before I began my journey of studying this remarkable young woman. I had no idea how special she was. I thought she was just another historical figure that gets lost in history books. All I really knew about her was that she was burned at the stake. What I didn't know was that she led a country's army into battle at the age of seventeen.The adaptation of Mark Twain's novel, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc into a full length play involves in-depth research into French and …


French Diplomacy In Italy, 1450-1463, Mary Jane Callahan Apr 1978

French Diplomacy In Italy, 1450-1463, Mary Jane Callahan

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the intricacies of the diplomatic policies of the French in the Italian states of Naples, Milan and Genoa in the middle of the fifteenth century. The particular emphasis concerns French activity with regard to claims in Naples and Milan and control of Genoa during the latter years of the reign of Charles VII and the first two years of his son, Louis XI. The Kingdom of Naples was claimed by Rene of. Anjou, brother-in-law of Charles VII, as the named successor of the Neapolitan queen, Joanna II. Charles of Orleans, another brother-in-law, claimed the Duchy of Milan …


7. The Making Of France As A National State, Robert L. Bloom, Basil L. Crapster, Harold A. Dunkelberger, Charles H. Glatfelter, Richard T. Mara, Norman E. Richardson, W. Richard Schubart Jan 1958

7. The Making Of France As A National State, Robert L. Bloom, Basil L. Crapster, Harold A. Dunkelberger, Charles H. Glatfelter, Richard T. Mara, Norman E. Richardson, W. Richard Schubart

Section V: The Rise of Capitalism and the National State to 1500

The west Frankish kingdom of Charles the Bald, which he had received in 843 as his portion of his grandfather's great empire, is geographically the genesis of modern France. In the century of disorder and confusion following the partition of Charlemagne's realm into three kingdoms, government fell into the hands of powerful vassals. From the first, therefore, great lords in France exercised the functions of independent rulers. In 987 they chose one of the weaker of their number, Hugh Capet (987-996), to be king. He and his successors faced two great problems in establishing nationhood in France: how to recover …