Medevial Western Europe

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The post-classical period in Western Europe evolved after the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. This period became known as the Middle Ages. It was a time of chaos. Often it is connected to a backward time in history because it was between the great classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. However, changes began to take place that helped to revive Western Europe. There were many distinctive characteristics that surfaced in Western Europe in trade, politics, social structure, religion, and intellectual life that did not place it at a disadvantage in relationship with other post-classical civilizations of the world. First, in Western Europe one of the distinctive characteristics of medieval life that helped to bring about growth in the economy was a revival of trade. Trade was considered so important for growth that the protection of merchants became a vital concern. Regulations were made to protect the merchants at sea. Each city was to do their best to rid the sea of pirates so that the merchants could freely carry on their business (Document 17). If a person was caught for robbery in one city they were banned from all cities (Document 17). This regulation took place between 1260 and 1264. During this time the total population in Western Europe increased from 12 million to 35.5 million (Document 8). Trade growth also led to interaction with other societies. In short, trade provided Western Europe with the means to grow and revive. Next, in order to continue to grow they realized that they had to work together. This statement is supported in Document 7 as it shows the links of the feudalism or political system to manorialism the economic system and the cooperation and mutual obligations of each level of so... ... middle of paper ... ...o the religious dedication most everyone had. Thus, Western Europe during the post-classical period recovered from the fall of Rome. Was Western Europe at a disadvantage compared to the other world civilizations? No, it was not at a disadvantage. Although Western Europe may not be as advanced as other world civilizations it was not at a disadvantage in relationship to the other civilizations because it emerged with its own distinct characteristics and proved to be a vital society. It reached its peak during the 12th and 13th centuries and made advancements due to the expanded trade that helped the civilization to gain ideas from other societies. The Catholic Church played a key role in the authority and intellect of that time. After the 13th century there was a decline due to the war between France and England, and devastating plague that ravaged the area.

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