Effects

Cultural Effects

  • Comprehend the important changes in religious beliefs and practices as a result of wars.
    • An example is the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople in 1204, which led to increased excommunication and disunity between the Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic Christian churches.
  • Analyse the impact of warfare on the arts and literature of the period.
    • Such as in England where the Hundred Years’ War inspired a body of nationalistic literature, including the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer.

Social Effects

  • Understand the changes in societal structures and lifestyles resulting from warfare.
    • For instance, the defeat of the English during the Norman Conquest in 1066 resulted in a complete transformation of England’s aristocracy.
  • Note the effects of wars on populations, due to casualties, displacements and changes in perceived enemy populations.
    • The Black Death, which ravaged Europe during the Hundred Years’ War was exacerbated by the movement and congregation of armies.

Economic Effects

  • Learn how wars could drastically affect the economy of nations involved in conflict.
    • The Crusades opened up the Eastern world to Western Europe, initiating a long period of trade and cultural exchange.
  • Understand the expenditure of resources on wars and how this led to economic changes, like the introduction of new taxes.
    • The financial strain caused by the Hundred Years’ War led both England and France to innovate in terms of taxation, leading to the creation of more centralised states.

Political Effects

  • Become familiar with the major political changes brought about by wars.
    • The Mongol Conquests led to the largest contiguous land empire in history, which brought significant changes to the regions it ruled.
  • Trace the consequences of wars for the balance of power among nations.
    • The outcome of the Hundred Years’ War clarified the borders of England and France and marked the end of English landholdings on the Continent.

Assess each of these topic groups to gain a comprehensive understanding of the multiple ways that warfare dramatically influenced the period between 750 and 1500.