The decline of feudalism and economic changes paved the way for centralized monarchies in medieval Europe. Kings leveraged new wealth from trade and commerce to consolidate power, while military advancements and territorial expansion further strengthened their authority.

England, France, and Spain developed distinct paths to centralization. England's monarchy was limited by the Magna Carta and Parliament, while France saw gradual centralization under Capetian kings. Spain unified through the Reconquista and the Catholic Monarchs' marriage.

Factors Leading to Centralized Monarchies and Their Development

Factors in centralized monarchy rise

• Decline of feudalism
  • Weakening power of nobles and lords as kings asserted more authority
  • Shift from decentralized feudal system to centralized monarchical rule
• Economic changes spurred monarchy growth
  • Expansion of trade and commerce increased wealth (Silk Roads, Hanseatic League)
  • Rising towns and merchant class provided new sources of revenue for kings
  • Monarchs leveraged increased resources to consolidate power
• Military advancements strengthened royal authority
  • Improved weapons and tactics like longbows and cannons changed warfare
  • Professional standing armies emerged loyal directly to the king not nobles
• Consolidation of territory expanded kingdoms
  • Monarchs conquered and annexed smaller kingdoms and principalities
  • Strategic marriages and alliances united territories under a single crown (Spain)
• Administrative developments created centralized government
  • Establishment of centralized bureaucracies to manage kingdom
  • Kings appointed loyal officials and advisors accountable to the crown
  • Standardization of laws and taxation across the realm reinforced royal power

Monarchies in England vs France vs Spain

• England developed a strong but limited monarchy
  • Norman Conquest (1066) established powerful kingship under William I
  • Magna Carta (1215) restricted royal power and enshrined rule of law
  • Parliament emerged as a check and balance on the monarch's authority
• France saw gradual centralization under Capetian kings
  • Capetian dynasty slowly expanded royal domain and power over generations
  • Philip II Augustus (r. 1180-1223) greatly strengthened French monarchy
  • Estates General created as a representative body but remained weaker than English Parliament
• Spain unified under Catholic monarchy after Reconquista
  • Centuries-long Reconquista against Muslim rule united Castile and Aragon
  • Marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile (1469) joined crowns
  • Spanish Inquisition and expulsion of religious minorities imposed Catholic orthodoxy

Impact of the Hundred Years' War and the Role of the Catholic Church

Hundred Years' War and royal power

• Increased taxation to fund the lengthy conflict
  • Strengthened monarch's financial power as permanent tax systems were established
  • Kings gained ability to raise funds without relying on nobles
• Nationalism and loyalty to the crown surged
  • War promoted development of national identities over regional loyalties
  • Fighting an external enemy united people behind the king as a symbol of the nation
• Standing armies and military reforms enhanced royal might
  • Professional, permanent armies emerged loyal to the crown not aristocracy
  • Kings became less dependent on feudal levies raised by nobles
• Nobility weakened by the war's toll
  • Heavy casualties thinned the ranks of leading noble families
  • Monarchs capitalized on aristocracy's weakness to assert greater control

Catholic Church's role in monarchies

• Divine right of kings ideology bolstered monarchy
  • Church endorsed view of kings as God's chosen representatives on Earth
  • Religious justification legitimized royal authority and power
• Church-state conflicts reflected tensions
  • Monarchs sought control over ecclesiastical appointments and resources
  • Power struggles erupted between kings and popes (Investiture Controversy, murder of Thomas Becket)
• Church as a unifying force across Christendom
  • Catholic faith promoted a common Christian identity throughout Europe
  • Papacy encouraged alliances and cooperation among Christian kings (launching Crusades)
• Rise of national churches decreased papal influence
  • National churches gained increasing autonomy from Rome in some kingdoms
  • Monarchs exerted greater influence over religious policies within their realms (Henry VIII's break from Rome)