Lesson 1: Conflicts Between Popes and Monarchs

Key Idea

A German king, Otto the Great, worked to unite German lands. In 962, the pope crowned him emperor, creating the Holy Roman Empire. This new state was meant to revive the power and unity of the old Roman Empire.

This event created a close partnership. The emperor protected the Church, and the pope's blessing gave the emperor religious authority.

Key Idea

During the 1000s, a reform movement grew within the Church. Popes wanted to end the control that kings and emperors had over religious matters. They began to claim that the pope's power was supreme over all Christians, including rulers. This idea became known as papal supremacy.

Pope Gregory VII, elected in 1073, took this claim even further. He declared that only the pope could appoint bishops. More shockingly, he argued that popes had the authority to depose an emperor or king. This set the stage for a major power struggle between the Church and secular leaders.

Key Idea

Popes and emperors clashed over who should appoint bishops, who controlled great wealth and land. In 1075, Pope Gregory VII declared that only the Church could choose these officials. This challenged the authority of secular rulers like the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV, who wanted to control these appointments.

Henry IV defied the pope's order. In response, Gregory used a powerful spiritual weapon and excommunicated the emperor, casting him out of the Church. This action freed Henry's subjects from their duty to obey him and threatened to crumble his empire.

Key Idea

While popes and emperors struggled for control, a different story unfolded in France. The early Capetian kings ruled only a small territory around Paris and had little power over their nobles.

This began to change with King Philip II. He greatly expanded the king's lands by taking territory from nobles. He also appointed new officials who were loyal to him, strengthening his control over the kingdom.