ATTENTION: You are soon going to have a little (or not-so-little) test on the material covered. Oh boy! Stockmyer's tests are not to be taken lightly. Hopefully, you have been attending class-it really does make things easier. He will tell you what your test will be like–some matching, multiple guess, fill-in-the-blank, chronological order, short answer, and a major essay question. There are questions on outside reading as well as lecture. He will also tell you how to study for his tests, if you need help. The major essay questions will usually be one of three suggestions he's made to you in class. (If you missed that day, find out from a classmate what they possibilities are.) He selects one of the three possible essay questions the day of the exam–so you must study for all three essays! So, you have choices: you can study and outline all three to be safely covered (this also helps you study for the rest of the test!), or you can pick a question you like and hope that's it and study for it only (do you play Russian Roulette?? Not a good gamble–study for all three!!). Or, for the truly masochistic, don't study for any of the essay questions and hope the rest of the exam will pull you through (the best grade you could make without doing the essay is a C, if you are REALLY lucky!). Trust me, you should study for all three! Makes life a lot easier. Stockmyer is very good about looking over essay outlines to make sure you are on the right track. Just a helpful hint! He doesn't bite, I promise.
The three choices he gave us the year I took the course were:
1. Discuss the difference between the medieval world and the modern world
2. Why are some powers getting stronger and some aren't and how is this being accomplished?
3. Compare and contrast religions (Catholicism and Reformation)
NOTE!!!! These may not be the questions he gives you! Be sure you find out for sure!! Also, you are supposed to watch The War Lord before the first exam–there are a few questions on the movie on the first exam.
In Spain, things are changing. Ferdinand is dead. His grandson, Charles V, succeeds him to the throne. He's the kid of Philip the Fair and crazy Juana. He's also a Habsburg, which makes it possible for him to get control of lots of Europe through marriage ties. He was crowned in 1515. He inherited Spain, Sicily, Spanish Africa, and Spanish America through his mom, and Austrian holdings, the Netherlands, and a shot at being the Holy Roman Emperor from his dad.
Charles was born in 1500. He was strong, well-built, but not handsome. He inherited the Habsburg jaw (very jutting). He was good in outdoor sports but not at grammar or reading. He didn't learn how to speak Spanish until long after he became king. He didn't speak German or Latin (which would have been handy in the Holy Roman Empire). He spoke French cuz he was raised in Belgium. (In case you're forgetful: France is Spain's enemy!) The Spanish didn't like Charles cuz he wasn't Spanish. He also brought Belgian advisors with him who helped themselves to the treasury. Spain didn't want him to be the Holy Roman Emperor cuz then he would be gone to Germany a lot and not ruling their country. He was determined to be Holy Roman Emperor. Then, Charles became Holy Roman Emperor and left Spain! There was a revolt in Spain–not a big one, but big enough to teach Charles a lesson. He fired the Belgians, appointed Spaniards, married a Portuguese princess and learned Spanish. Then, the Spanish tolerated him. (After all, why should he burn out all his energies being emperor of nobodies–the Holy Roman Empire-- when he can be king of the richest nation in the world–Spain!) As the Holy Roman Emperor, he called the German nobles together in a 1521 conference called the Diet of Worms (Worms is a town in Germany and a "Diet" is a meeting). He wanted to collect money cuz he was suspicious that France was going to attack. He also wanted to straighten out some lunatic named Martin Luther on the beauty of Catholicism. The Diet collapsed cuz nothing works in Germany–nobody agrees!
Surprise of Surprises!! France is indeed going to attack. France was in a tight spot. It was surrounded by Spanish power. Francis I is king of France. He started a 40-year-long war. In 1525, Francis I was captured and became the "guest" of Charles V. He promised to relinquish Italian claims and marry a Spaniard. Charles believed him and released him. (Charles was naive and still believed in the Old World Chivalry of a man giving his word and keeping it!) As soon as Francis was home, he renounced the treaty and it's back to war again. Charles was really upset.
Spain captured the pope in Rome. He forced the pope to sign a treaty. Charles was the nephew of the queen of England (Catherine of Aragon) who was in danger of having her marriage to Henry VIII annulled. Henry VIII wanted a legitimate male heir, so he wanted to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon who was getting beyond childbearing age. To protect his aunt Catherine, Charles forced the pope to not grant the annulment to Henry VIII, which caused a lot of problems in England. Just as Charles was about to squash the Lutherans in Germany, the Moslems began moving into Austria, so Charles had to divert his army to take care of them. He defeated the Moslems on the Mediterranean and went back to chasing Lutherans, but then France began bugging him again. He was so busy it began to break his spirit. In 1555, he resigned as Holy Roman Emperor in favor of his brother. He abdicated the throne of Spain to his son, Philip, in 1556. From then on, he puttered around in his rose garden, wrote, and retired. He was one of the few kings who did not die in power. He died in 1558.
Charles was not great. He had lots of power, the biggest and best country at the time, but he also had lots of enemies. He tried to maintain the old order of chivalry at the wrong time. He was brave but it was out of style (sly and cunning were in style at the time). He had good morals but they really got in his way more than they helped him. He would have made a great medieval king, but, unfortunately, he was in the Modern World.