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CS92PROD
Warfare in the Middle Ages: The Example of Flanders in 1127-1128
CHUM 345
Spring 2010
Section: 01  
Crosslisting: MDST 345, HIST 275

Charles the Good, count of Flanders, was assassinated on March 2, 1127. This led to 18 months of civil war in the most prosperous and strategic part of Europe, accompanied by every form of warfare imaginable, sieges of both urban centers and rural castles; pitched battles between armies; raids and looting, as well spectacular executions of the assassins, religious processions, excommunications, the evisceration of witches, and so on. The people and events of these 18 months are uniquely well documented in the work of two remarkable contemporary historians, both of whom were well acquainted with Charles and many of the other actors in this drama; were eyewitnesses to many of the events they relate; and were exceptionally well-positioned to gather information about others. Galbert of Bruges, a functionary in the count's central administration, wrote a journal, the only one we have from Europe in the 12th century, recounting the events of 1127-28, while Walter, archdeacon of Thérouanne, wrote a more traditional biography of Charles sometime between July and September 1127. We will study these events through these chronicles that contain detailed eyewitness accounts of warfare and the economic, social, and psychological effects of civil war in the High Middle Ages.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS CHUM
Course Format: SeminarGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: None
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on MAR-29-2024
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