Of Kings, Nobles, and Commoners: The Emergence of the New Monarchs

Consolidation of power will dramatically alter politics, wars, and loyalties in Europe. To help us expand this notion, we’ll explore the following questions:

1. What caused political power in Europe to shift from being localized in the hands of the lords to being wielded by royal families ruling vast territories?
2. How did a rise in national loyalties lead to increasing suspicion of divergent religious groups?
3. Why were the common people important to kings such that kings allied themselves with the populace against the nobility?