E.H. Gombrich 'A Little History of the World' 26. A New Age concluded
Summary
TLDRIn the 26th chapter, we learn about Maximilian, the last knight, and a member of the Habsburg family, who ruled around 1500. Despite their growing power, the German nobles and princes often opposed him. As traditional chivalry faded, Maximilian relied on mercenaries for military service, incurring heavy debts to fund them. His interest in the arts, particularly Albrecht Dürer's works, reflects the dawn of a new era, transitioning from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
Takeaways
- 🏰 The Swiss defeated Charles the Bold, marking a significant event in the history of the German emperors.
- 👑 Maximilian, known as the 'Last Knight', was a member of the Habsburg family, which had been growing in might and wealth since King Rudolf.
- 🌍 The Habsburgs' influence had spread beyond Austria, and they had been dominating the German Emperor's seat since 1438.
- 🛡️ German nobles and princes often caused trouble for the emperor, including Maximilian, who faced challenges in commanding their military support.
- 💣 The advent of gunpowder and the changing nature of warfare led to the rise of mercenaries, who fought for pay rather than feudal obligations.
- 💰 Maximilian had to rely on loans from rich merchants due to the high costs of employing mercenaries, which in turn influenced his relationship with the towns.
- 🏰 The knights felt increasingly sidelined as the traditional chivalric values became outdated in the face of new military practices.
- 🎨 Maximilian was a patron of the arts, showing a keen interest in the works of Albrecht Durer, a German painter who was influenced by Italian art.
- 🖼️ Durer's portrait paintings provide a visual record of what Maximilian and his contemporaries looked like, offering a glimpse into the past.
- 🌅 The script suggests that the period following the Middle Ages, marked by the rise of new art and humanism, can be seen as a 'bright new dawn', symbolizing a new era of cultural and intellectual awakening.
Q & A
Who is referred to as the 'last knight' in the script?
-Maximilian is referred to as the 'last knight' in the script.
What significant event is mentioned in the script that involved the Swiss and Charles the Bold?
-The Swiss defeated Charles the Bold, which is a significant event mentioned in the script.
To which family did Maximilian belong?
-Maximilian belonged to the Habsburg family.
How did the power of the Habsburg family grow since the time of King Rudolf?
-The power of the Habsburg family grew steadily since the time of King Rudolf, spreading beyond Austria and influencing the election of German Emperors.
What was the issue with the German noblemen and princes during Maximilian's reign?
-The German noblemen and princes exercised almost unlimited power over their fiefdom and were increasingly reluctant to accompany their Emperor into battle when commanded.
Why did Maximilian use paid soldiers instead of his vassals when fighting the French King?
-Maximilian used paid soldiers, known as mercenaries, because the traditional methods of granting land and peasants in return for military service had become outdated, similar to chivalry.
What was the financial consequence for Maximilian due to hiring mercenaries?
-Hiring mercenaries cost Maximilian a great deal of money that he didn't have, forcing him to borrow from rich merchants in the towns.
How did the relationship between Maximilian and the towns develop due to his financial situation?
-Maximilian had to keep on good terms with the towns to borrow money, which upset the Knights who felt increasingly unwanted and unneeded.
What was Maximilian's personal interest that set him apart from the traditional knights?
-Maximilian was interested in the new art and was particularly taken with the great German painter Albrecht Durer, showing a mixture of old and new interests.
How did Albrecht Durer contribute to the art of the time?
-Albrecht Durer learned a lot from the Italians but taught himself even more to create paintings and engravings, contributing significantly to the new German art.
What does the script suggest about the time period following the Middle Ages?
-The script suggests that the time period following the Middle Ages, which began in Florence, should be seen as a bright new dawn, marking the beginning of a new age.
Outlines
🏰 Maximilian I: The Last Knight
This paragraph discusses Maximilian I, the last knight and a member of the Habsburg family, who ruled around 1500. Despite the family's growing power and influence since King Rudolf in 1438, Maximilian faced significant challenges from the German nobility and princes. The paragraph highlights the shift from feudal obligations to paid mercenaries, which led to financial difficulties for Maximilian as he had to borrow from wealthy merchants. It also touches on the tension between the emerging power of towns and the diminishing role of knights. Maximilian is portrayed as a romantic figure, more interested in chivalry, tournaments, and poetry than in the harsh realities of his time. The paragraph concludes with a reference to Albrecht Durer, a German painter who captured Maximilian's likeness and symbolized the dawn of a new age in art, marking the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Swiss
💡Charles the Bold
💡Maximilian
💡Habsburg family
💡German Emperor
💡Fiefdom
💡Mercenaries
💡Albrecht Durer
💡Renaissance
💡Middle Ages
💡Chivalry
Highlights
The Swiss defeated Charles the Bold, marking a significant event in Swiss history.
Maximilian, a member of the Habsburg family, is known as the last knight due to his adherence to chivalric traditions.
The Habsburg family's influence had grown since King Rudolf, with their power spreading beyond Austria.
German noblemen and princes often gave the Emperor trouble, reflecting the complex political landscape of the time.
Maximilian faced challenges from his vassals, who were reluctant to provide military support without financial incentives.
The advent of gunpowder and the decline of chivalry led to the use of paid mercenaries instead of feudal levies.
Mercenaries were known for their rough and rapacious behavior, prioritizing plunder over loyalty.
Maximilian's reliance on mercenaries was costly, leading to financial strain and debts to rich merchants.
The need to maintain good relations with towns for financial support was a new challenge for Maximilian.
The decline of the Knights' importance and the rise of the merchant class changed the social order.
Maximilian was a patron of the arts, showing a keen interest in the works of Albrecht Dürer.
Albrecht Dürer's art, influenced by Italian techniques, is a testament to the cultural exchange of the time.
Dürer's portraits of Maximilian provide a visual record of the last knight, offering a glimpse into his appearance.
The transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance is symbolized by the shift from a 'starry night' to a 'bright new dawn'.
The end of the 26th chapter invites readers to explore related playlists for further historical context.
Transcripts
quickly finishing the 26th chapter of a
little history of the world
we just heard how the Swiss defeated
Charles the bold and we continue this is
why the German emperor who was ruling
around 1500 is known as the last night
his name was Maximilian and he was a
member of the Habsburg family whose
might and wealth had grown steadily
since the time of King Rudolf since 1438
their power had spread beyond their own
country of Austria and such was their
influence that all the German Emperor's
who had been elected since then had been
Hapsburgs nevertheless the German
nobleman in Princes gave most of them a
good deal of trouble and Maximilian the
last night was no exception they
exercised almost unlimited power over
their fiefdom zand had become
increasingly reluctant to accompany
their Emperor into battle when he
commanded them to do so with the arrival
of money and cities in gunpowder the
granting of land with bonded peasants in
return from military service had become
as outdated as chivalry which is why
when Maximilian went to fight the French
King for his Italian possessions he took
paid soldiers instead of his vassals
soldiers like these were called
mercenaries they were rough rapacious
brutes who strutted about in outlandish
costumes and thought little and thought
of little but plunder and since they
fought for money rather than for their
country they went to the person who paid
the most
this cost them for a great deal of money
that he didn't have so he was forced to
borrow from rich merchants in the towns
and this in its turn meant that he had
kept on good terms with the towns which
upset the Knights who felt increasingly
unwanted and unneeded such problems gave
Maximilian a headache like the Knights
of old he would far rather have ridden
in tournaments and composed fine verses
about his adventures to present his
beloved he was a strange mixture of the
old nanoo for he was very taken with a
new art and was always talking about the
great German painter Albrecht Durer who
had learned a lot from the Italians but
had taught himself even more to make
paintings and engravings in his honor
through the one
wonderful portraits throat portrait
paintings by the first of the new German
artists we can actually see what the
last night looked like these works
together with the paintings and
buildings of the great Italian artists
are in fact the heralds who cried
attention please a new age has begun and
if we called the Middle Ages a starry
night we should look upon this new
wide-awake time which began in Florence
as a bright new dawn and that's the end
of the 26th chapter remember you can now
watch these videos in a playlist with
the name a little history of the world I
encourage you to do that there's also a
playlist for the dark is rising and the
once and future king are sorry the sword
in the stone as well as parts of all the
quest of the Grail Knight more playlists
will be coming soon
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