90 likes | 161 Views
The Problem of Survival for the Angevin “Empire”: Henry II’s and His Sons’ Vision Versus Late 12 th Century Realities. Ralph V. Turner. Author’s Thesis. Henry II and his sons lacked the vision to create a true territorial empire versus a collection of disparate territories.
E N D
The Problem of Survival for the Angevin “Empire”: Henry II’s and His Sons’ Vision Versus Late 12th Century Realities. Ralph V. Turner
Author’s Thesis • Henry II and his sons lacked the vision to create a true territorial empire versus a collection of disparate territories.
Supporting Arguments • Angevin Empire lacked a central core. • Within Empire the king’s power was variable. • The concept of a modern empire was an anachronism in the 12th and 13th centuries. • Henry II’s succession plans (“Parage”) prove that he never meant the empire to be unified or centrally controlled. • As vassals of Phillip II, Henry’s heirs never had ability to unify territories into an empire.
Critique of Ralph V. Turner • Lack of vision or lack of opportunity. • Richard’s refusal to take an oath of fealty to Henry the Young King. • Henry II’s belated backing of John’s inheritance. • Underestimates Role of Eleanor of Aquitaine. • Turner notes two historians point of view of possible “sea-borne empire.”
Turner Quotes • “Richard the Lionheart and his brother King John, both concentrated their energies and resources on preserving this nameless empire…” • “Not only Henry II but the entire Plantagenet line believed that the Angevin ‘empire’ was worth preserving as a family enterprise possessing some measure of political cohesion.”
Course Relevance • Establishing original intent. • Distinguishing reality of ends from possible means. • Conflicting roles of authority yield resistance. • Emergence of cultures under unifying literature and myths leads to cultural clashes.
And Now….. • “Rare Archival Footage” (Dr. Perron)