AS - Level (1.Plantagenet Lands - Nature of the Angevin Empire) A Level History Revision Mapa Mental sobre Unity of the 'Angevin Empire', creado por Charlotte Peacock el 04/03/2014.
While Westminster was
at the heart of the
administration, this did
not make London the
capital.
Normandy described as the heart of the Empire
The term 'Angevin Empire' implies that Anjou
was of central importance: Henry was Angevin
by decent and upbringing. Strategically
significant military bases of Chinon and
Loches castle suggest Anjou was important
Normandy and England
arguable more important?
Normandy = main base, spending 176
months there throughout his reign.
Closely followed by 154 months in Eng,
Scot and Wales
The term 'Angevin
Empire' is used as a
historical convenience
rather than a precise 12th
century reality.
Titled empire around the
19th century, but was never
used by contemporaries
Contempories saw the
empire as a lucky
acquisition of a
quarrelsome family and
not an institution
Haphazard collection of
states, unorganised by a
leader who applied no imperial
jurisdictions across his
lands
Disunity
A lack of uniform institutions of power meant
each of these regions maintained their own
customs = diversity in culture, lang and laws.
Did Henry deliberately allow
this to respect the diversity of
his lands?
Lacked political unity
the French called the Angevin Empire
'espace plantaganet' as they believed
there was no political unity
Henry never envisioned his lands
would become an empire as he
intended to divide his lands
amongst his sons in 1170.
Both Geoffrey and Henry
intended on dividing lands
Never tried to unite lands
into a monolithic union -
vulnerable to break up. They
were not centrally directed
Cultural differences caused
divisions, forming rifts, particularly
between England and Normandy
Lacks the attributes of a
unified empire - greed of the
angevin kings kept the
so-called empire together
Unity
Henry's lands were joined by a
common culture and government
Despite countries differences, they shared similar
feudal frameworks and were united geographically
Greed of the sons
maintained this
so-called unity
Formed an
administrative and
geographical whole -
a very strong state in
a feudal network
Geographical bloc, stretching
from Northumberland to the
Pyrenees
Administratively united: At the same time of
the Inquest of Sheriffs in England, a similar
enquiry took place in Normandy
More of a personal empire of
the three Angevin Kings than
an 'Angevin Empire'
Responsibility of growth and
loss of lands due to leadership of
the individual rather than unity of
the empire
Lands ultimately broken down
by rebellion and French attack