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In 1341 the nobility and clergy were summoned separately for the first time, creating what was effectively an Upper Chamber and a Lower Chamber, with the knights and burgesses sitting in the latter. This Upper Chamber became known as the House of Lords from 1544 and the Lower Chamber became known as the House of Commons, collectively known as the Houses of Parliament.… From Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_England
What years are we talking about here? England's Parliament didn't actually gain power over the monarch until the Glorious Revolution of 1688, well after the Middle Ages had passed.
Quite true; prior to that Parliament collected taxes and sometimes acted as advisers of the King. This relationship changed during / after the English Civil War(s) (1642-1651) as Parliament sought more direct control and power. Ends as you say with Wm & Mary signing over much of the Crown's power.
France was known for the power of its monarch until around the time of the French Revolution around 1793, so I don't think you would have seen real democratic government until that time.
Nor for sometime afterward... 10 years of revolution against a monarch got them a dictator... Napoleon.
I think that the two nations were close enough together geographically (and perhaps culturally, whether they wanted to admit it or not) that they would have competed and copied one another. I think they had a kind of love-hate relationship whereby they would copy each other in certain things, only to long for independence from the other as well. But in terms of the best form of government, I think that in theory it is very likely that France would have considered England's Parliament as a model upon which to base its own form of representation. I suppose we could always research this point just to make certain.
The Wiki article on the Estates General indicates that a parliamentary body was the logical outcome of the feudal system... the Duke (or whatever) ultimately has to listen to the folks that are providing for him... as they get more control over the calls they will want more... there you have it (IMHO).
The Minoans on Crete were about 70 miles from the island of Thera (Santorini, today) that, some time in the 1600's BC, had a major volcanic eruption… flooded much of Crete from the tsunami and the resulting ash would have created a problem (both short and long term) that would have led to the decline of the Minoans.The Mycenaens were the first Greeks as the spoke a greek language unlike the Minoans. Given the weakened situation on Crete the Mycenaens (from the mainland) moved in and edged out the Minoans by the mid 1400's BC and they, too, flamed out by the 1200's BC when invaders moved down from Europe... the period of unrest and disorder that followed is sometimes refered to as the "Dark Age". [not to be confused with the Dark ages....]
Based on what I remember from teaching the FrRev (sure didn't pay any atttention in college on this as the prof was recovering from having all four wisdom teeth pulled… mumbled anyway but this made it worst!)… the Estates-General consisted of reps of the three estates (clergy, noblity, commoners) and were summonded rather than elected… not real power either, more advisory or a rubber stamp. In fact at one point the body didn't meet for over 170 years… King did the business. One of the Louis's told them he'd call when he needed them and a successor or two followed suit.By the time things were getting sticky Louis the Last called but then totally ignored anything they put forward... not a smooth move. Set up a close shave he couldn't avoid.Parliament started out just a way for the Barons (my shorthand for whatever rank the nobles were) to have a bit of say-so over the Kings' wide ideas... not really much to do with the common man 'til a bit later. Over time ,we get to Parliment as we imagine it to be (used to be that is)... the model for out bicameral legislative body, co-equal to the exec. and judicial branches. According to some English friends, much more like a Socialist club these days.I'd say the influence issue was a pretty common ideal of the late middle ages (many paliamentary bodies pop up about this time); how to keep the King under control and how he keeps the people under his influence. I really don't see Eng or france influencing the other... last thing they'd want; to be influenced by the other.
Certainly seems possible… that's history for you; just when you think it's one thing something new pops up. Peppermint Patty ("Peanuts") was right: "Always study history in the morning, before something else can happen." 😮
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_origins_of_the_Hyksos#Identification_as_Asiatic_SemitesFound this on Wiki; does this seem like what the HC program mentioned?
… I'm trying to get Cyrus's motivation for being good.
After conquest Cyrus didn't force cultural changes (enforced religious changes etc.) and this made ruling new territories easier… motivation for being good or result of being smart? Not sure which but it worked.
What is the difference between the two in your understanding?
My understanding is that the Palestinians and other non-Jewish groups are "Semitic" too; Jewish and Palestinian being more cultural terms than ethnic (some would use the term racial... I use ethnic as there is only one "race" Homo sapiens). Semitic describes all the folks from that area rather than their individual cultures.
Based on my sources Cyrus II (the Great) lead a revolt against the Medes that won independence and established the Persian Empire. According to the wiki site this is the line of the Achaemenid empire….We don't see Zoroastrianism until the time of Darius I (follows Cyrus' son, Cambyses) from a lateral branch of the dynasty takes over.
Jews or Semitic? Could be important? As according to what I have learned Jews are Semitic but not all Semites are Jews.Wally
Very good question. I think it would be Communism since it was predicated on the elevation of all (should have worked everywhere according to Marx) whereas Nazism was more about elevating Germany and the Germans at the expense of their neighbors and the rest of the world. If it had worked better generally (see next paragraph) it'd have overrun the world.Marx missed the point though... capitalist (industrialized) societies had the mechanisms built in to elevate the workers w/o revolution. The biggest successes for Communist revolutions were in agrarian societies... the offer of land will always get the peasants to revolt, just don't tell them that when you take the land away from the wicked landholders you're going to keep it for the gov't and rent it to them. They will see the difference but way too late to help. 😮My $0.02,Wally
Not sure it matters too much (since I have trifocals) but I do have aquestion about links. It seems to me that we used to be able to link to files (after uploading) rather than having to paste in the whole thing as I did with the slavery item in another thread. Am I dreaming that this used to be or just not smart enough to remember how? When I went to Additional Options all I go was: Notify me of replies. Return to this topic. Don't use smileys. TIA for any help.Wally
