World History Homework Six Answers - Student Twelve

World History Homework Six

DuncanB

1. The Middle Ages is broadly defined by historians to be the time period from A.D. 500 (approximately when the Roman Empire fell) to 1500 (about the start of the Renaissance/Reformation.)

Correct. But you forgot to answer the entire question, which included asking about when the Crusades occurred. Oh no! Always be sure to understand the question first and then answer it as asked. (Minus 1).

2. The Mongols were the rulers of the largest contiguous empire in world history, outdistancing the Romans and Persians (the British had a territorially larger empire, but it was not all accessible by land). They were fierce, savage warriors who would often, while besieging a city, cut heads off prisoners in sight of the walls and throw them into the city with catapults; they used both cannons and catapults in their wars.

Superb explanation of "contiguous". May use that part as a model!

3. England and France established nation-states during the Middle Ages, as their barons and other feudal lords were not as powerful in those two areas as they were in Germany and Italy, neither of which became one nation until the 1800’s. Germany was united by Napoleon in 1804, who had recently conquered it, and Italy was united in 1861 by Giuseppe Garibaldi.

Excellent explanation.

4. The Gothic architecture during the Middle Ages was very interesting. It was designed to draw viewer’s eyes up, to God, by creating high ceilings and gracefully curved supports called flying buttresses. Oddly enough, it was initially called Gothic because people thought it was impractical and dangerous.

Well done. You are right: the term "Gothic" was initially a criticism of it (a "pejorative" term).

5. The Kingdom of Aktum, located where Ethiopia is now, accepted Christianity due to the influence of two shipwrecked Christians who became slaves in the palace of the king. They eventually converted the king to Christianity, and had great success with his subjects. This Christian group is known as the Coptics.

Wow, that's fascinating! May use that as a model.

6. Often non-Christians, usually atheists, deride Christians as having blind faith without any evidence whatsoever; Scholasticism, however, uses logic from given principles to prove the existence of God; the only problem with this is that it does nothing if someone does not accept your given premises your argument is for nothing.

Good point.

7. The Crusades brought new ideas and goods (including gunpowder, carpets, paper and sugar) to feudal Europe, but probably the most lasting consequence of the Crusades was the weakening of the feudal system and the rise of king’s power in England and France.

Right.

H1. Thomas Aquinas wrote five proofs for the existence of God, all cosmological (dealing with the universe and its natural order). His most famous runs thus: All things are caused to move by their parents, who in turn had parents, who in turn had parents—but this cannot continue forever. Therefore, a being without parents must have been at the beginning; we define that being as God. This refutes perhaps the biggest problem for proponents of evolution today—how the original, “simple” life forms which “evolved over eons” came about. Contrary to what many believe, scientists have not made life in a test tube; they have merely manufactured several simple proteins used by organisms.

Superb.

H3. Joan of Arc may well have had a calling from God, as much of recent history would have been radically different had France been controlled by the English. Angels visited people long ago; why could they not visit her as she claimed?

Right.

H5. The Crusades had a legitimate purpose, which was to make the way to Jerusalem safe for pilgrims. However, after the first Crusade, the Crusades quickly degenerated into wars for plunder. Leaders had their eyes on personal power rather than promoting the cause of God, which gave historians plenty of leeway to criticize crusaders as greedy, murderous warriors who forced Muslims to convert or die. However, the aim of the Crusaders was never to convert by force, but to capture Jerusalem. Crusaders did occasionally kill innocent civilians, but so did the Muslims in many cases—wars worked that way, especially in those days.

Well done again.

Terrific work, as always! 99/100.