Could You Be A Medieval Monarch?

hello and welcome the fire of learning I'm Justin in the hours we've spent talking about the rulers and leaders of history on this channel namely those of the Middle Ages have you ever wondered whether or not you would be up to the challenge that's right buckaroo could you be a medieval king or queen could you wield the power of a great Kingdom in real life responsibly and effectively could you sit on the throne and keep it well if you think so before you fill out your application let's go through the job requirements we'll run a sort of simulation what would be expected of you as king or queen what would you have to do and put up with how hard would it really be well let's get to it before we begin I would like to thank Stephen D'Agostino Nicolai the Norwegian J Danielle Perez Mauricio tangler Thomas vignetting and Cathy wild deck for being our most recent supporters on patreon they join these supporters who make these videos possible so you are the new ruler of your medieval kingdom of choice England France Byzantium Scotland Norway you may choose whichever country you'd like just to simplify things and this scenario will give you an easy start you become monarch by these simplest means your father died and quite clearly left the throne to you you won't have to fight to keep your throne like many monarchs did not yet anyway now before we get going it's necessary to mention that the Middle Ages lasted from about the years 500 AD to 1500 there was quite a bit of difference between those two points the dark ages and the high middle ages in other words furthermore throughout this era conditions in each country were different England and 700 AD was quite different from the contemporary Byzantine Empire where differences are relevant therefore I will try to point them out however we will mostly be going through some general examples now then congratulations your majesty i believe a celebration is an after all of the political and spiritual formalities of course however though you may wish to celebrate you still must be absolutely careful of every move you make and everything you say especially when you're making these first impressions take care to limit how much you party and relax you have absolute or near absolute power and you could make a habit of it you could continue to party on for days weeks months you could constantly lounge around your palace all day if you wished ignore in the outside world and ordering your ministers to handle the many affairs of the kingdom and though they may protest your word may be final however if you choose to pursue that lifestyle if you choose to use your position for hedonistic purposes though they are bound to you your subjects will begin to ask as they asked with shoulder at the third of Frankia Michael the 3rd of Byzantium and Commodus of Rome why bother having a subpar ruler on the throne at all this brings us to something very fundamental which you must always keep in mind if you're going to be a king or queen or Emperor empress behind every corner is someone who wants the throne for themselves now you do have divine right in the eyes of all medieval Europe you rule by the grace of God for it was he who gave you the throne and who would dare question God's will this is important but it will not always save you God given your throne maybe he too has expectations of you and if you fail to meet them it will not be long before someone points it out before you make a single judgment or ruling you must keep in mind even some of those who call themselves your friends will surely challenge you at the first opportunity and some of them will burn half the country to the ground in the pursuit of your crown if they have to the wind blows hardest at the top do I make myself clear your majesty good then we can move on it may be good to be king as the expression goes but the head which wears the crown as Shakespeare said tends to lie on easy having absolute rule also means being in charge of everything it's going to be a lot of work and very burdensome you may take a vacation here and there but the world will never rest but if you're still up to the challenge where do you begin before you can get to work you have to make sure that these things are stable and that you aren't likely to be challenged a quick glance through history across the world shows how many rulers directed much of their attention to this furthermore there are numerous examples of what happens to rulers who fail - in medieval Europe there will be multiple groups that you have to keep satisfied or at least controlled and tolerant of you broadly the nobility the common folk the church and the military are the main ones there are not exactly always clear lines between these groups the military for example may be filled with ranks of the common folk brought together and led by the nobility and acting in the name of Christ the military in fact was often not a standing one and was raised by the nobility in times of war if the common people are rattled enough they will revolt if the nobility are angered they will plot if the church is betrayed you will be condemned if the military is mistreated you will have no one to protect you you may deal with your subjects how you wish however keep in mind you will ultimately either have to be loved or feared perhaps a mix is best again how you deal with your subjects will be up to you every ruler is different but you'll want to keep an appropriate balance as the Italian political philosopher Machiavelli warns you may want to favor certain groups over the others in most circumstances for example you will want to win the favor of the nobility but regardless of how much they love you they will always have the thought in the back of their mind that it could be them sitting on your throne with some justification as we disgust however if the people love you most of whom simply wish to go about their business and do not or cannot seek your power no opportunists at the top would challenge you for the people would riot if you were displaced if the people hate you however the nobility can only do so much to quell this intent and might even use the opportunity against you be cautious how you deal with each group to please your subjects you must remember that they will look to you for leadership and guidance and see you as the top of the pyramid with absolute power the kingdom is in your hands you will be celebrated for fortunate coincidences but also blamed for things which are out of your control especially by the common folk a plague or famine hits for example many people will blame you at least partially how is it my fault you might ask I don't know but the whole country has been affected by what is evidently God's anger and so as the head of the country it's your responsibility to make things right with him and that's quite possibly something you yourself have done with this in mind now that you've stabilized things at home you can move on to step two stabilizing things abroad as if dealing with the components of your own nation weren't enough of a headache you also have to be cognizant of your neighbors the nations on your borders are your primary concern but it will be wise to watch over as much of the continent as you can getting frequent updates on current events as soon as the news arrives remember that could be weeks or even months you may not be able to react to a major battle until after a month of its occurrence you will have to strategize neutrality with one country an alliance with another and hostility with yet another having the same status with all of your neighbors Alliance neutrality or hostility is generally unfeasible especially if you have multiple neighbours you'll have to be a diplomat or at least surround yourself with diplomatic people and know who and when to trust to strike and to leave alone with the understanding that you will be left alone you will also have to watch how your own subjects interact with these foreign leaders much of medieval Europe consisted of decentralized states you will have a varying level of control over your kingdom depending on which country and in which time you've chosen Iran not only the risk of being overthrown but of the people who rule over various territories in your kingdoms blowing you off and acting independently even a lying with an enemy against you and opening the door for them especially if they are of a different ethnic or religious group here again you'll have to remind your subjects who is boss from time to time if you want to be boss you risk encouraging revolt and betrayal by being either too harsh or too friendly furthermore the Barons and counts and Dukes and princes and the like of your nation may not only attempt to work against you but against each other if you plan to keep Wars to a minimum especially internal Wars you will have to be an effective mediator you'll have to resolve conflicts fairly and probably try to prevent imbalances and power among your subjects the nobility are your source of taxes soldiers and the ones who keep order in the kingdom you may have absolute power but much of that power is dependent on harmonious relations with and between them it's also necessary to work regularly with the church many rulers of the Middle Ages contested power with the Pope you obviously want the church who is power and influence extends across Christendom on her side the Pope is not as easily controlled as wondrous subjects though because he is not one and he will try very hard to avoid being one but he has his limitations as well you cannot let him walk all over you when he tries to extend his influence into the temporal matters of the kingdom either and he may very well try you may have to remind him from time to time that while his holiness may of course have his opinion on any matter heard that God appointed you for that job not him just don't ever do it or else you may end up on the road to Canosa back to war your subjects will love peace but hate cowardice they will love a war that goes well for them but hate war monger and Wars which reach your borders how then will you rule keep in mind peace will not always be an option the tribe on your border may not really care all that much about human rights you may wish to avoid war but when it is brought upon you you will have to see it through at the end as the head of your kingdom your people will look to you for direction and guidance during war and may even expect you to get hands-on if you're a teenager elderly or a woman you will perhaps not be expected to lead the army into battle and you can appoint others to handle any given war but if you're a young or middle-aged man in good health you may be encouraged to at least join the army on campaign but really there would often be somewhat of an expectation that you take an active role in the fight alongside your men it was a bit of a warrior culture after all if you were to be so bold as to join your men in the fight he would no doubt when all sorts of praise and affection from them andrew nation as a whole people love a leader who was willing to get down into the dirt with them however it's also extremely dangerous remember you are a target and if you are killed or captured it could be disastrous for your whole country if you plan to go about being brave it will be best to prepare for a potential emergency or catastrophe the best way to do that and secure your legacy is to have an error the sooner the better if you have a son great if you have multiple sons even better if you pass away while they're young your wife or a family member could look after the country until they're ready to rule if you only have a daughter that might work in certain circumstances if you don't have a child then a brother would do a cousin or uncle would also do the trick but ultimately if you are man you'll have to find a bride a direct heir is the most preferable I will say bluntly however for both men and women if you aren't already married don't expect to marry for love here again you must strategize and be prudent and make a decision for the kingdom not just herself if you want it to go well as a figure of great political Horton's your marriage could have major political ramifications this is a world where are many positions are hereditary welcoming the wrong people into your family could cause conflict over the throne after you pass away or even during your lifetime especially they are foreigners marrying a princess of a foreign nation will bolster relations between you and that nation but it might not end well after you pass away a perfect example of this is the succession dispute that resulted in the Hundred Years War Philip the 4th King of France died in 1314 all his sons died young having only daughters his only surviving child was his daughter Isabella who had married Edward ii of england with him she had a boy who became Edward the 3rd this made Edward the third the most direct male heir to the French throne and though the French decided that succession could not be transferred to a man from a woman who did not herself possessed that right in other words Philips daughter and ended up choosing a cousin of Philip the fourth B King instead the English would press what they saw as their rights to French throne for over a hundred years of war and would claim the title of King of France and Tildy Napoleonic Wars accordingly to avoid that type of situation you will have to marry as wisely as possible possibly to someone you don't really like all that much oftentimes princes and much less often princesses would have the equivalents of a girlfriend or boyfriend before coming to the throne but once they did come to the throne they were naturally forced to cast them aside however mistresses even after marriage were quite common for male nobility though adultery was frowned upon in a heavily religious society especially as this society became more heavily Christian as the Middle Ages progressed oftentimes for people in your position your subjects would look the other way for the king's wife however adultery would warrant serious consequences there were many reasons for this but one of the main ones was well cuckoldry the king has to be sure that his heir is his now of course Queens who hold power will be in the same situation just under different circumstances quite frankly the people of the Middle Ages tended to believe that ruling was a man's job and so the female rulers which arose in the Middle Ages were tasked with proving but they could do the job to begin with marriage often presented problems for them in that regard even if they were already on the throne it was an opportunity for their husband to claim power some queens did give power to their husbands intentionally others like the Byzantine Empress Zoe Poe furgoneta killed their husbands Queens like Elizabeth the first never married though not a medieval ruler she remained a virgin throughout her life married to England and arranged to have the throne go to her cousin's grandson many modern European Queens have handled this issue by referring to their husbands as princes to demonstrate that they are the central monarch you will need to speak your native language quite well or at least a language you use in court it was not unheard of even for the nobility to speak a different language from the lower classes the kings of England for example spoke French for centuries after the Norman Conquest you will possibly need to learn at least one other language as well the best choice being Latin Latin was the language of religion it was the language of politics it was the language of the educated and therefore it was the language of Europe for a substantial portion of the Middle Ages though of course not all monarchs spoke perfect Latin you will need to be rehearsed in the proper etiquette of a monarch and dress accordingly because of these speeches ceremony and rules associated with monarchy you will have to be a bit of a performer as well you will have to know how to inspire entertain or frighten others you'll have to use all of your brain power whatever kind of personnel you have you'll have to find a way to make it work you will need to take on a religious role as well now you will not be expected to dictate on matters of religion that's the Pope's job after all and he likely won't be too eager to share that role anyway but you do have the responsibility to rule your kingdom and a manner that would be acceptable to God and look after these souls of its inhabitants in other words you will now have to be a devout Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox Christian if you've chosen a kingdom in the east after the Great Schism such as Byzantium or Russia if you are a Protestant it would be a very daring gamble to start a Protestant Reformation or pull a Henry the eighth's a few centuries before the conditions for those things were in place we tend to think of the Crusades as being something launched in the Middle East but as the Cathars and Baltic pagans will tell you the Pope is not above launching one on European territory against European rulers if you aren't a Christian and are an atheist or follow a non-christian religion I need not tell you that your approval rating would collapse zero upon your announcement of this and you'd be out of a job within moments like the simois liu xiv once said i am the state indeed and as a result everything you do was of interest to everyone a part of that state everything you say and do will be watched by your subjects thankfully you will be reigning in an era before television and internet where the whole world will know about the slightest mistake you make within moments of it happening but if you mess up it could be the talk of your nobles your kingdom the known world or even beyond worse it could be documented either overtly or covertly by historians and all of history will remember your mistake forever your privacy will be very limited and you won't eat sleep bathe or do much of anything alone at times in history even others were in the room during royal reproductive activities especially official ones modern conceptions of privacy as a whole really didn't begin developing until the late Middle Ages and Renaissance you would not always sleep in the same bed as your spouse however they would sometimes sleep in a separate room for a variety of reasons your job will never be done there will always be another task on a to-do list another person to see another problem to solve and you will hold this job the route your life you can retire through abdication but that would sometimes be a difficult process requiring you to have an adequate backup plan remember though despite your best efforts even some of the most successful and efficient rulers in history lamented at how much was left undone toward the end of their lives you may have to do a bit of travelling regardless of whether or not you're leading an army some rulers like Emperor Justinian the first of Byzantium tended to stay in the capital city others like Charlemagne traveled constantly this may involve traveling great distances such as to the Holy Land if your pious enough to embark upon a crusade thankfully though at home and abroad you will have access to the best standards of living available at the time you your family and friends won't go hungry you will have the best medical care around you'll have jesters musicians storytellers and all sorts of entertainment available you will be kept out of the cold and harsh conditions that the lowest in your Kingdom had no choice but to endure you will be spared ignorance about the world and will have access to the best education around anywhere you go people will go out of their way to welcome you and please you though ruling will be stressful and burdensome by the standards of the time you will live one of the most comfortable lives on the planet however before you jump back into that era remember the standards even of a king are lower than the average person of the developed world today in essence you will have absolute power of our kingdom you will live with the greatest comforts and luxuries available you will have the opportunity to be remembered by all of history and change the world for the better or at least to your liking you and your family will have a huge number of freedoms and opportunities available which were available to few people of the age however you carry the weight of your nation you and your family will be targets for usurpers and rivals the temptation of rule may tear your family apart you will lack privacy and a number of other freedoms you will have an endless list of responsibilities and tasks the most difficult decisions will fall upon you in a poll I conducted recently I asked you guys if you were chosen to be a medieval king or queen could you do it with over 28,000 respondents 55% of you said yes 23% said no 21% said they were unsure and 1% said other a slight majority of people it seems are up the challenge let me know in the comments section if this video has influenced that decision I suppose the bottom line here is it could be the best or worst job in the world depending on a huge variety of factors only some of which are in your control I hope you enjoyed this video if so I invite you to come check out the rest of fire learning and to subscribe to see more videos like this in the future to help with the cost of production of the nation on patreon would be a big help a special thanks to those patrons listed here we're also on Instagram Facebook and Twitter come check us out there too thank you for watching and long live the king or queen

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Length: 23min 0sec (1380 seconds)

Published: Wed Dec 18 2019