711: Tariq ibn Zayid leads an army of 7,000 Muslims from Gibraltar to the southern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, accidentally conquering Spain and creating the unusually tolerant society of Al-Andalus.

1152: Eleanor of Aquitaine, heiress to the largest duchy in France, divorces King Louis VII and marries Henry Plantagenet, changing the shape of nations and producing power struggles from the Hundred Years’ War to the War of the Roses and beyond.

1202: Fibonacci writes the Liber Abaci and introduces the Hindu-Arabic numeral system to Italian merchants, transforming the medieval world of business, banking, and commerce.

These are just three of the many turning points in the history of medieval Europe that prove the Middle Ages were far from “dark.” On the contrary, the era was full of fascinating figures and world-altering events. Learning and innovation flourished, with the printing press, Arabic numerals, the stirrup, and the heavy plow all being introduced into Western society during this time.

Despite these landmark developments exerting far-reaching influence over the course of history, few people have a firm grasp of the medieval narrative or how its ripples gave way to everything that followed.

For an accurate picture of how the political, social, and religious structure of present-day Europe came to be—and even why we’re speaking English today—studying the key events between the years 500 to 1500 is of critical import.

Turning Points in Medieval History delivers an unparalleled look at these moments that profoundly changed the arc of history. Presented in 24 gripping lectures by medievalist and popular Great Courses Professor Dorsey Armstrong of Purdue University, this course weaves the era’s vast array of disparate events into an interconnected tapestry that illuminates why nothing exists in a vacuum.

Explore the Forces that Shaped Modern Europe

Beginning with the fall of Rome—the event that created the medieval world and sent shockwaves reverberating through it—you’ll discover how each episode played a role in sowing the seeds of the modern world. Some lectures provide an in-depth analysis of events that are likely to be familiar, while others may surprise even those well-versed in this period.

As you delve into the many medieval conflicts, hardships, and inventions, you’ll encounter five recurring themes that help you get a handle on the material:

• The power of the past, primarily a desire to re-create the glory of the Roman Empire
• Necessity and Crisis, which led to the rapid adoption of Arabic numerals and the various responses to the Black Death—perhaps the era’s most important turning point
• Serendipity, as in the bountiful warming period known as the Little Optimum
• Individual personalities from Charlemagne to William of Normandy
• The confluence of broad historical and social movements that precipitated events like Pope Urban II’s call for the First Crusade

You’ll investigate events, such as the Norman conquest of England in 1066, where the impact was immediate and tangible. In others, like the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western churches, the importance was not recognized for years. Some developments had effects so gradual that their significance can only be recognized from the vantage point of history.

You’ll also touch on a few false turning points, moments that medieval people pointed to as marking a significant shift, but that didn’t really have much impact at all.

As you might expect for a course titled Turning Points in Medieval History, war figures prominently. Here, you’ll come to understand the ways in which a single battle, leader’s decision, or stroke of luck changed the fates of nations.
Among other notable conflicts, you’ll delve into

• the Battle of Mount Badon, which inspired the legend of King Arthur;
• King Alfred’s counterattack against Viking raiders in the Battle of Ethandun, which created the idea of England as we know it; and
• the Battle of Lechfeld, which sparked “the Great Stirrup Controversy,” an ongoing debate among scholars hinging on whether a piece of metal was responsible for producing high and late medieval society.

An Eye-Opening Account of History

Even if you’re a history buff, Professor Armstrong’s dynamic lectures may have you rethinking what you thought you knew. Lecture 16 dispels the notion that the Magna Carta was the most pivotal event of 1215 for its contributions to the development of human rights and justice. Instead, you’ll learn it’s the meeting of the Fourth Lateran Council that is the single most important event to have occurred in that year—and probably the entire 13th century.

Unlike King John’s reluctant acceptance of the Magna Carta, this gathering had an immediate impact on everyone in the medieval world both inside and outside the Christian community, from peasants to popes, because it

• codified doctrinal issues, the most significant of which was transubstantiation;
• addressed concerns at the upper levels of ecclesiastical society while dictating behaviors of those at the bottom of the social order;
• dealt with issues including the Great Schism and local matters of inheritance; and
• was deeply involved in the “rise of persecuting society,” which had serious consequences for marginalized social groups—most notably, Jews.

Throughout the course, you’ll probe the many ways religion was a powerful force across the millennium, inspiring both acts of great virtue and extreme brutality.

Enter the Classroom of a Noted Authority

As an award-winning educator and expert in Middle English and Arthurian literature, Professor Armstrong offers a depth of knowledge and nuanced perspective. In addition to delivering accurate historical accounts and deep analysis, she peppers her lectures with a wealth of detail that provides a full portrait of the medieval experience. For example, did you know

• our modern postal service can be traced back to the noble house of Thurn and Taxis, which created a postal system in Florence to transport documents used in 15th-century trade;
• the world’s oldest continually operating bank, the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena in Italy, was founded by the powerful Medici family in the 15th century;
• until the Fourth Lateran Council, marriage wasn’t considered a sacrament and priests were not required to be celibate; and
• the terms “upper case” and “lower case” can be traced to early printing presses, where capital letters were stored on higher shelves?

Methodical and meticulous in its approach to a labyrinthine age, Turning Points in Medieval History will help you understand why the West’s transition from the classical to the early modern was a fluid, ongoing process rather than the result of a single pivotal moment. In taking this course, you’ll be able to connect the dots from the sack of Rome through the Renaissance and beyond.