Europe Later Middle Ages: 1000-1450

The Rus, the Northern Crusades and the Mongols (12-13th centuries)
Following our reading of Rosenwein, end of Chapter 6 and beginning of Chapter 7 we'll examine the Northern Crusades and the period of encounters between the Rus and the Mongols, we'll read excepts of the Novgorod Chronicles and view excerpts form the 1938 film, Alexander Nevsky by Sergei Eisenstein. We'll also view the film interpretation of the period in Andrei Tarkovsky's Andrei Rubalev (1966)

1. In reading (you may skim through for examples) through the Novgorod Chronicles why is the clergy, bishops and various institutions of the church given prominent mention in numerous sections?  What does this suggest about the role of the church in late medieval cities like Novgorod?
2. What do the entries between 1246 and 1250 in the  Novgorod Chronicles suggest regarding the choice of Alexander Nevsky (spelled as Olexander in some translations of the Novgorod Chronicles) to visit and stay among the Mongols of the Golden Horde and negotiate with the Mongols (Tartars)?  
3. What evidence of taxation and relations between the Mongols (Tartars) and the residents of Novgorod is described in the entry for 1257?  

Southern Europe and Eastern Europe from the Crusades through the Black Death and into the Commercial Revolution and Renaissances.  Go to the specific blog pages I have written on the Crusades and also of the Norman Culture and Empire: 1050-1200 CE.

The following readings may be downloaded for free from the  The New Cambridge Medieval History.
Volume 3.  Thomas Noonan, European Russia, c 500- c 1050  pp. 487-512
Volume 4. Part 1. Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Crusades, 1095–1198     534-563
Volume 4. Part 1.  Hugh Kennedy, Muslim Spain and Portugal    599-622
Volume 4. Part 2  Martin Dimnik, Kievan Rus , the Bulgars and the southern Slavs, c. 1020–c. 1200 pp 254-273
Volume 6.  Jacques Verger, The Universities
Volume 6.  The Plague and Family Life
Volume 6.  Howard Kiminsky, The Great Schism, pp 674-698
Volume 7.  Wendy Childs, Commerce and Trade pp 145-160
Volume 7.  Jacques Verger, Schools and Universities
Volume 7. Robert Scott, Humanism 
Volume 7. David Mckittrick, The Beginning of Printing, 287-298
Volume 7. Tom Scott, Germany and the Empire 337-366
Volume 7. Felipe Fernandez-Armesto,  Exploration and Discovery 175-203
Volume 7.  Nancy Shields Kollman, Russia 748-770