There is a curious effect of Hansa upon the political fortunes of the people of the cities that were members of the League which deserves to be carefully studied. As with regard to so many other improvements that have come in the history of the race, it was not a question so much of the recognition of great principles as of money and revenues that proved the origin of amelioration of civic conditions. These commercial cities accumulated wealth. Money was necessary for their rulers for the maintenance of their power and above all for the waging of war. In return for moneys given for such purposes the cities claimed for the inhabitants and were granted many privileges. These became perpetuated and as time went on were added to as new opportunities for the collection of additional revenues occurred, until finally an important set of fundamental rights with documentary confirmation were in the hands of the city authorities. One would like to think that this state of affairs developed as the result of the recognition on the part of the ruling sovereign, of the benefits that were conferred on his realm by having in it, or associated with it, an important trading city whose enterprising citizens gave occupation to many hands. This was very rarely the case, however, but as was true of the legal rights obtained by England's citizens during the Thirteenth Century, it was largely a question of the coordination of taxation and legislative representation and the consequent attainment of privileges.
The most important effect on the life of Europe and the growth of civilization that the Hanseatic League exerted, was its success in showing that people of many different nations and races, living under very different circumstances, might still be united under similar laws that would enable them to accomplish certain objects which they had in view. Germans, Slavs and English learned to live in one another's towns and while observing the customs of these various places maintained the privileges of their homes. The mutual influence of these people on one another, many of them being the most practical and [{429}] enterprising individuals of the time, could scarcely fail to produce noteworthy effects in broadening the minds of those with whom they came in contact. It is to this period that we must trace the beginnings of international law. Hansa showed the world how much commercial relations were facilitated by uniform laws and by just treatment of even the citizens of foreign countries. It is to commerce that we owe the first recognition of the rights of the people of other countries even in time of war. If the Hanseatic League had done nothing else but this, it must be considered as an important factor in the development of our modern civilization and an element of influence great as any other in this wonderful century.
HINGE FROM CATHEDRAL, SCHLESTADT
APPENDIX I
SO-CALLED HISTORY.
RULERS.
| EMPERORS OF GERMANY. | |
| Otho IV | 1198-1218 |
| Frederick II | 1212-1250 |
| Conrad IV | 1250-1254 |
| William of Holland | 1254-1256 |
| Richard Earl of Cornwall | 1257-1273 |
| Rudolph of Hapsburg | 1273-1291 |
| Adolph of Nassau | 1292-1298 |
| Albert of Austria | 1298-1308 |
| KINGS OF SCOTLAND | |
| William | 1175-1214 |
| Alexander II | 1214-1249 |
| Alexander III | 1249-1286 |
| Margaret | 1286-1292 |
| John Balliol | 1292-1296 |
| Interregnum | 1296-1306 |
| KINGS OF CASTILE AND LEON. | |
| Alfonso IX | 1188-1214 |
| Henry I | 1214-1217 |
| St. Ferdinand III | 1217-1252 |
| Alfonso X | 1252-1284 |
| Sancho IV | 1284-1295 |
| Ferdinand IV | 1295-1312 |
| KINGS OF ENGLAND. | |
| John Lackland | 1199-1216 |
| Henry III | 1216-1272 |
| Edward I | 1272-1307 |
| KINGS OF FRANCE. | |
| Philip II | 1180-1223 |
| Louis VIII | 1223-1226 |
| Louis IX | 1226-1270 |
| Philip III | 1270-1285 |
| Louis [Philip] IV | 1314-1316 |
| KINGS OF ARAGON. | |
| Pedro II | 1196-1213 |
| James I., the Conqueror | 1215-1276 |
| Pedro III | 1276-1285 |
| Alfonso III | 1285-1291 |
| James II | 1291-1327 |
| KINGS OF NAPLES. | |
| Conrad | 1250-1254 |
| Conradin | 1254-1258 |
| Manfred | 1258-1266 |
| Charles of Anjou | 1266-1285 |
| Charles | 1285-1309 |
EVENTS.
| 1202 | Fourth great crusade under Boniface, marquis of Montferrat. |
| 1204 | The English stripped of Normandy, etc., by Philip Augustus of France. |
| 1206 | Jenghis-Khan: foundation of the great empire of the Moguls. |
| 1212 | Battle of Ubeda: defeat and fall of Almohads of Africa. |
| 1213 | John Lackland acknowledges himself vassal of the pope. |
| 1213 | Battle of Bouvines won by Philip Augustus. |
| 1215 | Magna Charta. The palatinate of the Rhine goes to the house of Wittelsbach. |
| 1217 | Crusade of Andrew II., King of Hungary. |
| 1218 | Extinction of the dukes of Zarringuia: Switzerland becomes an immediate province of the empire. |
| [{431}] | |
| 1222 | Charter or decree of Andrew II., basis of the Hungarian constitution. |
| 1226 | Renewal of the League of Lombardy to oppose the Emperor Frederick II. |
| 1227 | Battle of Bornhoeved in Holstein: Waldemar II., King ofDenmark, loses his conquests on the southern coast of the Baltic. |
| 1228 | Crusade of the Emperor Frederick II. |
| 1230 | The Teutonic order establishes itself in Prussia. Conquest of the Balearic islands by the King of Aragon. |
| 1235 | Formation of the Duchy of Brunswick in favor of the house of the Guelphs. |
| 1236 | Conquest of the Kingdoms of Cordova, Murcia and Seville by the Castilians. |
| 1237 | Conquest of Russia by Baton-Khan: origin of the Mogul or Tartar horde of Kaptschak. |
| 1241 | Invasion of Poland, Silesia, and Hungary by the Moguls. |
| 1248 | Crusade of St. Louis, King of France. |
| 1250 | Beginning of the great interregnum in Germany. |
| 1254 | Accessions of the emperors of different houses in Germany. End ofthe dominion of the Agubites in Egypt and Syria; beginning of the empireof the Mamelukes. |
| 1256 | Enfranchisement of the serfs at Bologna in Italy. |
| 1261 | Michel Paleologus, emperor of Nice, takes Constantinople; end of the empire of the Latins. |
| 1265 | Accession of the house of Anjou to the throne of the Two Sicilies. |
| 1266 | Admission of the Commons to the Parliament of England. |
| 1268 | Corradino decapitated at Naples; extinction of the house ofHohenstaufen. Suabia and Franconia become immediate provinces of theempire. |
| 1271 | The county of Toulouse passes to the King of France, and the Venaissin to the Pope. |
| 1273 | Accession of the Emperor Rudolph of Hapsburg to the throne of the empire: first election by the seven electors. |
| 1282 | Conquest of Wales by the King of England. |
| 1282 | The Sicilian Vespers, the kingdom of Sicily passes to the King ofAragon. The Emperor Rudolph gives to his sons the duchies of Austria;foundation of the house of Hapsburg. |
| 1283 | The Teutonic order completes the conquest of Prussia. |
| 1289 | Extinction of the male line of the old race of Scotch kings. Contest of Baliol and Bruce. |
| 1290 | Decline of the republic of Piza. Aggrandizement of that of Genoa. |
| 1291 | Taking of Ptolemais and Tyre by the Mamelukes. End of the crusades. |
| 1294 | Decline of the Mogul empire at the death of Kublai-Khan. |
| 1298 | Introduction of an hereditary aristocracy at Venice. |
| 1300 | Foundation of the modern Turkish empire by Ottoman I. First Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Boniface VIII. |