Crisis of the Later Middle Ages:

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Crisis of the Later Middle Ages

• The 14th Century

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Pre- Plague Conditions

• Population had grown to the point where the
  agricultural base could not sustain it
• Period of on again off again famines
• Poor Harvests Malnutrition Weak Immune system
• The large urban centers suffered the most

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I. The Plague
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1. Black Death (1347)

• Causes
• Bubonic plague carried by fleas on Asian black
  rats- from ships returning to Europe.
• Urban Areas concentrated the problem
• Poor sanitation- No sewage systems, garbage on
  the streets
• Overcrowded homes- Families would sleep in the
  same common room
• Poor health and hygiene
• Water supply contaminated lack of bathing

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2. Remedies and Results 

• Belief that the plague was caused by fumes
  released by earthquakes Masks and Aromatic
  charms
• Jews blamed Reinforced anti-Semitism in Europe
• Belief that the plague was caused by moral
  corruptness
• Range of lifestyles from Moderation to Excess
• Processions of flagellants

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Flagellants
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Plague Aftermath

• 30 of the Population died
• Severe impact on European economy- Lack of labor
  higher wages
• Serfdom ended in many areas first enclosure of
  fields in Britain- (less labor, sheep herding)
• the English Parliament passed the Statute of
  Laborers in 1381- froze wages at pre-plague
  levels
• Led to the English Peasants Revolt of 1381
• The French government raised taille taxes on
  peasants
• Led to the Jaquerie
• Clergymen died helping the sick
• Population didnt recover until the mid-1500s

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Literature and art reflected a culture of Death
Dance of Death (Danse Macabre)

• The authority
• Oh rational creature,who desires eternal
  life.Here you have wisdom, worth notingto
  properly end your mortal life.It's called the
  dance of death,which everyone will learn to
  dance.For man and woman it's natural,Death
  spares neither small nor great.In this mirror
  everyone can readthat he will dance
  likewise.Sage is he who mirrors himself
  well.Death makes the living advance,You will
  see the greatest lead the dancefor there is
  nobody whom Death does not vanquish.It's a
  pitiable thing to consider.All are forged out of
  the same material.
• (Just for reference- not needed in notes)

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Related, Wrong, but interesting

• There is a small debate about Ring around the
  Rosie
• Many believe its about the plague
• Others believe that it is more recent
• There is a lack of written evidence from the 14th
  century to prove its plague origins

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II. The Hundred Years War (1337-1453)

• Major CauseEnglish crown lays claim to the duchy
  of Aquitaine in France (Through the lineage of
  William the Conqueror and other intermarriages)
• English King Edward III was a vassal of the
  French King Philip VI due to his French land
  holdings.
• The French Crown confiscated the English
  controlled areas.  

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Its All RelativeFrench and English Royal Tree
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English vs. French

• Advantage
• Army more disciplined
• Archers armed with Longbows
• Smarter Kings

• Advantage
• 3 times the population
• Wealthier
• Weakness
• Internal disunity
• Borrowed money from foreign bankers

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The War

• Fought in France and the Low Countries (The
  Netherlands)
• In 1346 -French invasion of Gascony and the
  shattering French defeat at Crecy.
• The English rampaged through western France,
• A truce was signed in 1354
• In 1355- the war began again.
• In 1356 Battle of Poitiers- French king was
  captured.
• English raids continued until 1360, when another
  truce was signed.

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• By 1415 (Battle of Agincourt)- England was
  winning
• The State of Burgundy threatened Frances eastern
  border

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The War Turns

• Joan of Arc
• Claimed she heard voices of the Saints
• Convinced Charles VII to lead his armies
• Led French army to victory at Orleans in 1429
• Charles VII crowned king,
• Captured by English in 1431, burned as a witch
• Remained a symbol of the French, and used as a
  rallying point.

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France in 1430
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100 Year War Results

• France kicks England out
• Creation of modern nation states begin
• Peasant Revolts
• Causes
• High Taxes during Hundred Years War,
• Desire for higher wages,
• Hostility toward aristocracy,
• Higher expectations among peasantry.

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• English Peasant Revolt (1381) - Largest of the
  Revolts, 100,000 people involved
• The Jacquerie in France (late 14th-early 15th)
• Results
• Revolts crushed
• Ends serfdom in England in 1550

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III. Crises in the Church

• Western Society controlled by the Catholic church
  since the fall of the Roman Empire
• Religious leaders were frequently more powerful
  than governmental or political leaders
• Many Popes were the most influential people in
  Europe

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The Two Churches

• Western Europe in the Middle ages was unified
  through the Roman Catholic Church.
• The Byzantine Empire, parts of Eastern Europe and
  Russia were unified through the Greek Orthodox
  Church
• The two churches did not cooperate with each
  other.

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Church Critics

• Marsiglio de Padua
• Claimed the State should control the church
• The church should be run by a council of lay
  people (non-clergy) and priests above the Pope.

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• John Wyclif (1320-1384)
• Believed the Church should only follow Scripture
  (foreshadowed M. Luther)
• Translated the Bible into English
• His followers became known as the Lollards

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• John Hus (1369-1415)
• Ideas similar to Wyclif
• Led nationalistic revolt in Bohemia (Czech
  republic)
• Captured, tried, and burned at the stake for
  heresy
• His followers, the Hussites- started large
  revolts in the 14th century.

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The Babylonian Captivity (1309-1377)

• To escape from the infighting between the
  powerful families that produced former Popes, the
  Church looked for a safer place and found it in
  Avignon
• Beginning with Clement V, elected 1305, the next
  7 popes in Avignon were French.
• Damaged the prestige of the Papacy, believed to
  be under French Royal control.
• The economy of Rome suffered without the
  patronage of the Papacy.

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4. The Great Schism 1377-1417

• The election of two Popes- one in Rome, one in
  Avignon
• Further weakened the Papacy

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• Red Avignon
• Blue Rome

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Conciliar Movement (1409-1418)

• Ended the Great Schism
• Created the Council of Cardinals, in an attempt
  to reform the church
• Idea failed, Pope remained supreme authority in
  the church.

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IV. Life in the Later Middle Ages
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Marriage

• Men- mid 20s
• Women-16-18
• Married women lived in a constant state of
  pregnancy (family interests)
• - Wealthy hired help, poor experienced high
  mortality rates
• Divorce not allowed in Catholic countries
• Arranged Marriages for economic reasons common
• Prostitution existed

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Work

• Church calendar and growing seasons closely
  connected
• Small percentage of freemen (artisans) protected
  by guilds
• Serfdom reduced- (due to Plague)

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Recreation

• Aristocracy- Jousting tournaments
• Common people- Wrestling, archery, horse racing,
  bear-baiting, dog fights

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V. Learning

• Universities had started to open in the 13th
  century. (Paris and Oxford)
• As modern States developed, so did modern
  languages

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Nationalistic Literature(Vernacular language)

• Dante Alighieri Divine Comedy
• Geoffrey Chaucer- The Canterbury Tales- explored
  the various roles in English life
• Francois Villon Grand Testament, French poet,
  explored French life

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Medieval Russia

• Culturally isolated from the rest of Europe
• Prince Vladimir of Kiev (972-1015 made Russia
  Greek Orthodox
• Connected more with the Byzantine Empire
• Kiev became the cultural center of Russia

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• Rivalry between various princes broke Russia into
  three distinct groups
• The Great Russians
• The White Russians
• The Little Russians (Ukrainians)
• Continued rivalry broke Russia into more
  distinctive groups
• Monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy (free adult
  males)
• Freemen- clergy, army officers, boyars,
  townspeople and peasants
• Debtors
• Slaves- prisoners of war

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Mongol Rule

• Ghengis Khan invaded in 1223
• Kiev fell to Batu Khan in 1240
• Russia became part of the Golden Horde
• Mongol and Russian culture mixed- further
  isolating it from Europe
• Prince of Moscow collected tribute for Mongols
  and became rich and powerful.
• In 1380, Grand Duke Dimitri defeated Tatar forces
• By 1480, Ivan III (the Great) defeated the
  remaining Mongol forces
• Moscow became the new political center of Russia

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