Middle Ages World History
Era of relative peace and stability Population growth Cultural developments in education and art Kings, nobles, and the Church shared power Developed tax systems and government offices Supported towns and middle class for power Feudal and manor systems
The Feudal System Lords (Kings and Nobles) Rulers needed an easier Land Loyalty Vassals (Nobles and Knights) way to govern and defend kingdoms Decentralized military and political structure Powerful lords divided their land among lesser lords or vassals Exact practices and duties of vassals varied from region to region Feudal contract nobles gave land to vassals in exchange for loyalty and military aid
The Feudal Order King Duke Duke Duke Count Count Count Count Count Count Count Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight Knight
The Manor System The lord s estate was called a manor It included the manor house (castle), peasant villages, and the surrounding farmland, pastureland, and forest Peasants were serfs and tied to the land; they couldn t leave without permission Peasants worked land for the lord in addition to their own small fields Lords gave protection to serfs from raids and warfare Village church Manors were self-sufficient peasants produced everything they needed such as food, clothing, tools, and homes Trade was not necessary Nobles and families lived in relative luxury Peasants lived a hard and short life
Power of the Church Pope was spiritual leader God s representative infallible Papal supremacy authority over kings Church officials also had secular jobs Law and Ecclesiastical courts Excommunication and the interdict The popes and the Roman Catholic Church became very wealthy
Wealthiest cities were in Italy and Flanders Merchants, traders, and artisans formed new social class in these urban centers Some political and economic power Created professional guilds weavers, bakers, blacksmiths, etc. Regulated quality, work hours, and prices Cared for widows and orphans The Middle Class
Holy Roman Emperors Holy Roman Empire consisted of what is now Germany, eastern France, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, and northern Italy Emperors were considered Kings of Germany and elected by seven nobles and bishops Crowned by Popes Emperors had many powerful vassals
Northern Italian cities relatively independent Frederick I (HRE) tried to control Italy led invasion Pope and city-states united and defeated Frederick Frederick II raised in Italy and preferred Sicily to Germany Clashed with Papal and Italian interests German nobles grew more powerful Holy Roman Empire patchwork of feudal states
1300s and 1400s filled with disease, conflict, and war Black Death destroyed population and normal life Babylonian Captivity split Church and weakened its authority over European rulers and society Hundred Years War consumed lives and money from all over Europe
Bubonic Plague Worldwide epidemic 1347 1353 Fleas and rats carried bacteria 1/4-1/3 of European population died Wrath of God? Economy suffered manorialism crumbled Revolts by commoners over economic trouble
Babylonian Captivity and the Great Schism Pope Clement V moved papacy to Avignon, France (Babylonian Captivity) Symbolized greed and corruption Reformers in Rome elected another Pope (Great Schism) 1417 - Papacy returned solely to Rome Moral authority of the Church is weakened Wycliffe and Hus
Hundred Years War 1337-1453 Edward III of England claimed French throne Longbow Sluys, Crecy, Poitiers, and Agincourt English on brink of total victory Henry V of England died in 1422 Joan of Arc leads French armies turns the tide Captured by English and burned at stake 1453 - English held only the port of Calais on the English Channel
Effects of Hundred Years War French monarchs expanded power Nationalism English nobles gained power War of the Roses End of castles and armored knights Feudalism was now outdated and inefficient Ottoman Turks conquered the Byzantine Empire and captured Constantinople
End of the Middle Ages Population had started the recovery from Black Death Increased trade and manufacturing Churches and universities became wealthier Nation-states Struggles for dominance and hegemony Rebirth of the classic civilization of Greece and Rome