CRISIS OF THE LATE MIDDLE AGES

1. CRISIS OF THE LATE MIDDLE AGES • 14th century would witness a terrible series of catastrophes that would put an end to the progress that had been made during the previous 300 years • But at the same time clear the way for even more spectacular progress in the future • Characterized by famine, plague, crisis within the Church, war, and peasant revolts • All hitting Europe at approximately the same time

2. FAMINE • For a while, improvements in agricultural technology and good weather provided sufficient food for rapidly growing population of Europe • But by late 1200s, Europe finally became overpopulated in terms of its ability to provide sufficient food for all its people • By 1300, the exploitation of arable land had been pushed to the limit • Peasant agriculture was at the breaking point • It simply could not produce enough to feed growing population

3. RESULTS • Climatic change added to the problem • Average temperatures in Europe dropped by 20 degrees in the 1300s • Caused all kinds of problems in northern and southern Europe • Result was famine between 1309 and 1315 • Nightmare of misery and death • Millions of people pushed to the brink of starvation, tens of thousands died, and population was weakened, with many no longer able to survive illness and disease • Certainly unable to cope with the next catastrophe—the Black Death Hanging witch believed to be responsible for a local famine

4. THE BLACK DEATH • Disease usually carried by fleas living on rodents • Symptoms are high fever, aching in arms and legs, and swellings in lymph nodes • Known as bubonic plague and is not always fatal • Two other forms of Black Death are usually fatal • Septicemic plague • Infects bloodstream • Pneumonic plague • Attacks the lungs • Tremendously contagious • Accounts of Black Death indicate that both bubonic and pneumonic varieties were widespread in Europe at the same time

5. POOR CONDITIONS • Primitive conditions of hygiene in urban areas encouraged dissemination of germs • Crowded cities surrounded by heavy walls, with sewage flowing in the streets, created perfect conditions for epidemics • Medical care was neither readily available nor particularly effective • Doctors fled when they encountered symptoms of infectious disease • When they did stay, they administered remedies that further weakened the victims

6. In October 1347, a ship from Genoa arrive in Messina from the Black Sea Carried hundreds of black rats infested with fleas Rats entered city and when they died, the fleas attached themselves to humans Black Death was off and running Disease spread northward rapidly Reached northern France in 1348; England by 1349; and Scandinavia by the end of same year 1/3 of European population died Most often children, the elderly, and adults with low resistance because of malnutrition

7. IMPACT • Accounts by such writers as Jean de Venette in France and Giovanni Boccaccio in Italy vividly described physical effects of the plague • Psychological effects were equally devastating • Some experienced profound depression and lost will to live • Some adopted an “eat, drink, and be merry” attitude • Some turned to God • Others abandoned religion • Many believed God was punishing humanity for its sins or saw it as manifestation of struggle between God and the Devil • In which the Devil was winning

8. FLAGELLANTS • New religious sect that appeared in response to the plague • Trudged the roads of Europe, chanting and beating themselves and one another with barbed whips • Begged God for mercy at the same time

9. CAUSES • Many explanations given for the plague • Faculty of medicine at University of Paris claimed it was caused by unusual conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars • Caused hot, moist conditions which caused earth to exhale poisonous vapors • Jews were blamed for the crisis • Accused of poisoning wells, springs and food with purpose of exterminating Christians

10. MORE PROBLEMS • Europe also devastated by economic and social chaos, inflation, and a lack of morality that caused greedy monetary practices and debauchery • Also caused shortage of labor • Led to “disintegration of the manor” • Decreased numbers allowed peasants to bargain with their lords for better terms • Many also ran away to towns where similar labor shortage offered them relatively good wages • Increased demands and expectations of peasants also let to their increased militancy and often led to insurrection

11. JACQUERIE • Erupted in France in 1358 • For a number of months, peasants controlled region of Beauvoisin and murdered every noble they could get their hands on • Nobles ultimately put together army and retaliated • Poorly equipped and untrained peasants were no match for skilled knights • Although it is not clear if anything would have changed that much if peasants had won, their uprising illustrates growing peasant resentment with the medieval status quo and their unwillingness to passively submit to traditional exploitation

12. ENGLISH REASANT REVOLT OF 1381 • English peasants actually had an agenda of social reform • Triggered by grievances against status quo and provisions of the Statute of Laborers • Which tried to keep peasants tied to land, to freeze wages and prices, and impose new taxes on commoners (1380) • Enforced by commissioners who engaged in gross abuse and misconduct

13. JOHN BALL AND WAT TYLER • Peasants incited to action by a priest named John Ball • Pointed out differences between the nobility and the common people • Advocated leveling of social classes • Ball inspired urban workers in London to revolt • Gathered peasants and marched on London in June 1381 • Led by Wat Tyler

14. BETRAYAL • Rebels professed loyalty to King Richard II • But wanted to protest the unpopular regency government which was run by king’s uncle, John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster • Rebels frightened government to repeal Statute of Laborers • But once the situation stabilized, Wat Tyler was murdered, his followers scattered, and the king revoked all previous concessions

15. IMPACT • Peasant uprisings were associated with rising level of expectations • Reduced population had placed peasants in good bargaining position • But were impatient with the rate of improvement of their status • Urban growth and the relative freedom of artisans may have also raise peasant expectations • Revolts had little impact on economic trends • Serfdom was doomed by forces that had a life of their own • Manorial system was less productive than a freer system where tenants paid rent and participated in the benefits of increased production • Serfdom would therefore gradually end for this reason, not because of the peasant revolts

16. WAR • Almost constant warfare occurred during 14th century • Kingdom of Naples struggled with Sicily while Sicilians attacked Greece • Christian rulers from northern Spain launched “reconquista” against Moslems in the south • French fought the Flemish and Burgundians • English struggled against Scots, Welsh, and Irish

17. HUNDRED YEARS WAR • Worst conflict of all • Caused by conflict over French throne • Capetian dynasty had died out and king of England, Edward III, claimed throne • French instead gave throne to Philip IV, founder of Valois Dynasty • Competition for control of international wine trade and bad blood between the two kingdoms also played roles in causing it • Began in 1337 Edward III Philip IV

18. NEW STUFF • English turned to new weapons and techniques because English knights were outnumbered by the French • Learned from fighting Scots, Welsh, and Irish • Longbow, crossbow, and the pike

19. THE LONGBOW • Enormously powerful • Arrows could penetrate suit of armor from 600 feet • Continuous volleys of arrows, shot by many bowmen at the same time, could repulse charges by a large number of mounted knights

20. CROSSBOWS AND PIKES • Crossbow shot metal bolts, which could penetrate thickest armor and shatter bones • First weapons to be officially condemned by the Church because of their destructive capabilities • Pike was a long spear • Groups of men armed with this weapon formed a dense formation that was effective both offensively and defensively

21. ENGLISH HAVE UPPER HAND • English had upper hand in initial phase of war • Employed guerilla tactics • Plundered villages and vineyards, burned bridges, and disrupted trade • Retreating before French could amass an army to retaliate • Also won the few pitched battles that took place • Due to effectiveness of the longbow in killing huge numbers of knights before they got close enough to do any damage

22. FRANCE ON THE ROPES • English armies led by Edward, the “Black Prince” • Won major victory in 1365 at Battle of Poitiers • Captured French king and held him ransom in London • New king of England, Henry V, launched major invasion of France in 1415 • Won major battle of Agincourt which opened the way for the conquest of all of northern France

23. TURNAROUND • Henry V died in 1422 • Removed the most powerful English ruler of the war from the scene • Illiterate peasant girl named Joan of Arc heard a mysterious voice telling her to go to French king Charles VII and ask him to head his army • Charles agreed and Joan won a number of important victories • French finally began to believe they could defeat the English

24. END OF JOAN • Joan of Arc was captured by Burgundians and handed over to the English • Charged her with witchcraft and ultimately burnt her at the stake • Died before war was over but was nonetheless critical in bolstering French confidence and achieving final success

25. THE END • Burgundians broke their alliance with the English and supported Charles VII • French could now concentrate all their energy on defeating the English • English were also exhausted by this time and willing to make peace • War officially ended in 1453 • English kept northern port of Calais but gave up all other French territory they had occupied Charles VII

26. MOST IMPORTANT RESULT • Most important result was the demise of feudalism • New military tactics made the knight obsolete • And with him the notion of an ordered hierarchy in society • Now kings could hire and equip an army with inexpensive and uncomplicated weapons and any infantryman could kill a knight with one good shot • Infantry of commoner backgrounds was now the key to victory • Moreover, peasants no longer viewed themselves as powerless • Began to ask why they should work to support a wealthy elite • Old justification that this elite defended society no longer was valid with the rise of commoner infantry

27. START OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY • Pope Boniface VIII died in 1303 • French cardinal Clement V replaced him • Election may have been influenced by French King Philip IV • This raised protests among Romans • Forced Clement to flee along with cardinals who had voted for him • Philip IV granted them residence in Avignon

28. AVIGNON POPES • 8 popes in a row resided in Avignon • Caused suspision among many who thought they were puppets of French king • Huge papal palace built in Avignon • But even the best popes would have had trouble solving huge problems caused by plague, 100 Years War, peasant revolts, and declining economy • Avignon popes seemed more obsessed with money and were perceived as indifferent to severe social problems that devastated Europe

29. GREAT SCHISM • Pope Gregory XIX moved back to Rome in 1377 but died shortly thereafter • Roman mob forced the election of an Italian as new pope • Urban VI • But majority of the cardinals declared the election invalid and returned to Avignon • Where they elected a Frenchman as Pope Clement VII • Began Great Schism • Two papacies between 1378 and 1417 • One in Rome and one in Avignon Urban VI Clement VII

30. CRISIS FINALLY RESOLVED • Council of Pisa in 1409 deposed both popes and selected Alexander V as new pope • But Urban and Clement refused to step down • Now Church had 3 popes • Another council at Constance (1414) deposed all 3 popes and elected as new one, Martin V • Now only one pope, headquartered in Rome as usual Martin V

31. LONG-RANGE TROUBLE • Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism had increased general disgust and dissatisfaction with many Church practices • Heresy reappeared as the result of radical ideas put forward by Jan Hus of Bohemia and John Wycliffe of England • Stage was being set for the Reformation as criticism of the Church, its institutional practices, and its values emerged everywhere Jan Hus John Wycliffe

32. SUMMARY (1) • Crisis of the Late Middle Ages changed the face of European society forever • The results of population loss, economic disruption, and a loss of confidence in the Church to deal with the problems of humanity caused a radical shift in religious, political, and cultural life • The feudal system was destroyed by the loss of population during the plague and war • Which freed many serfs from bondage by creating a labor shortage that allowed them to bargain with their lords from a position of strength • Technological advances in warfare made feudal aristocracy obsolete and, with them, the system that had supported them at the top of society

33. SUMMARY (2) • Church also was in a weakened position due to Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism • Old world was drawing to an end but the traumatic death of the Middle Ages was a necessary prerequisite for the creation of a new world made possible by the Renaissance and Reformation