The Late Middle Ages: Social and Political Breakdown ( ) The Late Middle Ages was an era marked by major social, religious, and health crises. War, plague, social unrest, and religious schism characterized this era.

The Hundred Years’ War and the Rise of the Nationalist Sentiment During the late Middle Ages, tremendous violence and political unrest led to the breakdown of European governments. Toward the end of the period, monarchs in England and France began to reassert their power. The Hundred Years’ War was the result of their struggle for control.

The Hundred Years’ War ( ) The Hundred years’ War began when the English king Edward III claimed his right to the French throne after the death of Charles IV. The territorial proximity of England and France and their quarrel over rights to Flanders exacerbated the dispute. Edward III

Success and Weakness in the War English success in the war was due to its military superiority and its use of weaponry like the longbow. French weakness was due to territorial infighting and a lack of leadership.

Fighting consisted primarily of sieges and raids. The battles of Crécy (1346), and Poitiers (1356), and Angicourt (1415) were significant victories for the British. The Peace of Brétigny (1360) recognized English holdings in France, in exchange for Edward III renouncing his claim to the French throne. Sieges and Battles

Joan of Arc ( ) A peasant from Domrémy who claimed she heard the voices of God, led the French victory in the Battle of Orleans. Joan served as an inspiration for the French, who eventually defeated the English and won the war. Joan was later burned at the stake at Rouen as a heretic for refusing to recant her beliefs.

The Black Death Also known as The Bubonic Plague, came about as a result of decades of overpopulation, economic depression, famine, and bad health and hygiene in some European regions.

Although there were terrible famines and the Black Death deteriorated the population, wiping out whole villages and townships, this age left so few able-bodied people that they were unable to tend the fields and to plant the next year’s grain. In some cities people certainly starved through ignorance and prejudice. There were many natural foods, plants and fruits, which were rejected and avoided due to lack of knowledge and understanding.

The Black death was named for the discoloration of the body. It is believed to have been introduced by seaborne rats from the Black Sea area. By the early fifteenth century, western Europe had lost as much as 40% of its population to the plague. The “Black” Death

Lack of sophisticated medicine led to superstitions about the reasons for the plague, including poisonous fumes released during earthquakes and a corruption in the atmosphere. Jews were sought as scapegoats for the plague and were persecuted. Who’s to blame?

Popular remedies against the plague included the use of leeches. Flagellants believed that beating themselves until they bled would bring about divine intervention. Remedies and Self-Inflicted Pain

Farm laborers decreased in numbers, but the number of skilled artisans increased dramatically Peasants rebelled against efforts by governments to limit their wages Opposition to such legislation spurred the English peasants’ revolt of 1381 Cities and skilled industries prospered from the effects of the plague, which created a need for more expensive goods. The economic power of trade guilds and artisans grew. Economic Effects

Ecclesiastical Breakdown and Revival: The Late Medieval Church Pope Innocent III (r ) transformed the church into a secular power, creating a papal monarchy with a political mission that included disposing the benefices and declaring saints. Pope Urban IV (r ) continued the secularization of the church by establishing its own law court, the Rota Romana, and by broadening the distribution of benefices The College of Cardinals became politicized.

Pope Boniface VIII (r ) refused the English and French efforts to tax the clergy, and issued a bull, Clericis laicos, which forbade taxation of the clergy without papal approval. Boniface was forced the make a concession to Phillip the Fair of France, but the dispute led the two into further debates. In 1302, Boniface issued the bull, Unam Sanctum, which declared that temporal authority was subject to the power of the church. Papal Legacies

Pope Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon, to avoid the French King and Rome. The time in Avignon was called the “Babylonian Captivity”, in an allusion to the biblical bondage of the Israelites. <-- Pope Boniface VIII Pope Clement V -->

Pope John XXII (r ) tried to restore the papacy of Rome. William of Ockham and Marsilius of Padua protested papal power. John Wycliffe and John Huss led the popular lay movements, the Lollards and the Hussites, that protested the rights of the papacy. Pope John XXII; William of Ockham; Marsilius of Padua; John Wycliffe; John Huss

The Great Schism ( ) The Great Schism occurred when Pope Two papal courts now claimed the right to power. Cardinals disposed both popes and elected a new pope, Alexander V. <-- For a time there were three popes who claimed spiritual authority.

The Council Movement An effort to control regulate actions of the pope by councils, grew during this time. In 1414, the council of Constance met. In a document known as the Sacrosancta, the council recognized the Roman pope Gregory XII, and one pope ruled.

Medieval Russia Prince Vladimir of Kiev ( ) chose Greek orthodoxy as the religion of Russia. Kiev was a cultural center that revived Constantinople. Three cultural group- the Great Russians, the White Russians, and the Little Russians (Ukranians)- developed. Russia’s hierarchical social structure divided freeman (clergy, army officers, boyars, townspeople, and peasants) from slaves. Debtors made up an intermediate group. Mongols led by Ghengis Khan ruled Russia in 1223, and Russian cities became parts of the Mongol Empire until their liberation by Grand Duke Dimitri and Ivan the Great.