1. The Crisis of the Later Middle Ages, 1300-1450
The Hundred Years’ War & Decline of the Church

2. Over View of the Hundred Years War
England & France forged their identities
Fought intermittently between 1337 & 1453
Began as a feudal war – developed two powerful & territorially integrated states
Challenges to the Catholic Church
Kings sought greater influence over the clergy
Theologians rejected many of the church’s positions
Legitimacy of its power
Damaged prestige
The Babylonian Captivity
The Great Schism
Social Change
Growing cities
Tightening membership in Guilds
Stratification of gender roles
Peasant and urban revolts
Sexual issues became public concern

3. The Hundred Years’ War 1337 – 1453
England and France fought over English feudal claims to the French throne
116 years of intermittent war
England won every important battle
Except the last one

4. The Hundred Years’ War Causes Aquitaine
Inherited in the 12thC by England (Capetian dynasty)
Capetian dynasty died out in 1328
French nobles did not want England’s king Edward III to exercise his royal claim in France.
French nobles seeking to weaken French monarchy supported Edward
Economic competition over the rich Flemish wool-producing towns
Flemish aristocracy supported France
Merchant class supported England
The war presented many opportunities for honor, advancement, and wealth for nobles

5. France & England during The 100 Years War

6. The Hundred Years’ War Importance Nationalism grows
Both countries sensationalized the evils of the other
Fostered mutual hatred
Military
Ended medieval tactics and chivalric rules of war
England won most of the battles
Used artillery for the 1st time & the longbow,
Which unhorsed knights in armor, superior to the crossbow
The cannon meant stone castles were obsolete
France won the war
Joan of Arc – spurred nationalistic fervor

8. The Hundred Years’ War Joan of Arc Peasant girl 16 years old
Heard voices urging her to help the dauphin (uncrowned king)
Convinced king to allow her to accompany an army to the siege of Orleans.
Her leadership inspired the soldiers
10 days later England withdrew
10 days after that Charles was crowned
Joan was captured by Burgundians
Sold her to England
Tried and executed for witchcraft and heresy
Cut her hair
Wore men’s clothes
Claimed to hear directly from God
Became one of two patron saints of France

9. The Hundred Years’ War Consequences
Death Toll was huge in contrast to medieval wars
Economies in France where the battles were fought, were devastated.
England’s economy suffered due to the stunning costs of the war
Plunder soldiers brought back added to their coffers
Gov raised taxes on wool – making it harder to sell aboard, thus hurting the econ
Parliament grew - Constitutional Monarchy advanced
Edward III called Parliament into session 37 our of the 50 years of his reign to ask for finances for the war.
Commons separated from the Lords
Commons – knights and wealthy burgers
Right to approve non-feudal levies – financial power
England only had one Parliament – other countries had dominate regional/provincial assemblies

10. The Hundred Years’ War Seeds of change – Parliament
Limited monarchy (nearly 800 years)
Origin
The Magna Carta
The barons of England forced King John to sign – 1215
Established limitations on royal power
Restricted judicial powers of the king
Protected the barons, clergy and burghers (wealthy townsmen) from arbitrary arrest or cruel punishment
Granted trial by jury
Required the “common consent of the realm” for new taxes
During the 100 Years’ War
The king needed the common consent to acquire more (and more) funds for the war
Parliament became more powerful
Of feudal origin the Magna Carta guaranteed right to the ruling elites, that were extended over the centuries to all royal subjects

11. Challenges to the Church
Catholic Church
Inadequate and conflicted leadership
Putting it under the domination of powerful states
Demand from within to restructure from a papal hierarchy to councils made up from the clergy
The growth of lay piety
Mysticism

12. Challenges to the Church
The Babylonian Captivity 1309 – 1376
Refers to the instance that the Pope moved to Avignon, France rather than staying in Rome
Caused division in the Catholic Church
Under the domination of the French king (not in Rome)
Focused on internal administrative reforms
Return to Rome (after nearly 70 years)
Dispute over who should be Pope
Fueled by nationalism
Two popes were elected
Urban VI – Italian
Clement VII – cousin of the king of France
States supported according to their political interests

13. Challenges to the Church
The Great Schism
Effort to reform the monarchical organization of the church by sharing power with church councils representative of all Christians
Defensor Pacis of Marsiglio of Padua
Intellectual underpinnings of the conciliar movement
Argued that the church must be subordinate to the state
The church had no right to own property
Led to his excommunication
John Wyclif (later his ideas were used by Martin Luther)
The only source of Christian doctrine & practice – the Scriptures
Scriptures should be read in the vernacular by the laity
Common religious practices were illegitimate
Veneration of saints and pilgrimages
Simony (buying/selling of church offices)
Pluralism (holding several offices at the same time)
Absenteeism (holding an office, but living in another place)
Property ownership

14. Challenges to the Church
AP Tip
Pilgrimages and veneration of saints were also an important part of the urban economy
Pilgrimages fostered trade and the founding of towns along their routes

15. Challenges to the Church
Lollards
Wyclif’s supporters
Used his ideas to justify peasant revolts -1381
Same time as 1st Eng. Translation of the Bible
Women
Lollard’s supported women preachers
Significant impact – 15thC
Bohemia
Czech priest John Hus
Preached in native language – not Latin
Not a radical – but
Argued for Scripture to be accepted
Denounced abuses of the church
Communion for clergy and laity
Czech nobles used ideas to push independence from Habsburg (Gr overlords)
Council of Constance 1415 – tried and executed for heresy
Hussite Wars – Nobles/people rebelled against Habsburgs
Council called an end to the Great Schism
Martin V – pope
Councils lose power – papacy wins power

16. Challenges to the Church
AP tip!
Religion & Politics
Wyclif & Hus reveal the degree to which religious reform was tied to politics
Seeds of Change
Martin Luther would use their ideas a century later
Martin Luther was able to bring about reform they could not (Wyclif and Hus opposition too powerful – supports too weak)

17. Challenges to the Church
Lay Piety gain prominence
Disorder & disunity
disputes among various orders
particularly Franciscans & Dominicans
Disappointing performance of some priests
Absence of priests
The Black Death took many priests