Late Middle Ages and the Feudal System

Late Middle Ages

• Europe was in the Dark Ages following the fall of Rome in 476 AD
• Rome was the last "civilized" place in Europe for a millennium, with minimal change
• Europe fragmented into principalities, city states, and small nations after Rome's collapse

The Feudal System

• Europe's society was organized in a tiered system.
• At the top were the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church
• The Pope was regarded as God's representative on Earth
• Below the Pope was the Monarchy/Nobility (Dukes, Earls, Kings, ~10%)
• Nobles supported the king for privileges
• Nobles enforced his wishes and ran society
• Under them were the Masses (Serfs/Peasants, ~90%)
• Masses lived outside kingdom walls
• Masses did the work, paid taxes, but had no privileges, with short lifespans (<30 years) due to disease, disasters, and war
• Land ownership was the foundation (landowners were generally okay)
• The husband owned everything and was responsible for the family
• Society was very superstitious and religious
• Traditions were deeply entrenched
• The elite did not want change, and the masses were powerless.
• After the fall of Rome, common religion (Christianity) was a unifying force in Europe because of the hardships they faced
• Trade between nations declined due to wars closing borders
• Slowed commerce and trade led to knowledge loss.
• This lack of knowledge contributed to the Dark Ages
• This Era was religious and superstitious due to ignorance plus a lack of education
• The Roman Catholic Church became powerful because of the common link (Catholicism) between nations as Christianity became the major religion in Europe
• Serfs suffering through lives were offered hope/salvation if they led good lives (obeyed the Church)
• Afterlife was the light at the end of the tunnel, a promise of peace

Church Power

• The Church maintained control by offering explanations for negative life events and superstitious ways of dealing/warding against these evils
• They believed the devil had agents to tempt people to sin
• They used herbal remedies, incantations, and prayer for illnesses due to a lack of knowledge
• They used leeches to cure "sanguine humours"
• The masses were uneducated leading them to believe in the local priest
• The Church controlled literacy, thus controlling the masses' thoughts, behaviors and actions
• Even kings and monarchs bowed to the Pope
• According to feudalism, nobles were chosen by God, preventing social mobility

Bubonic Plague ((Black Death)

• Population in Europe grew between 1100-1300 due to better farming
• Survival rates and quality of life increased
• By 1300 population outstripped food production, leading to shortages
• Poor diets made bodies vulnerable to disease.
• In 1100 Marco Polo established a land route to the Far East
• Bubonic Plague arrived in Europe between 1347-1350 carried on rat fleas via merchants
• It was spread by bodily fluids and through the air
• ⅓ of Europe's population was wiped out within three years
• The plague arrived from China the Silk Road then through Black Sea spreading across Europe
• People died very quickly with sores on their bodies
• "Bless You" came from this time period because 3 sneezes meant plague and death, and only God could supposedly save you

Black Death/Religion

• Medical knowledge was non-existent at the time
• Bodies were left rotting in streets
• Spread of the plague resulted with the church gaining immense power
• People wanted to be cleansed of sin in order to get to heaven
• Everyone listened blindly to the church wanting to get to heaven
• Witches became feared the most during the plague
• Most witches were women who didn't conform
• Roughly 300,000 people, mainly women (~95%), were executed for being witches
• Cities and nations closed their borders due to fear of outsiders spreading disease
• Trade halted quickly and people stopped working/going outside
• As a result, the economy collapsed
• Eventually trade slowly started again
• Damage was done and Europe was fragmented
• Peasants were aware of their harsh lives and the system was unfair
• Peasants realized that being illiterate does not mean they were unintelligent
• Peasant revolts began, often crushed by kingdoms or the church
• Those in power did not want to change the feudal system

Mediaeval Art

• Mediaeval art centered on religion
• Imagery came from bible stories and key characters
• Art/The Church was very powerful at the time
• Artwork focuses on saints, angels, and moving upward into heaven
• Messages were conveyed clearly through the art
• Fine face details were lacking(no freckles or wrinkles)
• Faces were smooth and rounded
• Artwork Didn't focus on anything real or tangible on earth

Hundred Years War ((1337-1453)

• France was not a unified nation
• Both the French and English claimed the French throne
• The English invaded France
• The Plantagenets (Angevins) had a strong claim to the land of France because they originated there
• The English had the tech advantage because of the Welsh Longbow
• The English were brutal and oppressive to the French People
• Joan of Arc (peasant girl) appeared in France & said god spoke to help French to win battles
• Joan of Arc became the leader of the French armies
• She unified the French people, which established French nationalism
• They learned to replicate the longbow
• France began bridging the tech gap after The years War
• There was a peace treaty by end of the 100 years war
• English wanted Joan D'Arc due to her peasant status and noblemen's control
• The English burned Joan Of Arc as a heretic at the stake
• By the end of 100 years war, French nationalism marks with the recapture of French territory and Joan D'Arc
• England, France, Portugal and Spain began to unify
• Colonisation began

Medieaval Punishment & Russia

• Medieaval punishment was very brutal (eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth)
• Stealing resulted in losing a hand
• Lying - Lose tongue
• Treason - Get Hung
• Adultery - Lose manhood
• Most crimes didn't fit there punishment
• Main crimes were about control, fear oppression, famine and god
• Russia refrained from joining the rest of Europe in the Renaissance due to Mongol encroachment

The Crusades (1096-1270)

• The Crusades were a contest between Catholics, Muslims, and Jews to take back the holy land
• The Church's arm was prevalent in the middle east
• Trade in East was happening
• Europeans were racist, judgemental, and intolerant
• Europeans dehumanized
• Europeans showed how inhuman they would treat the Indian Peoples when the explored
• They were xenophobic
• Non Christians could be mistreated because laws didn't apply to them
• Marco Polo's explorations became known by the upper class

Renaissance (Rebirth) (1450-1600)

• England, France, Portugal, and Spain started to unify
• Western European nation states began to form
• Central Europe was fragmented: Italy, Germany, Austria
• Eastern Europe stayed in the dark ages for 100 years
• Renaissance started in Italy because it was central
• Trade and ideas began to flow
• the Church was the Heart with education here

Renaissance Factors

• Site of former Roman empire
• Composed of competitive princedoms leading to scientific growth
• Papacy and trade boosted literacy.
• Renaissance- "Rebirth
• Occurred between 1350-1600 gradually over 250 years
• The academics, artists, etc. reacquired knowledge from ancient Greece/Rome
• reacquisition of knowledge built confidence

Additional Renaissance

• Thought: “When was the last time we knew what we knew?”
• Used writings for lessons and began exploring
• Crusades gave Europeans new products/ideas from the Middle East and Far East
• Europeans innovated new ideas
• The Church centre of religion, commerce and law.
• Living standards rose and stable
• Merchant middle class rose becoming wealthy/business savvy
• Merchants sought connections with monarchs for money
• This created desire for overseas trade
• Italian states improved navigational tech.
• Sea travel was faster/cheaper, ship building for longer voyages
• Trading began outside of Europe efficiently and monarchs began financing naval transportation

Rise of the Merchant

• Cities/kingdoms in Italy had competition driving growth
• Finance/commerce in Italy sparked new banking system
• Growth of city states/nations raised the merchant class.
• Europeans outstripped other nations in travel tech (naval), military strength.
• Lead to European domination
• Increase in artistic/humanism movements
• Science, religion and the arts started innovation

The Renaissance Man

• Leonard Da Vinci embodies this Renaissance man.
• Confidence rose through/after the Black Death
• End of Medieval/Feudal system
• Humanism promoted citizenship and education
• Rich/Educated believed new age.
• They believed in the values of the new Era
• Idealists' guide publicly/privately

Humanism

• Led to Humanism
• Driven by philosophy/nature
• Responsible citizen and knowledge valued
• Not abandon Christianity/Church (Feudal/Political System)
• Believed they were special humans
• Questioned humans religions

Humanism Continued

• The intent of humans should excel through destiny control
• Encouraged greater good of scoeity
• Erasmus - Dutch Theologian (works for the church, academic) - Northern Renaissance Humanist Everyone born without moral compass
• Morality = Quality
• Education in civil society leads to good citizenship
• Good society by doing good
• Humanists didn't want to disrupt
• Only wanted to people to have better behavior
• Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1494 and was a modern political philosopher
• Worked for the medici family
• Human nature needed figure and ruler

Renaissance Rules

• Strong Ruler needs education to be one
• Must know history so that one can do good with it
• Castiglione wrote the Book of the Courtier
• Etiquette guidelines
• Supposed to educate behaviour
• Renaissance Art
• Art expresses feelings to our place in creation, human existence
• Moved form focus to earth and less divie

Renaissance Art

• The themes are Order, Harmony, Symmetry, Perspective and Proportion
• Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatella painted
• Sponsored Nobility and Popes often helped
• Art became greater
• fine details (individual strands of hair, paintings occupy full space)
• Showed gods creations
• Ordinary in the divine became everythign in humanity
• Placed humanity in special place to thank god for everything
• Everything happens due to gods will

Northern Renaissance & Issues with the Church

• Spread the message of the Rennaisance in Northern Europe
• Focused on religious issues and how to get rid of rules
• Northern humanists believed reason as a tool for morality
• Sir Thomas More disagreed with Henry VIII as he disrespected the poep
• Erasmus criticised the church

Gutenburg Printing Press

• Change in Europe because more cities
• Makes press
• Easier print
• Accelerate ideals
• more literature in more languages

Exploration

• Sent ships to find things
• Front runners and Spain
• Main power
• sponsored the explorere
• find route to Orient, SouthEast Asia
• 6 month trip

The Age of Columbus

• earth was found because ships
• lands
• thought his in india
• by pass land routes
• bypass tariffs from the Ottoman empire
• Try to pass the route by africa world

Henry Exploration

• New world and labpour needed
• Aztec downfall
• test with topics
• Long answer and bonuses

The Reformation & Martin Luther

• Until this point Europe was religious
• church became the main
• New forms of Christianity began
• Challenges by Luther
• Wanted reform
• Paier with printing press

Reforms

• Luther lead
• Crisis with faith
• Seperation from state
• Biblical professor question
• works at roman catholic
• "Hot to I attent salvation questions"
• bible tell people
• assurance to get in heave

Faith

• Want insureance
• Relationship with god?
• Obsessed
• Contemporary was the only to attaint salvation
• Hail Marys and church
• Call ed indulgences
• Luther abuses

Salvation

• "Money isn't the requirement"
• should read bible for you
• Again humanism
• questions the religion
• huma sing of greed
• spit to the facse/
• decent behaviour

Challenge Against Church

• Theses on reforms
• Spreads because of the printing press.
• Church wasnt above
• Individual has authority power
• Necessary
• Communicaded Martin/ blaphemy
• Protests
• Viloence

Germany revolts

• Peasants had abuse
• monarchs begin a revolution
• literacy increases
• move controlling women

religion

• fighting eachotehr
• agreement
• allows each to determine which is protestant
• south is catholic
• north beocmes
• Have bibles
• Say in domestic
• fight eachother

Henry

• Convert
• Flee and die
• zwingli
• John led with similar Luther
• Bible for you
• Behaves similarly

Spanish relations

• Cath
• Absolve for sovereign
• Very passionate
• converts
• convert or sermon
• VIII
• brother died
• Cath princess