The Calamitous 14th

centuryThe Little Ice Age, The Hundred Years’ War,

The Black Death, The Great Schism

Mini Ice Age (1250-1850)► Climate change- growth

of the ice sheets Too much rain Some summers with snow

in every month Crops failed Animals died People weakened from

lack of food► More susceptible to disease

The 100 Years’ War► Actually…116 years (1337-1453)► Between France and England► Fought entirely in France

► What did it achieve? Changes to the map of France Changes to the powers of the kings

of France and England Changes to military weapons The downfall of feudalism

Causes- who shall be the king of France?

► Charles IV of France died without an heir

► Option I- a French nobles but…. Civil war between them

► Option II- Edward III of England- he was the Duke of Gascony and Aquitaine This also made

him a vassal of the French king

Major Battles and Figures- Round I

►Battle of Crecy (1346)- small English army defeated large French army English leader- Edward the Black Prince Why? The LONGBOW!!!-

►faster, farther, more powerful

The English went home because they didn’t have enough troops to conquer all of France

Interlude…..►The Black

Death!!! (1346-1352)

►The Great Schism! (1378-1415)

Okay….Back to warEngland and France stopped fighting several

times during the Hundred Years War because of other factors like plague and religious conflict. Also, most warfare was conducted in the summer.

It was not 117 years of total war.

Major Battles and Figures- Round II

►Battle of Agincourt (1415)- small English army defeated large French army English leader- Henry V Why? French knights on horseback

couldn’t fight in the muddy fields against English infantrymen (Effectively ends knighthood in France)

England now controls Northern France

Major Battles and Figures- Round III► The Battle of Orleans (1429)- French troops defeated the English trying to capture the city French hero- Joan of Arc- young girl who had

visions of saving France, got approval of French prince, dressed as a man and led the French troops

She is later captured by the English, burned as a heretic and then made the patron saint of France

French begin to push out the English

Major Battles and Figures- Round IV

►Battle of Castillon, Bourdeaux (1453)- French victory over the English Why? Use of cannon!!!

England gives up all territory in France except for Calais

What did it achieve?►Changes to map of France

Changes to the power of the kingsFranceKings become more

powerful- civil war between

nobles endsuses the taille [tax] toincrease his treasuryRise of French nationalism in Kings become less

powerfulsupport of the king

England

- 1341 law states that Parliament (a council of nobles) has to approve all taxes

Nobles become more powerful-> leads to civil war- War of the Roses (ended 1485 by Henry VII)

Weaponry: the downfall of FeudalismLongbow:can kill from a distance thus neutralizing the power of the knight on horseback

Cannons:can blow holes through castle walls

Therefore…No more knights? No more castles?

No more feudalism!!!!!Switch to professional armies loyal to

the king, or whomever paid them – no feudal loyalties

The Black Death (overview)

► 1346-1352► Spread from Asia to Europe► Killed 1/3 to 1/2 of the

population (50 - 75 million)

► Up to 50% of some cities and entire towns and villages

ESPN Effects►E: manorial/agricultural basebegins to shift to cities

and craftsmen due to loss of serfs

►S: Serfdom ends, the Catholic Church loses power

►P: kings gain power over noble and the Church

►N: urban centers [cities] rise, less dependency on the land

Types of Plague► Bubonic

Spread by fleas Black pus- filled lymph nodes Mortality rate:60% Death in 3-4 days

► Pneumonic Spread by people coughing Drown in their own blood Mortality rate: 95-100% -

sometimes within hours► Septemic

Also spread by fleas Extremities turn black and die Mortality rate: 100% within one

day

Ring around the rosy, Pocket full of posies Ashes, ashes…We all fall down!

The “Grim Reaper” of death struck at all levels – priest, serf, women, children…no one was safe

The ‘Black Death’ followed global trade

routes► origins in China► along Silk Road to Black Sea► then by ship to Italy► then via overland

trade routes north to the rest of Europe.

Anti-Semitism and the Plague

► Jews had been both important to citylife as moneylenders and persecuted in a Christian society

► Many Jews survived the plague itself because they were isolated from the sick and kept better hygiene

► They were scapegoated as the source of the plague

► Pogroms against them broke out in many cities, so many moved to Poland and Lithuania

► Up to 200 were burned at the stake in one day

Effects on the Church► Church was powerless to

stop the plague► The economic, social,

and political power of the Church declined

What economic power did they lose?...what social power?...what political power?

The Great Schism [split] (1378- 1417)

► Began as an argument between the King of France and the Pope- Who has more power and authority?

► 1305- old pope dies, new one is French-> moves from Rome to Avignon, France where the Popes stay until 1377…advantage France

► 1377- Pope Urban VI is elected in Rome – advantage the Catholic Church

► French Cardinals refuse to recognize Urban VI and elect their own Pope Now there are 2 Popes!!! (one in Rome, one in

Avignon)

► 1408 Kings call a Council to elect a new Pope.However, both old Popes refuse to step down, now there are three popes!

► 1417 a Council removes all three popes and selected Pope Martin V which ends the Great Schism.

► The Pope would never again be able to successfully challenge the power of the kings in Europe.

The Great Schism Continues

► The two Popes excommunicated each other along with the people who followed them.

Now all Catholic Christians [throughout Europe] were going to Hell….Advantage: other power structures - kings

14th Century Economic Effects Peasants:

Smaller labor supply: as farm workers decreased, wages increased

Per capita income increased: there were fewer people [Black Death].

Cost of food decreased due to decreased demand

Serfs left land -,went to cities and craftsmen [artisans]

Wages soared

Nobles: land is worth less

serfs leave land reducin the workforce

fewer crops to harvest and sales were at low prices – less income

rising prices for newly manufactured goods

Political EffectsPeasants:

► revolts in France, England, Spain and Holy Roman Empire as new laws forced them to stay on the land and froze wages- laws failed

Nobles:► Nobles lost military and political power as kings gained power► As professional, paid armies loyal to the king grow the

power and usefulness of the knight/noble as a feudal ‘army’ declines

Cities:► Charters allow cities to govern themselves► City governments gave more voice to craft guilds as

demand for their goods increased

The End Result of the Calamitous 14th

Century► By the mid 15th century, largely due to plague and warfare Western Europe lost 1/3 of its population

► Rural economies were destroyed► Cities recover more quickly and craftsmen

emerge poised to embark on the industrial revolution

► Kings emerge as the dominant political force with the nobles and Church trying to find their footing. The seeds which will grow into the English

parliamentary system are rooted. The power and role of the Church is drastically

changed.