Middle Ages

1. Background to the
Renaissance
Or
Death, Discontent, Disharmony
and Disillusionment

2. Medieval Mindset

3. Medieval Mindset
Born-live-die within ONE station
Education is in hands of FEW
FEUDALISM
 Highly structured
 Origins
Consequences
Which led to 14th
century disasters
Crusadesimpact on Renaissance
 Church and TRADE

4. Hundred Years’ War

5. Hundred Years’ War
1337-1453 France v. England
68 years of nominal peace
44 years active combat
Underlying causes
English possession of French lands
(coast)
French support of Bruces of Scotland
Flanders
Strong hereditary claim of King Edward
III of England to the French throne

6. France v. England
Larger population
Wealthier
Poor leadership
Country internally ÷
Joan of Arc >
nationalism
victor
Better leadership
United country
Early victories
Eventual defeat of
all lands except
Calais

8. Black Death

9. Black Death
1347-1350
Europe weakened by decades of
overpopulation, economic
depression, famine, general bad
health
Killed 2/5 of Europe’s population
Ca. 20 million
Bubonic Plague—rats & fleas

12. Effects of the Black Death
Agricultural prices fell
Cost of manufactured goods rose
Noble landowners suffered as per
capita income in the cities
increased
Trade guilds became powerful
Monarchs were able to continue
process of governmental
centralization

13. Great Schism

14. Problems within the Church
Undermined by internal religious disunity &
denial of imperial power
Pope Boniface VIII v. King Philip IV (Fr.)
Babylonian Captivity
Church HQ moved to Avignon—subservient to
French king 1309-1377
Great Schism--1378-1417
here a Pope, there a Pope, everywhere a Pope
Conciliar movement—church controlled
councils—order restored

15. John Huss
Bohemia
Spokesman for
the rights of
royal authority
over the popes
Burned at the
stake as a
heretic 1415
Fierce
revolution

16. John Wycliffe
England
“brother in spirit”
w/ John Huss
Worked on
English
translation of the
Bible
Condemned as a
heretic

17. Russia

18. Russia
Converted to Christianity early 9th
century
Byzantine missionaries
Kievcultural center until mid-14th
century
MoscowIvan I
1380—Mongols defeated—driven
out of Russia within 15th
century

19. Key Point #1
The Black Death: One of the great
determinants of change in history is disease.
The social & economic results of the plague
were wide-ranging & included fluctuation of
agricultural prices & city income, as well as a
decline in trade and the quality of goods
produced. Politically, it is important to note that
the Church & nobility suffered greatly in
numbers & prestige from the effects of the
plague. Monarchs were able to progress
toward the centralization of their governments
and economies.

20. Key point #2
Relations between Church & State: The
late 13th
& 14th
centuries were a period of
chaos for the Church. The victim of attacks
by local political factions, the papacy lost
respect because of its transfer to Avignon,
the Schism which followed, the impact of
the Conciliar movement, the corruption of
Alexander VI and others, and the French
involvement in Italy. In the long run, the
sword of the secular arm proved more than
a match for the medieval Church.