1. Problems of the
late Middle Ages
The Black Death and the Great Schism
2. The Black Death
A. Bubonic Plague – worst natural disaster
in European history (1347-1351)
1. caused by rats carrying diseased fleas
2. brought from merchants in Italy
3. spread along trade routes
4. 38 million died in 5 yrs
5. some blamed Jews – anti-Semitism –
hatred towards Jews
6. caused economic problems
3. The Great Schism
B. Great Schism – time when two popes
existed (1378-1417)
1. Avignon (France) and Rome
2. caused by indecision about who was
pope
3. divided Europe
4. Church lost power
Editor's Notes
Europe had reached a high point by the thirteenth century, but that success was not to last long after a devastating disease swept across Europe. This disease was known as the Bubonic Plague or the Black Death. It is believed that fleas with the disease bit rats and rats that infested the city streets spread the disease to people. Through trade, infected rats began to show up in merchant cities first in Italy and then in France , Belgium, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Germany. It spread to England, Russia and Scandinavian countries. As many as 38 million people died of the plague between 1347 and 1351. In Italy, 50-60% of the population disappeared from its cities. At the time, people did not known where the plague began and how it spread. Some believed it was God punishing them for their sins. In some towns, Jews were suspected of “poisoning wells” which caused many Jews to flee out of their country. Because of the plague, trade declined, the price of labor rose and the price of food dropped. These are modern economic responses to a decrease in population. Most importantly, the disappearance of such a large portion of the population essentially ended the manorial relationship between serf and lord, as more highly paid laborers were able to purchase vacated land from their land lord.
At the end of the thirteenth century, King PhilipIV’s attempt to tax the clergy in France outraged Pope Boniface VIII. The pope claimed that the king had no right to tax the clergy with out his consent. Philip sent French forces to capture the pope to put him on trial, and the pope soon died from the experiences he had during this conflict. King Philip then selected his own pope from France, Clement V and seated him in Southern France in Avignon. From 1305 until 1377, the popes lived in Avignon even though the Church’s capitol was in Rome. After a series of events and meetings, two popes emerged, one Italian, one French, one living in Rome, the other in Avignon. This was known as the Great Schism. The pope, being the leader of Christianity, lost a lot of power at this time, as both church denounced the power of the other. People’s faith in the papacy and the church declined. In 1417, the Schism ended with a meeting in Switzerland that removed both popes and elected one they could agree upon. It was too late however, as the papacy lost much of its power over the nation states and respect from its Christian followers.
