The Black Death (1346-1353)
pre-plague in Europe:
good harvest led to a booming population
large coastline allowed for shipping to almost any part of Europe
factors for spread:
heavy rains destroyed crops --> food shortages --> less work for peasants --> lots of people moved out of the countryside and into the city --> overcrowding --> not enough jobs --> most people became beggars --> malnourishment
exporting goods and trading
poor hygiene (no waste system)
arrival of plague: siege on city of Caffa by Mongols where bodies of Mongols infected with the plague were catapulted into the city --> citizens got infected and when the siege was lifted, Mongols retreated and trade resumed --> plague found its way onto trade ships which spread it to every port they stopped at
types of plague:
bubonic
transmission: fleas bit rats with Yersinia Pestis which bit humans, contact with buboes
symptoms: high fever, aching joints, swollen lymph nodes, buboes
pneumonic - airborne form of bubonic plague, infection of lung tissue
transmission: breathing in bloody sputum
symptoms: coughing bloody sputum
plague doctors:
treated everyone in a town
did little to cure
helps us document dead victims of the plague
their infamous beak masks might've helped prevent transmission
social and economic effect:
cities with the most trade were hit the hardest
25-50% of the population was dead
less goods
less labor --> peasants charge more for labor --> they spent their money on scutage payments (they paid their way out of enlistment in the army)
monarchs could then hire professional soldiers but it was expensive
nobles had a less luxurious lifestyle --> they imposed taxes on peasants --> peasants revolted
effect on the church: *Europe was deeply religious in the 1300s
the church's explanation for the plague was a weird alignment of planets which caused a toxic gas (God's punishment)
burials were considered a necessity but priests refused to give them out of fear for their own lives --> many people turned against the Church
extreme Christian groups (Flagellants) emerged
they traveled around and performed acts of penance (whipping themselves) to gain forgiveness from God
they prompted crazed reactions from the places they visited such as pogroms on Jews and attacks on church officials who opposed them
local rulers crushed these movements and they were gone by 1350
100 Years' War (1337-1453) (14th-15th century)
start: French and English territorial disputes along with disputes over the succession to the French throne
the French king died and his daughter's son was next in line for the French throne but he was English so the French chose a cousin of the king as king instead so...
the English didn't give homage to the cousin which led the French to seize English holdings in Gascony
early war: the English tore the French apart with their barbed arrows and longbows that were able to pierce armor
English strategy:
their goal was to ravage the French countryside
they used longbows, barbed arrows, and pikes
unexperienced soldiers (enlisted peasants)
didn't follow chivalry (they killed sons of nobles who were knights)
since they were on the offensive (they were attacking), they had an advantage
French strategy:
they had professional soldiers (knights and chivalry) who wore heavy armor
on the defensive
financially and resource stable since the war took place in their territory
had cannons later in the war
they rode horses into battle and had their crossbowmen cover the knights with fire
the French continued to lose; the French king got captured, they had some victories but had huge casualties
Joan of Arc: peasant woman who had visions to save France
she crowned the dauphin as king and accompanied the French army to Orleans which motivated them to win
she was captured by the Dutch (English's ally) and burned at stake for witchcraft
she was granted sainthood later
her capture helped the war reach a turning point
the war resulted in division in Europe:
England:
development of parliament
kings and parliament had disputes (mostly on taxation)
France:
3rd estate (general public) and the other 2 estates (nobles and clergy) had disputes; taxes were only levied on the 3rd estate and they didn't have a voice
Holy Roman Empire:
100s of independent kingdoms run by local lords
the king/emperor was elected instead of chosen from one royal bloodline
the emperor was powerless to control local fights
Italy:
larger city states consumed smaller ones through fights by condottieri (hired mercenaries)
several government types; Venice/Florence - republics, Milan/Naples -monarchies, papal states - theocracy
Arts and Culture Post-Plague + Decline of the Catholic Church
change of the seat of power:
official HQ for the church had been Rome since Christianity became the Roman Empire's official religion
pope Clement V moved the papacy to Avignon, France
Avignon papacy:
controversial
majority of the new cardinals appointed were French (and not Italian!!)
taxes on the clergy for the pope and cardinals to live luxuriously
authority of the pope declined; Avignon became a symbol of the church's power abuse
Great Schism:
pope Gregory returned the papacy to Rome and died
Italians refused the election of a French pope so Romans chose an Italian (pope Urban) and replaced the French cardinals and forced them to leave
once back in France, the French cardinals elected a new pope (Clement VII) under threat if violence from the Romans
now there were 2 popes, 2 colleges of cardinals, and followers of the church were split into supporters of Clement or Urban
damaged credibility of both groups (both claimed each other as anti-Christ) and faith in God in general
also both parties imposed new taxes (further monetary abuses by the church)
effect of the plague, 100 Years' War, Great Schism on art and literature:
newfound fascination with death, unhappiness, hopelessness, church corruption, reality
people began to think life was fleeting and they had to make the most out of it
famous writers: all wrote in vernacular (didn't follow the Church who insisted people should write and speak in Latin)
Dante
He wrote the Divine Comedy (journey though hell, purgatory, and heaven) which gives insight into thinking of medieval people
Petrarch
He wrote sonnets about a married woman he knew
realistic
Christine de Pizan
She wrote court gossip, advancement of women's causes, advice to women, and rejected women's dependence on men
Chaucer
He created Canterbury Tales, wrote different point of views, and is best known for prose (colloquial literature)
Effects of the Schism
competing popes in Rome and Avignon were damaging the Church's authority
Defender of Peace by Marsiglio of Padua argued that the church's authority derived from a community of faith not just 1 person
the clergy only served to administer the affairs of the church on behalf of Christians
the final authority in spiritual matters must reside in a general council
his ideas spawned conciliarism which was the belief that only a general assembly with both sides of the schism working together could end the conflict
disagreements arose about who attends the council --> church law decreed only a pope could call for a meeting --> neither popes would so it had to be called by the cardinals or Roman Emperor
council of Pisa:
elected a new pope
tried to get existing popes to step down
neither would so now there were 3 popes with no one supporting the new one
council of Constance:
called by the emperor
the 3 popes resigned/were removed from power
new pope was elected (Martin V)
damage to the Church's reputation was immense
new ways to strengthen faith:
nobles built chapels in homes
pilgrimages became popular
charity
mysticism: immediate and personal oneness with God
Meister Eckhart spread the mystical movement from Germany; he preached that salvation was possible for anyone who pursued it wholeheartedly
Modern Devotion: to achieve oneness with God, you have to imitate the life of Jesus by doing good and teaching people the Bible
the movement also included women and established schools
Modern Devotion had no affiliation with the Church
Life and religion revolved less around the Church
Technological Advances
establishment of (ineffective) public sanitation laws, (ineffective) hospitals, doctors, and apothecaries
development of clock, cheaper paper, and eyeglasses
increased usage of gunpowder
AP Euro: Unit 1 - Crisis and Disintegration in the 14th Century
The Black Death (1346-1353)
100 Years' War (1337-1453) (14th-15th century)
Arts and Culture Post-Plague + Decline of the Catholic Church
Effects of the Schism
Technological Advances