The Late Middle Ages

Chapter 19 Lesson 5

Catastrophes and Conflicts

• Famine• The Black Death/Bubonic Plague swept Asia

and Europe• Disputes in the Church reduced its authority• The English and the French battled over

territory in the Hundred Years’ War• Christians in the Iberian Peninsula fought to

drive out the Muslims and the Jews

Famine

• Medieval Europe enjoyed great prosperity until the 1200s

• Then, disaster struck…– Cold winters and rainy summers created miserable

conditions– Crops rotted and livestock died from diseases– Soon, the crops could not support Europe’s growing

population• 1315-1322: major famine in northern Europe– People starved to death and died from epidemics of disease

The Plague Comes to Europe

• Plague: disease that spreads quickly and kills many people

• Spread from Asia to Europe– Probably began in Central Asia and spread to India,

the Middle East, and Europe through trade– Broke out in China in 1300s

• Between 40-60 million died in China—half the population

• Black Death=Bubonic Plague– Caused by a type of bacteria that was spread by fleas

from animals to animals, specifically the rats• Rat-infested caravans and ships carried the

disease from one region to the next• 1347-1351: Deaths in Europe ranged from 19-38

million people—1/3 to ½ of the population died

The Effects of the Plague• People didn’t know why the plague occurred

– Some thought God was punishing them for their sins– Some blamed the Jews

• Result: Some Germans kicked Jews out of some of the cities

• Huge effect on economy– Trade declined– Wages rose b/c of high demand for workers– Fewer people=less food needed=food prices

dropped– Landlords had to pay people more to get them to

work their lands– Some peasants began to pay rent instead of

providing services• Serfs gained more rights• Weakened feudalism

Ring around the rosy

A pocketful of posies

"Ashes, Ashes"

We all fall down

Conflicts in the Church

• 1378-1417: Great Schism deeply divided the Catholic Church – 1054: Great Schism between Catholic Church and

Byzantine Church• 2-3 church leaders claimed to be the rightful pope

– Caused great confusion/doubt in Europe– 1417: New pope was accepted and elected=Great Schism

and the confusion died down• Powerful kings questioned the pope’s powers• People criticized growing wealth and power of

clergy– John Wycliff: insisted that the Bible was the source

of Christian truth--not the church; he was a Christian martyr and was burned at the stake

The Hundred Years’ War

• For centuries, England and France had fought over the control of areas of western French lands– The French wanted to unite all French lands– King Edward III of England declared himself the king

of France and invaded the country• Result: a war that lasted 100 years

• Causes:– Land– Economic rivalry– Growing sense of national pride

English Victories

• In the beginning: England was victorious– Had superior weapons such as the longbow and

an early form of a cannon

Joan of Arc• 1412-1431• Born in a village in France• Daughter of a tenant

farmer• As a teenager, felt guided

by the voices of three saints• Traveled to ask Charles, the

crown prince, to let her fight

• Faced examination by church authorities about her faith and the voices she heard

Joan of Arc • Joan took a French army to the

battle at Orleans• Defeated the English and freed

the city• French victory there unified

France and led to the coronation of Charles as king

• Joan later captured by the English

• Accused of being a witch• Burned at the stake• Later declared a French national

hero and a Catholic saint• Her courage gave rise to a

French rally to win the war

Hundred Years’ War Effects on the English

• England’s nobles were bitter about the loss of French lands

• Late 1400s: fought each other over who should be king– Civil war known as the Wars

of the Roses– Henry Tudor won and

became known as King Henry VII of England

Muslims Forced Out• Muslims ruled much of the Iberian peninsula during the MA• Spain and Portugal• Muslims Developed rich cultures with schools, palaces, and mosques• Christians, drove out many of the Muslims• Known as the Reconquista (ray-kohn-KEES-tuh), or reconquest• 1250: 3 Christian kingdoms and 1 Muslim kingdom

– Christian kingdoms: Aragon, Portugal, and Castile– Muslim Kingdom: Granada

• 1469: Prince Ferdinand (Aragon) and Princess Isabella (Castile) married and created one catholic kingdom: Spain

• 1492: Spain conquered Granada• Muslims were ordered to convert or leave• Most left and went to North Africa

Jews Forced Out

• Many Iberian Jews lived peacefully under Muslim rule• When Christians took over, many Jews were mistreated

– Many Jews converted to avoid persecution• Ferdinand and Isabella believed some of converted Jews were

secretly practicing Judaism• To force obedience to the Catholic Church, they created the

Spanish Inquisition– Tried and tortured thousands accused of being disloyal to the

Catholic Church in Spain• 1492: Ferdinand and Isabella ordered Jews to convert or leave

– Most left to avoid charges of heresy