Lesson 5: Decline of Medieval Society

Key Idea

For centuries, medieval Europe had been a mostly stable and growing society. This began to change in the 1300s, as a series of terrible disasters struck the continent and shook the foundations of the feudal world.

The first major crisis was the Great Famine. From 1315 to 1317, bad weather ruined crops, causing widespread starvation. Soon after, England and France began the Hundred Years' War. This long and brutal conflict drained kingdoms of money and soldiers, bringing more suffering and instability to Europe.

Key Idea

The Hundred Years' War was a long conflict between England and France that introduced new ways of fighting. English soldiers used the longbow, a weapon that could shoot arrows powerful enough to pierce a knight's armor from a distance. This made knights on horseback, the heart of medieval armies, much more vulnerable in battle.

Later in the war, both sides used cannons. These powerful new weapons could blast through the thick stone walls of castles. The longbow and cannon made the traditional medieval system of knights and castles obsolete, changing warfare forever.

Key Idea

In the mid-1300s, a deadly disease called the Black Death began its journey from Central Asia. The plague traveled along busy trade routes. Fleas living on rats boarded merchant ships, carrying the disease from port to port.

The plague arrived in Europe in 1347 and spread with terrifying speed. It moved through crowded cities and small villages alike. Within just a few years, this epidemic killed an estimated one-third of the entire population of Europe, changing society forever.

In 1347, a Genoese trading ship docked in Sicily carrying a deadly cargo: fleas infected with the Bubonic Plague. The disease spread rapidly along trade routes, killing roughly one-third of Europe’s population in just a few years.

The plague caused social chaos. People believed it was a punishment from God. Some turned to extreme religious penance (Flagellants), while others scapegoated and attacked Jewish communities. The sheer scale of death made people question the Church's power to protect them.