The Late Middle Ages: Social and Political Breakdown

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The Late Middle Ages Social and Political
Breakdown
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Hundred Years War

• 1337-1453
• England and France
• Englandvictor until 1429
• French eventually removed British

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The Black Death

• 1347-1350
• Plagues
• Septicemic
• Pneumonic
• Bubonic
• 1/3 of W. Europeans died

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The Black Death

• Cause?
• Curse from God

• Cures?
• Flagellation
• Bleeding

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Challenges to RCC

• Avignon Papacy (1309-1377)
• Babylonian Captivity
• Great Schism (1378-1417)
• John Wycliffe
• English
• d. 1384
• Jan Hus
• Czech
• d. 1415

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Cultural Achievements

• In Early Middle Ages, culture regressed because
  of
• Barbarian invasions
• Feudalism
• Peoples concern for barest essentials of life

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Cultural Achievements

• In High Middle Ages, culture progressed because
• Church provided leadership and support
• Crusades spread knowledge of Byzantine and Moslem
  civilization
• Townscenters of culture and learning

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Cultural Achievements

• Architecture
• Romanesque (pre-1100s)
• Massive cathedrals
• Featured
• Thick walls
• Few windows
• Rounded arches
• Strong columns

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Cultural Achievements

• Architecture (contd)
• Gothic (1100s)
• More graceful style
• Featured
• Flying buttresses
• Pointed arches
• Thin walls
• Stained-glass windows

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Thrust
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Notre Dame
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Cultural Achievements

• Higher education
• Universities founded
• Except for religion, relied chiefly on
  Aristotles writings
• Students faced difficulties
• Taught in Latin, not vernacular
• Lacked books and libraries

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Cultural Achievements

• Science invention
• Medieval scientists were quite unscientific
• Rarely experimented or questioned
• Mainly accepted
• Popular superstitions
• Ideas of Aristotle

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Cultural Achievements

• Science invention (contd)
• Scientists
• Alchemists
• Astrologers
• Roger Bacon
• Science requires
• Experimentation
• Observation

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Cultural Achievements

• Philosophy theology
• Scholasticism--method of using pure reason in
  defense of faith
• Scholars
• Peter Abelard
• Famous medieval teacher
• Wrote Sic et Non
• Differing views of RCC leaders on various issues

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Cultural Achievements

• Philosophy theology (contd)
• Scholars (contd)
• St. Thomas Aquinas
• Wrote Summa Theologica
• Denied conflict between reason and faith
• Influenced by Aristotle

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Cultural Achievements

• Literature
• Few books written
• Epic poems
• Beowulf--Anglo-Saxon poem
• Song of Roland--French epic
• Song of Cid--Spanish story
• Lyrical poems
• Mostly about love
• By wandering musicians

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National Development

• England/France
• Spain/Portugal
• Russia/Ottoman Empire
• HRE/Italy

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The Late Middle Ages Social and Political
Breakdown