Medieval Europe: Crash Course European History #1

Summary

This script from Crash Course European History explores the complex and often grim realities of medieval Europe, addressing misconceptions and delving into significant events like the Black Death, the Hundred Years War, and the Great Schism. It discusses the societal impacts of these crises, including changes in warfare, the decline of feudalism, and the rise of the Renaissance, while highlighting figures like Joan of Arc and the influence of the Ottomans on the fall of the Byzantine Empire.

Takeaways

• 🏰 Medieval Europe had a reputation for disease, early marriages, and violence, but some of these perceptions are exaggerated or misunderstood.
• 🍺 People in medieval times did drink beer and ale for their nutritional value, but they also consumed milk, other beverages, and safe drinking water from wells.
• 😷 The Black Death was a devastating pandemic of Bubonic Plague that originated in Asia and spread to Europe, killing an estimated 50% of the population.
• 🗡️ The Hundred Years War was a prolonged conflict between England and France, marked by shifts in warfare tactics and the decline of chivalry.
• 🏹 The longbow and cannons, innovations in weaponry, changed the nature of war and contributed to significant battles like the Battle of Agincourt.
• 🔥 Joan of Arc's rise and fall during the Hundred Years War illustrated the power of individual leadership and the tragic consequences of political conflict.
• 🛡️ Chivalry was a code of conduct for knights, but the realities of war and the use of mercenaries led to its decline.
• ⚔️ The Great Schism in the Catholic Church exposed divisions and weakened the Church's authority, leading to a crisis of faith and spiritual leadership.
• 🏛️ The fall of the Byzantine Empire to the Ottomans marked the end of the Roman Empire and a significant shift in religious and political power in Europe.
• 👥 The decline of feudalism and the rise of serfdom and urban artisans' rights reflected the changing social and economic landscape of Europe.
• 🎨 Amidst the turmoil, the Renaissance began, with artists, philosophers, and architects contributing to a cultural rebirth in Europe.

Q & A

What is the general reputation of medieval Europe according to the script?

Medieval Europe is often portrayed as a time of disease, famine, early marriages, and violence, with knights acting with chivalry but also slaughtering without restraint. It is also associated with unsafe drinking water, leading to the consumption of beer as a safer alternative.

What were some of the significant events that occurred in the 14th and 15th centuries in Europe?

The Black Death, the Great Schism in the Catholic Church, the Hundred Years War, and the onset of the Little Ice Age were significant events that greatly impacted Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries.

What was the Black Death and how did it spread to Europe?

The Black Death was a pandemic of Bubonic Plague, which is believed to have originated in Tibet and spread to Europe from Asia, carried by rats, mice, and fleas that traveled with humans.

What are the symptoms and fatality rate of Bubonic Plague?

Symptoms of Bubonic Plague include swollen and sometimes burst lymph nodes, high fevers, vomiting blood, and necrosis leading to blackened extremities and facial features. The disease had a fatality rate of between 50 and 60 percent of those infected.

How did the Hundred Years War affect the stability of Europe?

The Hundred Years War added sustained turmoil and destruction to Europe, exacerbating issues like poor harvests and disease outbreaks, and contributing to instability in the food supply and cultural beliefs.

What was the impact of the use of mercenaries in the Hundred Years War?

The use of mercenaries led to a decline in chivalrous behavior on the battlefield, as these soldiers often looted and plundered without restraint, even during truces and peace treaties.

Who was Joan of Arc and what was her role in the Hundred Years War?

Joan of Arc was a French peasant who, guided by visions, led French forces to victory against the English, enabling Charles VII to be crowned king. However, she was later captured by the Burgundians and executed by the English.

What was the Great Schism and how did it affect the Catholic Church?

The Great Schism was a period of division within the Catholic Church, where two and later three popes claimed the papacy, undermining the Church's authority and spiritual leadership.

How did the events of the 14th and 15th centuries contribute to the decline of feudalism in Europe?

The Black Death, warfare, and a decrease in population led to a shift in power dynamics, with serfs demanding freedom and urban artisans seeking higher pay and an end to oppressive taxes, contributing to the decline of feudalism.

What was the significance of the fall of Constantinople in 1453?

The fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Byzantine Empire and the Roman Empire, with Islam replacing Christianity as the leading religion in the city, and altering trade routes and power structures in Europe.

What were some of the proverbs that reflected the life and mindset of people during the 14th and 15th centuries in Europe?

Proverbs such as 'There's nothing more certain than death,' 'The big fishes eat the smaller,' and 'Men are good so long as it saves their skin' illustrated the harsh realities and survivalist attitudes of the time.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Medieval Misconceptions and the Black Death

This paragraph dispels common myths about medieval Europe, such as the prevalence of child marriages and the exclusive consumption of beer due to unsafe water. It introduces the harsh realities of the era, including the Black Death, which was a devastating pandemic caused by the Bubonic Plague. Originating in Tibet, the disease spread rapidly across Europe, facilitated by increased human travel and trade. The plague had a profound impact, with mortality rates reaching as high as 50-60%. The paragraph also touches on the Hundred Years War, the Great Schism in the Catholic Church, and the Little Ice Age, all of which contributed to the hardships of the time.

05:03

🛡️ The Hundred Years War and the Decline of Chivalry

This section delves into the Hundred Years War, a prolonged conflict between England and France over territorial claims in continental Europe. It discusses the changing nature of warfare, including the introduction of the longbow and cannons, which were significant innovations of the time. The paragraph also highlights the rise and fall of Joan of Arc, a peasant girl who led French forces to victory before being captured and executed by the English. The war's impact on chivalry is explored, showing how the behavior of mercenaries and the changing tactics of war led to a decline in the traditional code of conduct on the battlefield.

10:05

🏛️ The Great Schism and the Transformation of European Society

The final paragraph addresses the Great Schism, a period of disunity within the Catholic Church where multiple popes claimed authority, leading to confusion and a loss of faith among the people. It outlines the political struggles between Pope Boniface VIII and King Philip IV of France, which contributed to the schism. The paragraph also touches on the broader societal changes occurring in Europe, such as the decline of the feudal system, the rise of the Ottoman Empire, and the increasing power of common people. It concludes by setting the stage for the Renaissance, a period of cultural rebirth, which will be explored in future episodes.

Keywords

💡Medieval Europe

Medieval Europe refers to the period of European history between the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance. In the video, it is portrayed as a time of disease, famine, and early marriages, which set the stage for the hardships and developments discussed throughout the script.

💡Black Death

The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was a devastating pandemic that swept through Europe in the 14th century. It is a central theme in the video, illustrating the extreme mortality rates and societal impact, with descriptions of the disease's symptoms and its role in shaping Europe's demographic and cultural landscape.

💡Chivalry

Chivalry is a code of conduct associated with the medieval institution of knighthood. The script discusses its decline during the period, highlighting how the behavior of knights and mercenaries diverged from the chivalric ideals, especially during the Hundred Years War.

💡Hundred Years War

The Hundred Years War was a prolonged conflict between England and France over territorial claims in continental Europe. The video uses this war to explore the dynamics of medieval warfare, the rise of non-aristocratic soldiers, and the impact of innovations like the longbow and cannons.

💡Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was a French heroine who played a pivotal role in the Hundred Years War. The script recounts her visions, military successes, and ultimate execution, showing her influence on the course of the war and the cultural memory of the period.

💡Great Schism

The Great Schism was a split within the Catholic Church that led to the existence of multiple claimants to the papacy. The video explains how this event weakened the Church's authority and contributed to the spiritual and political upheaval of the time.

💡Feudal System

The feudal system was a hierarchical structure of land ownership and obligations in medieval Europe. The script discusses how the Black Death, warfare, and changing economic conditions undermined this system, leading to increased bargaining power for serfs and a shift towards more individualistic social relations.

💡Renaissance

The Renaissance was a period of cultural rebirth in Europe, marked by significant developments in art, science, and philosophy. The video suggests that this movement emerged against the backdrop of the turmoil of the 14th and 15th centuries, hinting at a connection between the hardships of the Middle Ages and the creative explosion of the Renaissance.

💡Proverbs

Proverbs in the script reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the people during the Middle Ages, such as the inevitability of death and the harsh realities of life. They serve to illustrate the cultural mindset and the coping mechanisms people employed in response to the challenges of the era.

💡Yersinia Pestis

Yersinia Pestis is the bacterium responsible for the Bubonic Plague. The video uses the modern-day representation of this bacterium as a plush toy to highlight the contrast between the historical devastation of the disease and the contemporary understanding and treatment of it.

💡Mercenaries

Mercenaries are professional soldiers who fight for any group that hires them, rather than fighting for a specific nation or king. The script discusses the use of mercenaries in the Hundred Years War, noting their role in the erosion of chivalric conduct and the transformation of warfare.

Highlights

Medieval Europe had a reputation for being disease and famine-ridden, with early marriages due to shorter life spans.

Contrary to myths, people in medieval times did drink water, alongside beer and ale, with access to wells of safe drinking water.

The 14th and 15th centuries were marked by significant events such as the Black Death, the Great Schism, and the Hundred Years War.

The Black Death, a pandemic of Bubonic Plague, originated in Tibet and spread to Europe via trade routes and infected rats.

The Black Death had a mortality rate of 50-60%, causing profound societal and emotional impacts, with half of Europe's population dying.

The Hundred Years War was a prolonged conflict between England and France over continental European territories, lasting over a century.

Chivalry, a code of knightly conduct, declined during the Hundred Years War due to the rise of mercenaries and changing warfare tactics.

Innovations in warfare, such as the use of longbows and cannons, changed the nature of battle and contributed to shifts in power.

Joan of Arc's rise and fall during the Hundred Years War was significant, as she led French forces to victory before being captured and executed.

The Great Schism in the Catholic Church, with multiple popes claiming authority, weakened the Church's spiritual leadership.

The Ottoman capture of Constantinople marked the end of the Roman Empire and a shift in religious and political power in the region.

The use of mercenaries and the decline of the feudal system led to changes in societal structures and the empowerment of serfs and artisans.

Peasant revolts, such as the Peasants Revolt of 1381 in England, demonstrated the growing power of the lower classes and their demands for better conditions.

The Renaissance, a period of cultural rebirth, began amidst the turmoil of the 14th and 15th centuries, with significant contributions from artists, philosophers, and architects.

The construction of the Great Renaissance Cathedral in Florence symbolized the shift in European thought and the beginning of a new era.

Crash Course European History is supported by Patreon, a platform allowing patrons to donate monthly and keep the course free for all viewers.

Transcripts

Hello and welcome to Crash Course European history, I'm John Green,

and as you may know medieval Europe has a terrible reputation.

We often hear that it was disease and famine-ridden (which it was).

Children were supposedly forced to marry at six or eight or ten years old, which was not common,

although people did start marrying younger,

in part because they were also dying younger.

We hear that knights in shining armor slaughtered wantonly, albeit with good manners called chivalry, which is partly true,

although the chivalric code was in decline.

And we also hear that it wasn't safe to drink the water, so they drank beer exclusively,

which more on that in a moment. But yeah, today we're turning our attention to these so-called "Middle Ages."

But right, so about beer. In those days, people did drink beer and ale.

The were nutritious (and still are), but they also drank other things: milk, other beverages, and especially water.

There were wells with safe and delicious drinking water.

Still, it's true that a lot of bad things did happen in the 14th and 15th centuries:

The Black Death, the Great Schism in the Catholic Church, and the Hundred Years War.

Also, in the 14th century,

the Little Ice Age began, which meant cooler temperatures and declining harvests,

and that contributed to stunting and starvation.

But let's begin with the Black Death, a huge pandemic of a disease called Bubonic Plague,

which spread to Europe from Asia. Many experts believe the plague originated in Tibet as a localized epidemic

but then spread carried by rats and mice and fleas.

And those animals were able to travel widely because humans were traveling, and the fleas and rats hitched rides with us,

so in that sense,

the plague was a product of growing human interconnectedness.

Bubonic plague is a horrible disease. After infection with the bacterium Yersinia Pestis,

lymph nodes swell and sometimes burst; victims often get high fevers and vomit blood;

gangrene can cause extremities and facial features to turn black with necrosis,

hence "the Black Death";

and depending on the strain, somewhere between 50 and 60 percent of people infected died.

These days, bubonic plague is treatable by antibiotics,

But such treatments have only been around for a few decades. As recently as the 20th century, outbreaks in India and China

killed more than 12 million people.

But the 14th century's Black Death was even worse.

Around 25 million people had died in Asia by the time the plague reached Constantinople in 1347,

and within four years, a staggering number of Europeans had died from it,

often within two days of becoming infected.

People faced a heartbreaking decision: whether to risk caring for their ailing loved ones,

or leave them to die alone in the hopes of avoiding infection.

Some areas lost up to 80 percent of their population.

The latest research claims that in Europe as a whole, around half of all people died.

Death haunted every moment. It's difficult to grasp

just how profound the Black Death was,

but imagine losing half of your community in a few years to a poorly understood disease.

Giovanni Boccaccio wrote, "Many died in the open street.

Others dying in their houses, made it known by the stench of their rotting bodies.

Consecrated churchyards did not suffice for the burial of the vast multitude of bodies,

which were heaped by the hundreds in vast trenches,

...like goods in a ship's hold. "How different has life become in the last 650 years?"

The bacterium that caused the Black Death, is now available as a plush stuffed

...bacterium. They don't actually look that threatening, especially with eyes. But yeah, this is Yersenia Pestis!

(Blown up and made into a stuffed animal.) No bacterium! Also you want to know an interesting fact about me?

I- I can't juggle.

Amid all this devastation, the Hundred Years War added sustained turmoil and destruction.

The war was fought between the rulers of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France, over who would rule large

swaths of continental Europe, and it actually lasted at least 116 years, beginning in 1337.

One of the most interesting questions in history is: "Whether war leads to instability or instability leads to war?"

and the truth is probably

..Yes. Both. Like, poor harvests and disease outbreaks make war more likely,

but war also worsens poor harvests and disease outbreaks.

So amid the huge shocks to Europe that accompanied the Black Death, the Hundred Years War

increased instability in the food supply, and also in long-held cultural beliefs, like The Code of Chivalry.

Chivalry was a set of behaviors

toward knightly opponents, whom one would treat on the battlefield with respect and trust, not killing your fellow knight,

but, instead, holding him for ransom in good condition.

Such noble behavior separated the knight from common archers and mercenaries.

But English Kings began to hire such mercenaries from across Europe, who viciously looted and plundered in a way

that wasn't terribly chivalrous. And some of these knights for hire found it so profitable to fight that even during

truces and peace treaties, they kept on marauding. The 116 Years War also changed the nature of war through innovation.

Like, non-aristocratic soldiers from England and Wales used the longbow,

famed for its combined deadly speed and accuracy, and that helped the English prevail at the Battle of Agincourt

Before the 100 Years War, the French had innovated with cannons on ships,

which the English later used in the war's land battles. Both types of cannons, by the way,

relied on gunpowder, a Chinese invention. The Hundred Years War also saw the

spectacular rise and fall of Joan of Arc, born to a prosperous French peasant family in 1412.

When she was sixteen, England had won enough battles to take over the French throne, confirmed in the

1420 Treaty of Troyes, and France seemed leaderless.

Visions told Joan to get French forces to take to the field and drive out the English, so that

Charles, whom she believed to be the rightful heir to the French throne, could be crowned,

and astonishingly this proved successful.

By 1429, Charles was Charles VII of France.

But in the process, the Burgundians, a competing and powerful royal court,

captured Joan and turned her over to the English, who burned her at the stake in 1431.

It's a bad way to go. Although, there are no good ways.

If it sounds like European life in the 14th and 15th centuries was hard,

well, it was. Murder and violent crime rates were likely much higher than they are today,

and dying in war was a pretty routine risk.

Malnutrition and stunting were also very common.

Child mortality was astonishingly high; perhaps as many as 50% of children died before the age of five.

But at least people were surrounded by the comforts of religion.

The comforts of religion, however,

turned out not to be that comforting.

Let's go to the Thought Bubble.

In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII was the leader of the Catholic Church,

but he was also an important political figure in Europe.

One of Europe's great questions was whether the Church had authority over the entire Catholic world,

or if kings had the ultimate authority in their kingdoms? Could, for instance, King Philip IV of France

tax the Catholic clergy in France?

Pope Boniface thought: No. He was from a well-connected and powerful family,

and at the start of the 14th century, he was flexing his muscles across the papacy,

ultimately declaring in 1302 that the Pope had supreme power over everyone!

The timing was bad in that kings were also starting to flex their muscles.

They wanted tax money from the Church to expand their administration. Boniface threatened to

excommunicate Philip, who then had the Pope kidnapped.

Boniface was reportedly tortured in captivity and died soon after his release in 1303.

By 1305, Philip had arranged for the election of a French Pope and his installation at

Avignon, just inside what was then the French border,

which made people think that the papacy was under the thumb of French kings and distant from its

spiritual mission, which you know, it was.

In 1377 Pope Gregory XI decided to move back to Rome,

but then he died.

The Cardinals, surrounded by loyal Romans, then elected an Italian pope,

causing the French Cardinals to scatter and regroup to elect a French pope to head the papal court in Avignon,

which meant there were two popes and a schism had occurred.

Historians, in fact, call it the Great Schism.

Thanks, Thought Bubble.

The Great Schism was a huge blow to the Church and its claims of spiritual leadership,

which had already been harmed by the clergy's inability

or unwillingness to provide spiritual guidance during the Black Death.

Priests and monks and nuns had been as frightened of and as vulnerable to

death as everyone else.

And now it wasn't even clear which pope was the real Pope,

or which church was the real Church.

This disunity, combined with stories of decidedly unspiritual indulgences,

all served to undermine the church's authority.

Instead, spiritual and other direction came from common people, not the high-and-mighty, like

Catherine of Siena, for instance, was an ordinary young woman of intense religious faith,

who was the one who successfully urged Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome. Although then of course, he died.

Before Catherine died in 1380 at the age of 33,

she'd undertaken several diplomatic missions between the Church and Italian cities

and had traveled across the region urging the clergy to reform themselves

and fortify their spiritual ministry.

Ultimately others in the Church called a council to end the Great Schism, and church leaders

finally elected a single pope, Martin V, in 1417.

Although before that, things got truly out of control when a third Pope was elected for a while.

I mean, if you wanted to be Pope, your chances really were never better than in the late Middle Ages.

All of this meant that European Christendom really was declining in power,

and in 1453, the Ottomans, a Turkic ethnic group of Muslims captured the capital of the Byzantine Empire,

with the help, by the way, of a Hungarian munitions expert who knew about cannons.

The Byzantine Emperor had felt that the munition expert's fees were too high.

The Ottomans already controlled parts of southeastern Europe,

but capturing the Byzantine capital and beheading its Emperor was a big deal.

It was the final fall of the Roman Empire, and Islam went on to replace Christianity as the leading religion in

Constantinople, as its famed Cathedral became the Hagia Sophia mosque.

And control of Constantinople was a big deal for many reasons, including trade routes,

but also because Constantinople at the time was probably Europe's least terrible city

Meanwhile, the aforementioned use of mercenaries helped undermine the feudal system,

in which everyone owed loyalty to a lord, from knights to a serf, who was bound to that lord's land.

The Black Death and persistent warfare helped change that too.

And there were also far fewer humans, which meant fewer people to work in agriculture,

so serfs could demand their freedom because their labor had become much more valuable.

Indeed, peasants rebelled when the nobility failed to meet their demands for better conditions.

Like in the Peasants Revolt of 1381 in England,

they murdered nobles and sacked castles and manor houses.

And in cities, urban artisans wanted higher pay and an end to higher taxes.

In 1378, The Ciompi, or workers in the cloth trade, rebelled in Florence, demanding an end to harsh

prosecution for debt and an end to the imposition of extra taxes.

They marched through the streets, shouting, "Long live the little people."

The expansion of rights for artisans and farm workers

would of course be a very long process,

but their growing power and the decline of feudalism was a dramatic shift for Europe.

Even warfare itself had changed. People no longer fought for ethical reasons or for God's glory

but for fame and career, as a French chronicler observed.

Cutting through the 116 years of back and forth victories and losses, this proverb arose about warfare:

"That's the way it is with fighting. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose."

As for life in these years, people recited proverbs like

"There's nothing more certain than death." (someone along the way added "and taxes")

Other proverbs emphasized that life had begun to feel like a zero-sum game.

"The big fishes eat the smaller."

"Men are good so long as it saves their skin."

But in the midst of that, there was also new thinking.

Not just that of The Ciompi and peasants, but of artists and philosophers and architects and others,

who were simultaneously creating Europe's rebirth or Renaissance.

The Great Renaissance Cathedral of Florence was even completed before the end of the Hundred Years War.

And next week, we'll start there, in Florence, which was home to so much of that so-called rebirth.

Thanks for watching. I'll see you then.

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