Late Middle Ages: Famine, Plague, Revolt, and Hundred Years’ War

Unit 4: The Later Middle Ages (1290-1485)

The Great European Famine (1315-1322)

The Great European Famine, lasting from 1315 to 1317 (and in some places until 1322), was the first of several crises to strike Northern Europe in the early 14th century. It caused millions of deaths, approximately 20% of the population, and marked a clear end to a period of prosperity. Starting with bad weather in the spring of 1315, widespread crop failures continued through 1316 until the summer harvest of 1317. Europe did not fully recover until 1322. This period was characterized by extreme levels of crime, disease, mass death, and even cannibalism and infanticide. The famine had significant consequences for the Church, the state, European society, and future calamities in the fourteenth century.

The Black Death

The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, arriving in Europe between 1348 and 1350. It reached London in 1348, Wales and the Midlands in the spring of 1349, and then spread across the Irish Sea and into the north. It arrived in Scotland in 1350. The consequences were catastrophic, with an estimated 450 million deaths. Lepers and individuals with skin diseases were targeted and exterminated throughout Europe, as they were wrongly blamed for the crisis. Governments had no effective response, as the cause and spread of the disease were unknown. The understanding of disease transmission was limited in the 14th century, and many believed it was a result of God’s anger. Jewish communities were also attacked and some were exterminated. The Black Death profoundly impacted art and literature, with chroniclers like Boccaccio and Petrarch providing valuable accounts, though their writings were primarily read by the upper class. The plague repeatedly returned to haunt Europe and the Mediterranean from the 14th to the 17th centuries.

Peasants’ Revolt (1381)

Also known as Wat Tyler’s Rebellion or the Great Rising, the Peasants’ Revolt was a significant event in English history and the best-documented popular rebellion in medieval Europe. It was a series of popular uprisings led by figures like John Ball, Wat Tyler, and Jack Straw. During the reign of the 14-year-old Richard II, the revolt marked the beginning of the end of serfdom in medieval England, although the revolt itself was ultimately unsuccessful. It increased awareness among the upper classes of the need for feudal reform and the appalling misery of the lower classes due to their enforced near-slavery. The revolt was triggered by three unfairly imposed poll taxes. Landlords were reluctant to pay higher wages or allow workers to move to rival estates. Yeomen from Essex and Kent rebelled.

The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453)

The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France for control of the French throne. The war’s roots lay in a dynastic dispute dating back to William the Conqueror. As rulers of Normandy and other continental lands, English kings owed homage to the King of France. In 1337, Edward III of England refused to pay homage to Philip VI of France, leading the French king to claim confiscation of Edward’s lands in Aquitaine. Edward responded by declaring himself the rightful King of France, as the closest male relative of Charles IV, who died without a male heir. However, Philip VI was crowned King of France according to Salic Law, which disqualified female succession. The question of legal succession was central to the war. The war is divided into three phases: the Edwardian Era War (1337–1360), the Caroline War (1369–1389), and the Lancastrian War (1415–1453).

Edward III used the chevauchée tactic, attacking unprotected countryside where French troops were weak. In 1346, the English won the Battle of Crécy, and in 1356, the Black Prince won the Battle of Poitiers, capturing King John II of France. The French were forced to sign the Treaty of Brétigny (1360), returning most of Edward III’s possessions except Normandy. After the English victory at the Battle of Sluys, France began naval raids on the southern coast of England until 1401. The French also used a scorched-earth policy, forcing the English to retreat. Despite victories, France worked to expel the invaders. Charles V’s gunner, Bertrand du Guesclin, advised him to avoid confrontation. Henry V, after failed peace efforts, invaded France in 1415 and won the Battle of Agincourt. In 1420, the defeated Charles VI was forced to accept the Treaty of Troyes, recognizing Henry V as heir to the French throne. However, Henry V died in 1422 before Charles VI. France crowned Charles VII, leading to renewed conflict. Joan of Arc led French troops in 1429, but was captured and executed. Charles VII gradually retook English possessions, with the British losing Normandy in 1450 and Aquitaine in 1453. The war ended without a treaty, with the British retaining only Calais.

The War of the Roses (1455-1485)

The War of the Roses was a civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, both claiming the English throne as descendants of King Edward III. The war was marked by extreme cruelty. It began on May 22, 1455, with the defeat of Lancaster forces at St. Alban’s. In 1460, Richard of York captured King Henry VI. Richard was recognized as king but was killed in the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. His son Edward was proclaimed King Edward IV. Richard III committed several crimes, leading the nobility to support Henry Tudor, who defeated and killed Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. The war resulted in the extinction of the Plantagenet dynasty and weakened the English aristocracy, allowing the monarchy to consolidate absolute control.

Chaucer

Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales marked a resurgence of the English language.

Caxton

Caxton brought the first printing press to England, publishing over a hundred books, mostly translations of French works.