What is Feudalism?
Feudalism is the land system that was used in the Middle Ages in Europe.
Kings owned all the land and kept 1/4 of he land as their personal land. The rest was given out to their Nobles or Barons or Lords. The Nobles asked knights to fight for them and in return would get a portion of land for them and their families. The knights would get serfs to work on their land and farm for them and provide service. The Nobles would offer knights and money to the king. The knights would provide protection and military service. The serfs would provide food and services when demanded. Feudalism came about the Europeans in the tenth century or the 'High Middle Ages.'
Now here are a few reasons of Feudalism's fall:
Crusades
Black Death
Magna Carta
Hundred Years' War
King VS. Popes
How did the Crusades contribute to the Decline of Feudalism?
During the First, Second, Third Crusades, and the Fourth Crusades many people died.
The First Crusade wiped out the most people; 5,000 serfs and peasants made the trip, most died and few came back.
In the Second Crusade, French and German Kings set out with about 2,000 men and less than 500 returned about eight months later when they failed because of poor planning.
By the Third Crusade, Muslims retook Jerusalem and all of the Holy Land. The rulers of France, England and the Holy Roman Empire set off on the Third Crusade in 1189 just to fail horribly, again losing most of their men.
Even though the Fourth Crusade was a failure, not as many people died as in the First, Second, and Third Crusades.
What and how did Magna Carta contribute to the Decline of Feudalism?
Magna Carta stated that the there had to be an actual reason for the king to arrest someone. The convict had to be given a jury trial and everybody, including the king, had to follow the exact same law.
The Hundred Years' War
When a Frenchman, who was the only heir to the throne during that time, became the king of England, the English King became upset and did not think it was right for someone who was not native to become the king of a place other than their country. A few years later, he invaded France and the invasion became a long conflict that came to be known as the Hundred Years' War. In England, Parliament's power grew because the king needed Parliaments' approval to raise money for the war. During the war, in France, the king had become popular with his nobles.
Popes VS. Kings During the Middle Ages
During 1073, Emperor Henry IV became angry at Pope Gregory VII because he questioned his authority. But, since the pope, during that time, had the power of the Christian Catholic Church, he excommunicated Emperor Henry IV and he could not come back to the church unless his excommunication was canceled by the pope.
How did the Black Death contribute to the Decline of Feudalism?
In 1347, a ship arrived in Europe's harbor and the fleas and rats on the ship were carrying the black death. The Black Death wiped out 1/3 of Europe's population in five years with buboes filled with bacteria and dead white blood cells that form on your skin; they itch and rupture easily. The Black Death spread to Europe from Asia through China, and then to Kaffa, and then through Europe again and Africa.
