Feudalism Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a system for structuring society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour. Although derived from the Latin word feodum or feudum (fief),[1] then in use, the term feudalism and the system it describes were not conceived of as a formal political system by the people living in the medieval period. In its classic definition, by François-Louis Ganshof (1944),[2] feudalism describes a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility, revolving around the three key concepts of lords, vassals and fiefs.[2] There is also a broader definition, as described by Marc Bloch (1939), that includes not only warrior nobility but all three estates of the realm: the nobility, the clerics and the peasantry bonds of manorialism; this is sometimes referred to as a "feudal society". Definition
Black Death Spread of the Black Death in Europe (1346–53) The Black Death is thought to have originated in the arid plains of central Asia, where it then travelled along the Silk Road, reaching the Crimea by 1343.[6] From there, it was most likely carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships. Spreading throughout the Mediterranean and Europe, the Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60% of Europe's total population.[7] In total, the plague reduced the world population from an estimated 450 million down to 350–375 million in the 14th century. The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social, and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. Chronology Origins of the disease Plague was reportedly first introduced to Europe at the trading city of Caffa in the Crimea in 1347. European outbreak There appear to have been several introductions into Europe. Middle Eastern outbreak Symptoms Naming
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 is a fundamental document of the French Revolution and in the history of human rights The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, or (French: Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen) of August 1789 is a fundamental document of the French Revolution and in the history of human rights.[1] It defines the individual and collective rights of all the estates of the realm as universal. Influenced by the doctrine of "natural right", the rights of man are held to be universal: valid at all times and in every place, pertaining to human nature itself. It became the basis for a nation of free individuals protected equally by law. It is included in the preamble of the constitutions of both the Fourth French Republic (1946) and Fifth Republic (1958) and is still current. History[edit] Philosophical and theoretical context[edit] At the time of writing, the rights contained in the declaration were only awarded to men.
Richard II of England Richard, a son of Edward, the Black Prince, was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III. Richard was the younger brother of Edward of Angoulême; upon the death of this elder brother, Richard—at four years of age—became second in line to the throne after his father. Upon the death of Richard's father prior to the death of Edward III, Richard, by agnatic succession, became the first in line for the throne. With Edward III's death the following year, Richard succeeded to the throne at the age of ten. During Richard's first years as king, government was in the hands of a series of councils. Early life[edit] Richard of Bordeaux was the younger son of Edward, the Black Prince, and Joan of Kent ("The Fair Maid of Kent"). Peasants' Revolt[edit] The king soon revoked the charters of freedom and pardon that he had granted, and as disturbances continued in other parts of the country, he personally went into Essex to suppress the rebellion. Coming of age[edit]
French Revolution The French Revolution (French: Révolution française) was an influential period of social and political upheaval in France that lasted from 1789 until 1799. Inspired by liberal and radical ideas, the Revolution profoundly altered the course of modern history, triggering the global decline of theocracies and absolute monarchies while replacing them with republics and democracies. Through the Revolutionary Wars, it unleashed a wave of global conflicts that extended from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human history.[1] External threats closely shaped the course of the Revolution. The modern era has unfolded in the shadow of the French Revolution. Causes The French government faced a fiscal crisis in the 1780s, and King Louis XVI was blamed for mishandling these affairs. Adherents of most historical models identify many of the same features of the Ancien Régime as being among the causes of the Revolution. Economy
Tax per head A poll tax (head tax or capitation tax, in U.S. English) is a tax of a portioned, fixed amount applied to an individual in accordance with the census (as opposed to a percentage of income). Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments from ancient times until the 19th century. There have been several famous (and infamous) cases of head taxes in history, notably in parts of the United States with the intent of disenfranchising poor people, including African Americans, Native Americans, and white people of foreign descent. The tax was marginal and never collected in practice, but payment of the tax would be a prerequisite for minority voting. In the United Kingdom, poll taxes were levied by the governments of John of Gaunt in the 14th century, Charles II in the 17th and Margaret Thatcher in the 20th century. The word poll is an English word that once meant "head" - and still does, in some specialized contexts - hence the name poll tax for a per-person tax.
19th-century philosophy In the 19th century the philosophies of the Enlightenment began to have a dramatic effect, the landmark works of philosophers such as Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau influencing a new generation of thinkers. In the late 18th century a movement known as Romanticism began, it validated strong emotion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience, placing new emphasis on such emotions as trepidation, horror and terror and awe. Key ideas that sparked this change were evolution, as postulated by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Erasmus Darwin, and Charles Darwin and what might now be called emergent order, such as the free market of Adam Smith. Pressures for egalitarianism, and more rapid change culminated in a period of revolution and turbulence that would see philosophy change as well. Brief historical outline[edit] With the tumultuous years of 1789-1815, European culture was transformed by revolution, war and disruption. Influences from the late Enlightenment[edit] German idealism[edit]
Consequences of the Black Death Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411) The consequences of the Black Death included a series of religious, social and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1347 and 1350 with 30–60 percent of Europe's population killed.[1] It reduced world population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century. It took 150 and in some areas more than 250 years for Europe's population to recover. Death toll[edit] Figures for the death toll vary widely by area and from source to source as new research and discoveries come to light. The trend of recent research is pointing to a figure more like 45% to 50% of the European population dying during a four-year period. Europe[edit] In Italy, Florence's population was reduced from 110,000 or 120,000 inhabitants in 1338 to 50,000 in 1351. Middle east[edit]
Renaissance The Renaissance (UK /rɨˈneɪsəns/, US /ˈrɛnɨsɑːns/, French pronunciation: [ʁənɛsɑ̃s], from French: Renaissance "re-birth", Italian: Rinascimento, from rinascere "to be reborn")[1] was a cultural movement that spanned the period roughly from the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. Though availability of paper and the invention of metal movable type sped the dissemination of ideas from the later 15th century, the changes of the Renaissance were not uniformly experienced across Europe. In politics, the Renaissance contributed the development of the conventions of diplomacy, and in science an increased reliance on observation. Historians often argue this intellectual transformation was a bridge between the Middle Ages and Modern history. Overview[edit] The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Origins[edit] Black Death/Plague[edit]
Grundherrschaft Die herrschaftliche Organisationsform der Grundherrschaft − in Österreich und anderen Gebieten auch Erbuntertänigkeit oder Patrimonialherrschaft genannt − war eine vom Mittelalter bis zum Jahr 1848 und der Bauernbefreiung vorherrschende rechtliche, wirtschaftliche und soziale Besitzstruktur des ländlichen Raums. Grundherrschaft ist ein kennzeichnender Begriff aus der mittelalterlichen und neuzeitlichen Sozial- und Rechtsgeschichte. Barhäuptige Bauern liefern ihre Abgaben an den Grundherrn ab. Holzschnitt aus dem 15. Jahrhundert Ausbildung während der Feudalzeit[Bearbeiten] Allerdings hatte der Grundherr für den Gehorsam seiner meist mittellosen Grundholden (Untertanen) Schutz und Schirm zu gewähren. Kennzeichen der Untertänigkeit[Bearbeiten] Pflichten des Grundherrn[Bearbeiten] Der Grundherr hatte Pflichten nach dem Grundsatz „Treue und Gehorsam gegen Schutz und Schirm“. Überblick zur historischen Entwicklung[Bearbeiten] In der zweiten Hälfte des 18.