Essay Archive - The Downfall of the Middle Ages
The Downfall of the Middle Ages
There were many reasons for the downfall for the Middle Ages, but the
most crucial ones were the decline of the feudal system, and the declination of
the Church's power over the nation-states. In feudal society, everyone had a
definite place and a definite role, with the power resting in the hands of the
local lords (instead of a central government). The lords, or nobles, lost power
after the Crusades, when the Europeans came into contact with the more advanced
civilizations of the Byzantine Empire and the Muslims. That spurred the growth
of trade, which in turn gave rise t....
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