The The Troublesome Troublesome Late middle Late middle

Ages…Ages…

Papal Power vs. Royal Papal Power vs. Royal PowerPower

King Philip IV of France

wanted to tax the clergy …

Pope Boniface VIII argued

that Philip IV needed the

pope’s consent to tax clergy.

Philip IV sent

troops to capture Boniface

Viii…

…Boniface died of shock and no pope tried to assert supremacy

over national rulers again!

The French Clement V was “Elected” pope in 1305 (helped

a wee bit by Philip IV—the French king)

Avignon, France: Avignon, France: New Papal ResidenceNew Papal Residence

““Vacant Vatican” (1305-Vacant Vatican” (1305-1378)1378)

Pope Gregory XI decided that the prestige of the

papacy was declining and

returned to the Vatican in 1377 (but

died in 1378).

Urban VI was elected the new (Italian) pope in Rome…

…the (French)

cardinals’ lives were

under threat by a

mob!

later, they claimed the

election null and void and returned to avignon with

another (French) Pope, thus…

…Two Popes = Great Schism

Church power and prestige Church power and prestige never recovered and the never recovered and the

hope for Papal Supremacy hope for Papal Supremacy was lost.was lost.

The Hundred Years’ The Hundred Years’ WarWar

King Edward III of England had a

legitimate claim to French Throne

after French king’s death in

1328.

The 100 Years’ War continued for about 116 years—on and

off…

This war depended

less on knights and

more on peasant foot

soldiers…

High-Tech: The Longbow

• improvement over crossbow

• Could often penetrate armor

• long range capability

Originally developed by the

Welsh, the arrows of the

longbows literally darkened the

skies at Crecy.

mounted knights Became obsolete

Crecy (1346): British Victory

French forces were still dependent upon armored

cavalry and were extremely

disorganized on the battlefield.

King Henry V of England took up the British cause at the

Battle of Agincourt,

1415

The French were defeated at Agincourt and things looked

hopeless…

Cannons later modernized warfare in the Hundred Years’ War and Castles

were no longer effective

A desperate French dauphin, Charles, was looking for

some way to turn the tide of the Hundred Years’

war…

…and he turned to a teenage peasant

girl (that was hearing the voices of saints) named

Joan of Arc.

Joan persuaded Charles to let

her go with the French army to

Orleans.

“The Maid” inspired the

French forces to victory after

victory in Northern France…

this marked a turning point in

the war for France.

Joan of Arc was captured by the English, tried by the Inquisition

as a heretic, and burned at the stake in 1431.

Joan’s death made her a martyr that continued to inspire the

French forces to drive the English from their land.

A new Church court declared her innocent 25 years later…

In 1920, Joan was canonized and

became the patron saint for France, soldiers and rape

victims.

The 100 years’ War Ended in 1453…The 100 years’ War Ended in 1453…and by the way, the Muslims and by the way, the Muslims

Captured Constantinople—so much Captured Constantinople—so much for the Crusades!for the Crusades!

England was ultimately left

with the port of Calais (on the

English Channel) as its only continental

French possession.