IANI LONGCHAMPS

GLOBAL HISTORY
3/6/2014



The Middle Ages stretched from roughly 5th to the 15th century.Some people say that that
during the Middle Ages, Europe experienced a dark age. The Dark Ages are characterized by
loss of learning. The western part of Europe changed after the fall of the Roman Empire
because of barbarian invasion. Europe developed a political system called feudalism as a way
to protect themselves from barbarians. I think the Middle Ages were truly dark because of
barbarians and hungarians sacking towns, and villages, also invasion spread over the
south.The bubonic plague cause the most upheaval and is another reason why the Middle Ages
were dark. Later on feudalism developed because people wanted to protect themselves, and
that lead to the crusades.

According to historian Frantz Funck-Brentano that made use of previously published text about
Europe. He described Europe in the 800 very chaotic and dangerous. Invasion spread over the
south and west of Europe, Hungarians swarm over the eastern provinces they sacked towns,
villages, and destroyed fields. Trade gone down because traders might be killed during
invasion.People were so frighten they take refuge in mountains , forest , and inaccessible
regions , with how chaotic it is in Europe in the 800s , the author would agree that the Middle
Ages were truly dark.

An Italian Chronicle, Agnolo Di Tura wrote a document in 1348 describing the plague in Siena.
According to Agnolo Di Tura the plague cause a great upheaval, people were dying both day
and night. Ditches were being filled with dead bodies of people who died because of the plague,
people were burying their loved ones and even Agnolo Di Tura had to bury five of his
children.Doges dragged dead bodies from ditches and ate them throughout the cities. With how
the plague is causing a social upheaval people believed it was the end of the world.

With the lack of a central government, security, and the demand for a new political system,
feudalism arose to install power and control to leaders in medieval Europe. Feudal lords owned
the land in exchange for military service, but the king ruled everything. There were feudal
obligations for vassal and the lord. There were high expectation that needed to be followed,
vassals had to be loyal, provide military service, and ransom, if needed. The feudal needed to
guarantee protection and provide land.

In conclusion, the Middle Ages were truly dark according to Frantz Funck-Brentano and
Agnolo Di Tura. Historian Frantz Funck-brentano describe the Middle Ages as a place being
chaotic and lots of invasion take place and made it unbearable to live in medieval europe.
Agnolo Di Tura wrote a document showing how the bubonic plague made the Middle Ages
dark and described the social upheaval the bubonic plague caused. Then feudalism arose
because of the lack of central government,security, and the demand for a new political system.