Calamitous 14th Century

When the gap between the ideal and the real in a society becomes too wide, the
system breaks down. The validity of this thesis can be shown through the political,
economic, social, and intellectual forces which were present at the time of the late 14th
and early 15th century. These forces included those such as the powerful Church, the
Black Death, and the maltreatment of the peasant class.
Economic difficulties were fully manifested by the start of the fourteenth century.
Countries of northern Europe experiecned a considerable price inflation. The cost of
grain, livestock, and dairy products rose sharply. “The Little Ice Age,” a period of sever
weather, also made the situation more frightful, bringing torrential rains, and ruining
crops everywhere. Poor harvests led to scarcity and starvation. Almost all of Europe
suffered from terrible famines. At the time, the international character of trade meant that
a disaster in one country could have serious implicat...