Feudal fragmentation in Europe, in Russia and its consequences. The era of feudal fragmentation in Europe, the distinctive features of feudalism in Russian lands

Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation FSBEI HPE Volga GAFKSIT

ESSAY

on history

TOPIC:Feudal fragmentation in Western

Europe

Made by:

Abdullin Nurzat Almazovich, student 4213з

Accepted:

Shabalina Julia Vladimirovna

Kazan

1) Feudal fragmentation is a natural process.

2) Feudal fragmentation in Western Europe

a) Feudal fragmentation in England

b) The development of medieval Germany

c) The growth of Byzantine cities

d) A predatory campaign in Italy

e) The reasons for the fragmentation of Western Europe

e) The war between the feudal lords

g) Feudal ladder

h) Summary

Introduction

As the ruling dynasty branches in the early feudal states, expanding their territory and administrative apparatus, the representatives of which exercise monarch power over the local population, collecting tribute and the army, the number of applicants for central authority increases, peripheral military resources increase, and the control capabilities of the center weaken. The supreme power becomes nominal, and the monarch begins to be elected by large feudal lords from his own environment, while the resources of the elected monarch are usually limited to the resources of his original princedom, and he cannot transfer the supreme power by inheritance. In this situation, the rule “vassal of my vassal is not my vassal” works.

The first exceptions are England in northwestern Europe (the Salisbury oath of 1085, all the feudal lords are direct vassals of the king) and Byzantium in its southeast (at about the same time, Emperor Alexei Komnin forced the crusaders to capture the ground in the middle of the first crusade East, recognize vassal dependence on the empire, thereby including these lands in the empire and preserving its unity). In these cases, all the lands of the state are divided into the domain of the monarch and the lands of his vassals, as in the next historical stage, when the supreme power is assigned to one of the princes, again begins to be inherited and the centralization process begins (this stage is often called the patrimonial monarchy).

The full development of feudalism became the prerequisite for the end of feudal fragmentation, since the vast majority of the feudal layer, its rank-and-file representatives were objectively interested in having a single exponent of their interests:

Feudal fragmentation - natural

process

In the history of early feudal states of Europe of the X-XII centuries. are a period of political fragmentation. By this time, the feudal nobility had already turned into a privileged group, belonging to which was determined by birth. The existing monopoly property of the feudal lords on land was reflected in the rule of law. “There is no land without a lord.” The peasants were mostly in personal and land dependence on the feudal lords. Having gained a monopoly on the land, the feudal lords also acquired significant political power: the transfer of part of their land to vassals, the right to legal proceedings and coinage of money, the maintenance of their own military power, etc. In accordance with the new realities, a different hierarchy of feudal society now has a legal fixation: “The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal.” Thus, the internal cohesion of the feudal nobility was achieved, its privileges were protected from encroachments by the central government, which was weakening by this time. For example, in France before the beginning of the XII century. the real power of the king did not extend beyond the domain, which in size was inferior to the possessions of many large feudal lords. The king, in relation to his immediate vassals, possessed only formal suzerainty, and the large lords behaved completely independently. Thus, the foundations of feudal fragmentation began to take shape. It is known that on the territory of the disintegrated in the middle of the IX century. the empire of Charlemagne, three new states arose: French, Germanic and Italian (Northern Italy), each of which became the basis of the emerging territorial-ethnic community - nationality. Then the process of political disintegration swept each of these new formations. So, in the French kingdom at the end of the IX century. There were 29 possessions, and at the end of the tenth century. - about 50. But now they were mostly not ethnic, but patrimonial-seignorial formations

The collapse of the early feudal territorial organization of state power and the triumph of feudal fragmentation represented the completion of the process

the formation of feudal relations and the flourishing of feudalism in Western Europe. In terms of content, it was a logical and progressive process, due to the rise of internal colonization, expansion of the area of \u200b\u200bcultivated land. Thanks to the improvement of tools, the use of draft animals and the transition to a three-field, land cultivation improved, industrial crops began to be bred - flax, hemp; new branches of agriculture appeared - viticulture, etc. As a result, the peasants began to have surplus products that they could exchange for handicrafts, rather than make them themselves. The labor productivity of artisans increased, and the technique and technology of craft production improved. The artisan turned into a small commodity producer working for a trade exchange. Ultimately, these circumstances led to the separation of crafts from agriculture, the development of commodity-money relations, trade and the emergence of a medieval city. They became centers of craft and commerce. As a rule, cities in Western Europe arose on the land of the feudal lord and therefore inevitably obeyed him. The townspeople, most of whom were mostly former peasants, remained in the land or personal dependence of the feudal lord. The desire of citizens to free themselves from such dependence led to a struggle between cities and seniors for their rights and independence. This movement, widely developed in Western Europe in the X-XIII centuries. went down in history under the name of “communal movement”. All rights or privileges won or acquired as a ransom are entered into the charter. By the end of the XIII century. many cities achieved self-government, became communal cities. So, about 50% of English cities had their own self-government, city council, mayor and their own court. Residents of such cities of England, Italy, France, etc. became free from feudal dependence. A runaway peasant who lived in the cities of the named countries for a year and a day became free. Thus, in the XIII century. a new estate appeared - the townspeople - as an independent political force with its status, privileges and liberties: personal freedom, jurisdiction of the city court, participation in the city militia. The emergence of estates that achieved significant political and legal rights was an important step towards the formation of estate-representative monarchies in Western Europe. This was made possible thanks to the strengthening of central authority, first in England, then in France. The development of commodity-money relations and the involvement of the village in this process undermined subsistence farming and created the conditions for the development of the domestic market. The feudal lords, trying to increase their incomes, began to transfer the land to the peasants in hereditary holding, reduced the landlord, encouraged internal colonization, eagerly accepted the runaway peasants, settled the uncultivated land with them and provided them with personal freedom. The estates of the feudal lords were also drawn into market relations. These circumstances led to a change in the forms of feudal rent, the weakening, and then the complete elimination of personal feudal dependence. Quickly enough, this process took place in England, France, Italy. .

Feudal fragmentation in western europe

Feudal fragmentation in England

The process of feudal fragmentation in the X-XII centuries. began to develop in England. This was facilitated by the transfer by the royal authority of the nobility of the right to collect feudal duties from peasants and their lands. As a result, the feudal lord (secular or church), who received such an award, becomes the full owner of the land occupied by the peasants and their personal master. The private property of the feudal lords grew, they became economically stronger and strove for greater independence from the king. The situation changed after England in 1066 was conquered by the Norman Duke William the Conqueror. As a result, a country marching towards feudal fragmentation turned into a united state with strong monarchical power. On the European continent at this time this is the only example.

The fact was that the conquerors deprived many representatives of the former nobility of their possessions, conducting a massive confiscation of land ownership. The king became the actual owner of the land, who transferred part of it as flax to his warriors and parts of local feudal lords who expressed their readiness to serve it. But these possessions were now in different parts of England. An exception was only a few counties, which were located on the outskirts of the country and were intended for the defense of border areas. The dispersion of feudal estates (130 large vassals had land in 2-5 counties, 29 in 6-10 counties, 12 in 10-21 counties), private return to the king served as an obstacle to the transformation of barons into independent landowners, as it were, for example in France

The development of medieval Germany

The development of medieval Germany was characterized by a certain peculiarity. Until the XIII century. it was one of the most powerful states in Europe. And then here the process of internal political fragmentation begins to develop rapidly, the country breaks up into a number of independent associations, while other Western European countries embarked on the path of state unity. The fact is that the German emperors in order to maintain their power over dependent countries needed the military assistance of the princes and were forced to make concessions to them. Thus, while in other European countries the royal power deprived the feudal nobility of its political privileges, in Germany the process of legislative consolidation of the highest state rights for princes developed. As a result, imperial power gradually lost its position and became dependent on large secular and church feudal lords. . In addition, in Germany, despite the rapid development already in the X century. cities (the result of the separation of crafts from agriculture) did not work out, as was the case in England, France and other countries, an alliance between the royal power and cities. Therefore, German cities could not play an active role in the political centralization of the country. And finally, in Germany, like England or France, a single economic center was not formed, which could become the core of a political union. Each principality lived apart. With the strengthening of princely power, the political and economic fragmentation of Germany intensified.

The growth of Byzantine cities

In Byzantium to the beginning of the XII century. the formation of the basic institutions of feudal society was completed, feudal estates were formed, and the bulk of the peasants were already in land or personal dependence. The imperial power, presenting wide privileges to secular and church feudal lords, facilitated their transformation into omnipotent patrimonies, who had the apparatus of judicial and administrative power and armed squads. It was the emperors' pay to the feudal lords for their support and service. The development of crafts and trade led at the beginning of the XII century. to a fairly rapid growth of Byzantine cities. But unlike Western Europe, they did not belong to individual feudal lords, but were under the rule of a state that did not seek an alliance with the townspeople. Byzantine cities did not achieve, like Western European, self-government. Citizens, subjected to severe fiscal exploitation, were thus forced to fight not with the feudal lords, but with the state. Strengthening the position of feudal lords in cities, establishing their control over the trade and sale of manufactured products, undermined the welfare of merchants and artisans. With the weakening of imperial power, the feudal lords became sovereign masters in the cities. . Increased tax oppression led to frequent uprisings that weakened the state. At the end of the XII century. the empire began to fall apart. This process accelerated after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 by the crusaders. The empire fell, and the Latin empire and several other states formed on its ruins. And although in 1261 the Byzantine state was restored again (it happened after the fall of the Latin Empire), but the former power was no longer there. This continued until the fall of Byzantium under the blows of the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

The predatory campaign in Italy

In the X century, the German feudal lords, led by their king, began to commit predatory campaigns in Italy. Having captured part of Italy with the city of Rome, the German king declared himself the Roman emperor. The new state was later called the Holy Roman Empire. But it was a very weak state. Large feudal lords of Germany did not submit to the emperor. The population of Italy did not stop the struggle with the invaders. Each new German king had to make a campaign for the Alps in order to conquer the country again. For several centuries in a row, the German feudal looted and ravaged Italy.

The states of Western Europe were not united. Each of them broke up into large feudal estates, which were divided into many small ones. In Germany, for example, there were about 200 small states. Some of them were so small that they jokingly said: “The head of the ruler, when he goes to bed, lies on his land, and his legs have to stretch out to the neighbor’s possessions.” This was a time of feudal fragmentation in Western Europe

The reasons for the fragmentation of Western Europe

Why were Western European states fragmented? Under subsistence farming, there were and could not be strong trade ties between separate parts of the country, there were no links even between separate estates. At each estate, the population lived their own separate lives and had little contact with people from other places. People spent almost their entire lives in their village. Yes, they had no reason to go anywhere: after all, everything needed was done on the spot.

Each feudal possession was an almost independent state. The feudal lord had a detachment of soldiers, collected taxes from the population, did trial and reprisal against him. He himself could declare war on other feudal lords and make peace with them. Who owned the land, he also had power.

Large feudal lords - dukes and counts - had little regard for the king. They argued that the king was only “first among equals,” that is, they considered themselves to be no less noble than the king. Many large feudal lords themselves were not averse to seizing the royal throne.

The dominance of subsistence farming led to the fragmentation of Western European states. Royal power in the IX - X centuries. was very weak.

War between feudal lords

In times of fragmentation, the feudal lords continuously fought among themselves. These wars were called internecine warriors
.

What caused internecine wars? The feudal lords sought to rob each other of the land together with the peasants who lived on it. The more feudal lords had serfs, the stronger and richer they were, since serfs were responsible for land use.

Wanting to undermine the strength of his enemy, the feudal lord ravaged his peasants: he burned villages, stole cattle, trampled crops.

From internecine wars suffered most. Peasants; feudal lords could sit behind the strong walls of their castles.

Feudal Stairs

In order to have his own military detachment, each feudal lord distributed part of the land with serfs to smaller feudal lords. The land owner was a lord (“elder”) in relation to these feudal lords, and those who received land from him were his vassals, that is, military servants. Entering the possession of the feud, the vassal knelt before the lord and took him the oath of allegiance. As a sign of the transfer, the feudal lord handed the vassal a handful of land and a tree branch.

The king was considered the head of all feudal lords. He was the lord for dukes and counts.

In their possessions there were usually hundreds of villages; they disposed of large detachments of soldiers.

A step below stood barons - vassals of dukes and counts. Usually they owned two or three dozen villages and could put up a detachment of soldiers.

The barons were the lords of the small feudal lords - knights.

Thus, the same feudal lord was the lord of a smaller feudal lord and a vassal of a larger one. The vassals were to obey only their lords. If they were not vassals of the king, then they were not obliged to carry out his orders. This order was fixed by the rule: “ The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal».

Relations between feudal lords resemble a staircase, on the upper steps of which are the largest feudal lords, on the lower - small. These relationships are called feudal ladder

Peasants did not enter the feudal ladder. And seniors, vassals were feudal lords. All of them - from the petty knight of the king - lived by the labor of serfs.

The vassal was obliged by order of his lord to go on a campaign with him and lead a detachment of soldiers. In addition, he was supposed to help the lord with advice and redeem him from captivity.

The lord protected his vassals from the attacks of other feudal lords and from the rebellious peasants. If peasants rebelled in the village of a knight, he sent a messenger to the lord, and he and his detachment hurried to help him.

When the war began with another state, the entire feudal ladder seemed to move. The king called on the campaign of the dukes and counts, they turned to the barons, who led the troops of the knights. So the feudal army was created. But the vassals often did not follow the orders of their lords. In such cases, only force could force them to submit.

In the period of fragmentation, the feudal ladder was the organization of the feudal class. With its help, the feudal lords waged wars and helped each other keep the peasants in subjection.

Conclusion

Feudal fragmentation is a progressive phenomenon in the development of feudal relations. The collapse of the early feudal empires into independent kingdom-kingdoms was an inevitable stage in the development of feudal society, whether it concerned Russia in Eastern Europe, France in Western Europe or the Golden Horde in the East. The feudal fragmentation was progressive because it was the result of the development of feudal relations, the deepening of the social division of labor, which resulted in the rise of agriculture, the flourishing of crafts, and the growth of cities. For the development of feudalism already needed a different scale and structure of the state, adapted to the needs and aspirations of the feudal lords

Bibliography

Textbook. History of the Middle Ages. V.A. Vedyushkin. M "Education" 2009

2. The history of the Middle Ages. M. Boytsov, R. Shukurov. M.

Miros, 1995

3.R.Yu. Wheeler Brief textbook of the history of the Middle Ages

1-2 parts of M. School - Press, 1993

causes	process	manifestation	result
1. Development of private land tenure	Transformation of land awards for military service into hereditary property.	"The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal." The king’s power extended to the territory of his own possessions - the royal domain.	The dependence of the feudal nobility on central authority has weakened.
2. The growth of peasants' dependence on feudal lords	Instead of the pedestrian militia of the peasant community under Karl Martell, a heavily armed knightly cavalry was created.	The decline in the role of assemblies of tribal nobility and free community members. distribution to knights (feudal lords) of the earth with peasants in a lifetime possession.	The consolidation of the peasants. The support of the monarch’s power by the once free community members has weakened.
3. The state of subsistence farming	Weak economic ties between parts of the feudal state.	"In my territory, I am the king." In the structure of medieval society, the townspeople did not stand out in a separate estate.	Feudal economies were economically self-sufficient. Trade was poorly developed.
4. Cultural and ethnic differences	The peoples that were part of the Carolingian empire spoke different languages, had different customs and traditions.	The desire for separation, opposing the central government in the person of the monarch (separatism).	Verdun section 843 and the emergence of kingdoms that gave rise to modern European states: France, Italy and Germany.

Feudal Society in the Middle Ages

Questions and Tasks

1. Define the concepts:

“Dynasty” [a series of monarchs descending from a common ancestor succeeding each other on the throne by right of kinship];
“Feudal fragmentation” [the period in the history of medieval Europe, which is characterized by the fragmentation of the state into large and small feudal possessions];
“Hierarchy” [sequential arrangement of social strata or official ranks from lower to higher, in the order of submission];
“Feudal lord” [land owner, owner of the feud];
“Vassal” [feudal lord who received land ownership (feud) from the lord and was obliged to perform military service];
“Estates” [public groups endowed with certain rights and obligations on the basis of state laws];
“Feudal society” [agrarian (pre-industrial) society of the Middle Ages, which is characterized by: a combination of land ownership of feudal lords with peasant farming subordinate to them, corporatism, the rule of religion in the spiritual sphere].

2. What influence did antiquity and barbarian peoples have on medieval civilization?

3. Prove that it was Christianity that became the basis of the medieval civilization formed in Europe.

4. What are the forms of interaction between civilizations of the East and West in the Middle Ages.

5. If you had the opportunity to make a historical film about one of the famous battles in which representatives of different civilizations came together, which one would you choose? Justify your choice.

Historical figures

Hugo Capet

The French king, who lived around 940-996, the founder of the Capetian dynasty.

The ancient Greek historian who lived around 484-425gg. BC. founder of European historical science.

Homer

The ancient Greek philosopher, who lived around 427-347. BC, creator of the project of an ideal state, a student of Socrates.

Gladiator, leader of the largest slave rebellion in Roman history; died in 701 BC

Roman commander, statesman and writer, who lived 100-44 years. BC.; conqueror of Gaul, established his own dictatorship in Rome.

Aeschylus

The ancient Greek poet and playwright, who lived in 525-456. BC, one of the main representatives of the ancient tragedy.

Ancient Greek physician who lived around 460-370 BC, an ancient reformer and founder of European medicine.

King of the Franks, emperor (from 800g.), Who lived in 742-814, the creator of the vast empire of Western Europe.

Karl Martel

The Frankish Majordom, who lived in 686-741, defeated the Arabs at the Battle of Poitiers, which put an end to their expansion into Europe.

Italian political thinker, who lived in 1469-1527, historian, author of the books “History of Florence”, “Sovereign”.

Ancient Chinese sage, founder of Confucianism, who lived approx. 551-479 BC; his teachings had a huge impact on Chinese civilization, the formation of the national character and value system of the Chinese.

The ancient Chinese sage, the founder of Taoism, who lived in the VI century. BC.; his teachings had a huge impact on Chinese civilization, the formation of the national character and value system of the Chinese.

The states of Western Europe in the Middle Ages were not integral. Each represented several large feudal estates, which, in turn, were divided into smaller ones. For example, in Germany there were about two hundred small states. Most of them were too small, and they were jokingly said that the head of the sleeping ruler is on his land, and his extended legs are in the possession of his neighbor. It was an era of feudal fragmentation that captured

This topic will be of great interest not only to students, for whom it is briefly described in the textbook “General History. Grade 6 ”, as well as adults, who may have forgotten schoolwork a bit.

Definition of the term

Feudalism is a political system that arose in the Middle Ages and operated on the territory of the then European states. Countries in this order of administration were divided into sections called feuds. These lands were distributed by monarch overlords for the long-term use of noble subjects - vassals. The owners, in whose control the territories fell, were obliged to pay tribute to the state treasury every year, as well as send a certain number of knights and other armed soldiers to the army of the ruler. And for this, the vassals, in turn, not only received all the rights to use the land, but also could control the labor and fate of the people considered their subjects.

The collapse of the empire

After the death of Charlemagne in 814, his successors were not able to save the state he created from collapse. And all the prerequisites and causes of feudal fragmentation began to appear precisely from the very moment when the Frankish nobles, or rather, the counts, who were officials of the empire, began to seize the land. At the same time, they turned the free population living there, into their vassals and bonded peasants.

The feudal lords owned estates called seignoria, which were actually closed farms. On their territories, all the necessary goods for life were produced, from foodstuffs to materials for building castles - well-fortified structures where the owners of these lands themselves lived. We can say that feudal fragmentation in Europe arose also thanks to such a subsistence economy, which contributes to the complete independence of the nobles.

Over time, the position of the count began to be inherited and assigned to the largest landowners. They ceased to obey the emperor, and turned medium and small feudal lords into their vassals.

Verdun Treaty

With the death of Charlemagne, quarrels begin in his family, which lead to real wars. At this time, the largest feudal lords begin to support them. But finally tired of the constant hostilities, in 843 the grandchildren of Charlemagne decided to meet in the city of Verdun, where they signed an agreement according to which the empire was divided into three parts.

In accordance with the agreement, one part of the land passed into the possession of Louis the German. He began to rule the territory located north of the Alps and east of the Rhine. This state is called East Frankish. They spoke German dialects here.

The second part was taken over by Karl, who was nicknamed Lysy. These were lands located west of the Rhone, Scheldt and Maas rivers. They began to be called the Kingdom of West Frank. They spoke languages \u200b\u200bthat subsequently formed the basis of modern French.

The third part of the land, together with the title of emperor, went to the oldest of the brothers - Lothar. He owned territory located along and also Italy. But soon the brothers quarreled, and war broke out between them again. Louis and Karl united against Lothar, robbed him of his land and divided it among themselves. At this time, the title of emperor practically did not mean anything.

It was after the separation of the former state of Charlemagne in Western Europe that the period of feudal fragmentation began. Subsequently, the possessions of the three brothers turned into countries that exist to this day - these are Italy, Germany and France.

Medieval European States

In addition to the empire of Charlemagne, there was another large European state. In 1066, the Duke of Normandy (a region located in the north of France), subjugating the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, united them and became king of England. His name was William the Conqueror.

To the east of German lands, such as the Czech Republic, Poland, and Kievan Rus were already formed. And where the nomads who came here dominated, the Kingdom of Hungary eventually appeared. In addition, Sweden, Denmark and Norway arose in northern Europe. For a while, all of these states were united.

The collapse of medieval states

So what were the causes of feudal fragmentation here? The reason for the collapse of the empires of that time was not only the civil strife of the rulers. As you know, the lands that make up the state of Charlemagne were united by the force of arms. Therefore, the reasons for the feudal fragmentation lie also in the fact that there was an attempt to gather completely different peoples within the framework of one empire who did not want to live together. For example, the population of the West Frankish kingdom was called the French, the East Frankish - the Germans, and the peoples living in Italy - the Italians. It is interesting that the very first documents drawn up in the languages \u200b\u200bof the peoples living here appeared precisely during the struggle for power of the grandchildren of Emperor Charlemagne. So, Louis the German signed a treaty stating that they swear together to confront their older brother Lothar. These papers were compiled in French and German.

The power of the nobles

The reasons for the feudal fragmentation in Europe largely depended on the actions of the counts and dukes, who were a kind of governors in various parts of the country. But over time, when they began to feel almost unlimited power, the feudal lords ceased to obey the main ruler. Now they served only the owners of the lands on whose territory their estates were located. Moreover, they reported directly to the duke or count, and even then only during hostilities, when they marched at the head of their own army. When peace came, they were completely independent and ruled their lands and the people who inhabited them as they saw fit.

Feudal Stairs

In order to create their army, the dukes and counts gave part of their territories to smaller landowners. Thus, some became lords (chief), while others became their vassals (military servants). Entering the ownership of the feud, the vassal knelt before his lord and swore allegiance to him. In exchange, the master handed over to his subject a tree branch and a handful of earth.

The main feudal lord in the state was the king. He was considered the lord for the counts and dukes. Their possessions included hundreds of villages and a large number of military detachments. A step below stood the barons, who were vassals of the counts and dukes. They usually owned no more than three dozen villages and a detachment of warriors. The petty feudal knights obeyed the barons.

As a result of the hierarchy, the middle-class feudal lord was a lord for the petty, but at the same time he was a vassal for a larger nobleman. Therefore, a rather interesting situation developed. Those nobles who were not vassals of the king were not obliged to obey him and carry out his orders. There was even a special rule. It read: "The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal."

The relations between the estates resembled a staircase, where on the lower steps there were small feudal lords, and on the upper - larger, led by the king. It was this division that later came to be called the feudal ladder. The peasants did not enter it, since all the lords and vassals lived at the expense of their labor.

Natural economy

The reasons for the feudal fragmentation of Western Europe consisted also in the fact that the inhabitants of not only certain regions, but also of the villages practically did not need any connections with other settlements. They could make all necessary things, foodstuffs and tools themselves or simply exchange them with neighbors. At that time, there was just the heyday of subsistence farming, when trade itself ceased to exist.

Military policy

The feudal fragmentation, the causes and consequences of which had a significant impact on the military power of the royal army itself, could not only strengthen it, but also increase the authority of the central government in the eyes of large landowners. The feudal lords by the tenth century managed to acquire their own squads. Therefore, the king’s personal army could not fully resist such vassals. In those days, the ruler of the state was only a conditional head of the then hierarchical system. In fact, the country was ruled by nobles - dukes, barons and princes.

The reasons for the collapse of European states

So, all the main causes of feudal fragmentation were identified in the process of studying the cultural and socio-economic development of Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Such a political system has led to a rise in terms of material well-being, as well as to flourishing in the spiritual direction. Historians have come to the conclusion that feudal fragmentation was a completely logical and objective process. But this applies only to European states.

Here are the causes of feudal fragmentation common to all states, without exception, summarized in two paragraphs:

● Availability of subsistence farming. On the one hand, it ensured a rather sharp rise in wealth and trade, as well as the rapid development of land tenure, and on the other, the complete absence of any specialization in certain regions and extremely limited economic ties with other lands.

● The sedentary lifestyle of the squad. In other words, the transformation of its members into feudal lords whose privilege was the right to own land. In addition, their power over the peasant estate was unlimited. They had the opportunity to judge people and punish them for various wrongdoings. This caused a slight weakening of the influence of central government policies on certain territories. Prerequisites also appeared for the successful solution of military tasks by the local population.

Feudal fragmentation of Russian lands

The processes taking place in Western Europe since the 10th century could not ignore the principality, where the Eastern Slavs lived. But it should be noted that the causes of feudal fragmentation in Russia were of a special nature. This can be explained by other socio-economic trends, as well as local customs of succession.

The division of the state into principalities was due to the great influence enjoyed by the local nobility, called the boyars. In addition, they owned huge land plots and supported the local princes. And instead of submitting to the Kiev authorities, they agreed among themselves.

Heredity of Thrones

As in Europe, feudal fragmentation began with the fact that the numerous heirs of the rulers could not share power. Whereas in Western countries, the Salic right of the inheritance of the throne was in effect, requiring the transfer of the throne from father to eldest son, then on the Russian lands, Ladder law had effect. It provided for the transfer of power from an older brother to a younger brother, etc.

Numerous offspring of all brothers grew up, and each of them wanted to rule. Over time, the situation became more confused, and applicants to the throne constantly and tirelessly weighed intrigues against each other.

The first serious contention was the military conflict between the heirs of Prince Svyatoslav, who died in 972. The winner was his son Vladimir, who later baptized Russia. The collapse of the state began after the reign of Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich, who died in 1132. After this, feudal fragmentation continued until the lands began to unite around Moscow.

The reasons for the fragmentation of Russian lands

The crushing process of Kievan Rus covers the period from the XII to the beginning of the XIV century. In this era, the princes waged lengthy and bloody internecine wars for the expansion of land ownership.

Here are the most important causes of feudal fragmentation, briefly and clearly formulated in four paragraphs, valid only in Russia:

● The intensification of internecine struggle as a result of two trends that existed in the rules of succession to the Kiev throne. One of them is Byzantine law, which allows transferring power from father to eldest son, the second is Russian custom, according to which the eldest in the family should become the heir.

● A significant weakening of the role of Kiev as a central authority. This was due to the raids of the Polovtsy, which made the trip along the Dnieper dangerous, as a result of which the outflow of the population from Kiev to the northwest began.

● A significant weakening of the threat from the Pechenegs and Varangians, as well as the rout and establishment of relations with the rulers of the Byzantine Empire.

● Creation by Yaroslav the Wise of a specific system. After his death in 1054, a whole series of civil wars engulfed Russian lands. The Old Russian integral state from a sole monarchy was transformed into a federal one, which was immediately led by several authoritative princes of Yaroslavichi.

We hope that this article helped to supplement the knowledge of not only schoolchildren who are now studying the topic “Causes of feudal fragmentation” in the textbook “General History. 6th grade". It will refresh the memory of university students events that occurred in the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, such a topic as feudal fragmentation, the causes and consequences of which we have described in sufficient detail, you will agree, is quite interesting.

Feudal fragmentation in England

The process of feudal fragmentation in the X-XII centuries. began to develop in England. This was facilitated by the transfer by the royal authority of the nobility of the right to collect feudal duties from peasants and their lands. As a result, the feudal lord (secular or church), who received such an award, becomes the full owner of the land occupied by the peasants and their personal master. The private property of the feudal lords grew, they became economically stronger and strove for greater independence from the king.
The situation changed after England in 1066 was conquered by the Norman Duke William the Conqueror. As a result, a country marching towards feudal fragmentation turned into a united state with strong monarchical power. On the European continent at this time this is the only example.

The development of medieval Germany

The development of medieval Germany was characterized by a certain peculiarity. Until the XIII century. it was one of the most powerful states in Europe. And then here the process of internal political fragmentation begins to develop rapidly, the country breaks up into a number of independent associations, while other Western European countries embarked on the path of state unity. The fact is that the German emperors in order to maintain their power over dependent countries needed the military assistance of the princes and were forced to make concessions to them. Thus, while in other European countries the royal power deprived the feudal nobility of its political privileges, in Germany the process of legislative consolidation of the highest state rights for princes developed. As a result, imperial power gradually lost its position and became dependent on large secular and church feudal lords. .
In addition, in Germany, despite the rapid development already in the X century. cities (the result of the separation of crafts from agriculture) did not work out, as was the case in England, France and other countries, an alliance between the royal power and cities. Therefore, German cities could not play an active role in the political centralization of the country. And finally, in Germany, like England or France, a single economic center was not formed, which could become the core of a political union. Each principality lived apart. With the strengthening of princely power, the political and economic fragmentation of Germany intensified.

The growth of Byzantine cities

In Byzantium to the beginning of the XII century. the formation of the basic institutions of feudal society was completed, feudal estates were formed, and the bulk of the peasants were already in land or personal dependence. The imperial power, presenting wide privileges to secular and church feudal lords, facilitated their transformation into omnipotent patrimonies, who had the apparatus of judicial and administrative power and armed squads. It was the emperors' pay to the feudal lords for their support and service.
The development of crafts and trade led at the beginning of the XII century. to a fairly rapid growth of Byzantine cities. But unlike Western Europe, they did not belong to individual feudal lords, but were under the rule of a state that did not seek an alliance with the townspeople. Byzantine cities did not achieve, like Western European, self-government. Citizens, subjected to severe fiscal exploitation, were thus forced to fight not with the feudal lords, but with the state. Strengthening the position of feudal lords in cities, establishing their control over the trade and sale of manufactured products, undermined the welfare of merchants and artisans. With the weakening of imperial power, the feudal lords became sovereign masters in the cities. .
Increased tax oppression led to frequent uprisings that weakened the state. At the end of the XII century. the empire began to fall apart. This process accelerated after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 by the crusaders. The empire fell, and the Latin empire and several other states formed on its ruins. And although in 1261 the Byzantine state was restored again (it happened after the fall of the Latin Empire), but the former power was no longer there. This continued until the fall of Byzantium under the blows of the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

Over time, large feudal lords, who received land from the kings in conditional possession, secured them for themselves. Now they could inherit the land of their own free will and not obey their lords. In this case, the feudal lords relied on their own vassals and became in their lands full sovereigns. The book of medieval laws said:

“In the distant time, it depended on the power of the masters, when they would like to take away the feud they had given them. After that, they came to the conclusion that the feud was an integral year. Then it was established that the feud stayed throughout the life of a vassal. But since the feud did not pass on to his sons by right of inheritance, then they came to the conclusion that he began to pass on to his sons. "

The power of the kings gradually weakened. They were no longer able to cope with all the rebellious vassals who sought independence. Separation of individual parts of the state was also promoted by the dominance of subsistence farming. It made each large feudal possession independent and independent of the rest of the state, since everything that was needed was produced within itself. Began a long period feudal fragmentation. Material from the site

The changes that occurred in Western Europe testified to the fact that feudal relations developed in it by the 10th century. Their distinguishing features were: the formation of the estates of medieval society - feudal lords and peasants; the formation of the "feudal ladder"; the dominance of subsistence farming.

On this page, material on the topics: