Feudalism and Manorialism
In the Middle Ages, Feudalism emerged as people fled to the countryside to seek refuge (in exchange for services) from cities that were being attacked by barbarians. The communities formed quickly and became self-sufficient, because trade no longer existed, and feudalism arose. Feudalism was a social and political system existing in medieval Europe in which people worked and fought for nobles who gave them protection and land in return.
The king owned all the land and occupied the highest tier on the pyramid. The division of land and subdividing was known as subinfeudation, which is shown in the pyramid below.
The tenants-in-chief, also known as the nobles or lords, possessed huge tracts of land, in return for their allegiance to the king, who provided protection for everyone. The next level on the pyramids were vassals, knights or lesser tenants. They gave military protection and pledged homage, or military allegiance, to their lord, and in return gained land, called a fief, and rank, through a ceremony known as investiture. These vassals owned estates, which were known as manors.
The bottom of the pyramid is occupied by the peasants, which can be divided into two groups: serfs and freemen. Both peasants provided goods and services to their lords, as well as income for the knights so they could purchase horses and weapons. In return they received military protection. The serfs were bound to the land, had no rights, and were paid by their service. On the other hand, the freemen were tenants who rented land and had the ability to leave the manor. The lord of the manor over the peasants was known as the liege lord.
The tenants-in-chief, also known as the nobles or lords, possessed huge tracts of land, in return for their allegiance to the king, who provided protection for everyone. The next level on the pyramids were vassals, knights or lesser tenants. They gave military protection and pledged homage, or military allegiance, to their lord, and in return gained land, called a fief, and rank, through a ceremony known as investiture. These vassals owned estates, which were known as manors.
The bottom of the pyramid is occupied by the peasants, which can be divided into two groups: serfs and freemen. Both peasants provided goods and services to their lords, as well as income for the knights so they could purchase horses and weapons. In return they received military protection. The serfs were bound to the land, had no rights, and were paid by their service. On the other hand, the freemen were tenants who rented land and had the ability to leave the manor. The lord of the manor over the peasants was known as the liege lord.
Castles were an important aspect of medieval life, because they served as the main protection for the nobles and their land. Key components to a castle included the walls and the moat. Both created an immense amount of protection, one of the main priorities of people living in the Middle Ages. It was also important that castles built were located on hills, because high locations were easier to fortify.
Chivalry, the code of conduct for knights, highly impacted daily life, because it blended Christian virtues with the regular conduct required of knights, bravery, loyalty, and courage. Chivalry impacted daily life by correcting a knight's behavior towards women. This code of conduct had to be strictly followed by a knight, because his armor could be stripped from him if he did not maintain proper conduct. There are also many modern day remnants of chivalric code, such as the praise of a woman's beauty and goodness, and the importance of true love.
Manorialism, an economic system that described the relationship between landlords and peasant, where serfs received protection and justice from lords, in return for payment in forms of labor, service, or goods, was very important to the development of self-sufficient communities, because it provided the economic aspect of life. Manorialism made is possible for communities to be able to function on their own, with food, water, shelter, clothing, and a spiritual religion. Manorialism occupies the bottom half of the feudalism pyramid, including the lords and serfs. The lords provided protection and harsh justice for the serfs who in return provided goods and food.
The chart above shows the key elements of a manor: the lord's house, 3-field system, Demesne-Strips, blacksmith, church, storage, bakers, and water source. The 3-field system was a farming system that rotated the use of three fields each year, to maintain a good amount of nutrients for the land and food for the animals. The three fields included one fallowed field, one spring field, and one fall field. The fallowed field was left to rest and for a grazing area for the animals, who in return for food, gave the field nutrients. There were also Demesne-Strips, which were strips of land set aside just for the lord. The other key elements, the blacksmith, church, storage, bakers, and water source, all provided key factors to survival on the manor.
The chart above shows the key elements of a manor: the lord's house, 3-field system, Demesne-Strips, blacksmith, church, storage, bakers, and water source. The 3-field system was a farming system that rotated the use of three fields each year, to maintain a good amount of nutrients for the land and food for the animals. The three fields included one fallowed field, one spring field, and one fall field. The fallowed field was left to rest and for a grazing area for the animals, who in return for food, gave the field nutrients. There were also Demesne-Strips, which were strips of land set aside just for the lord. The other key elements, the blacksmith, church, storage, bakers, and water source, all provided key factors to survival on the manor.
The Crusades
THE FIRST CRUSADE was called by Pope Urban, and the mission was to aid the Christians in the Middle East to liberate Jerusalem from the Muslims. The First Crusade was successful, and the Christians occupied occupied Jerusalem for fifty years.
THE SECOND CRUSADE was called by Pope Eugenius; however, it was unsuccessful. Many people, including Eleanor of Aquitaine went on the journey, but it was more of a tourist journey than a battle to reconquer the County of Edessa, which had been captured by the Turks.
THE THIRD CRUSADE was called by Pope Innocent the III. It was unsuccessful because two of the three commanders, Frederick Barbarossa (died) and Philip Augustus (returned home) did not fulfill their tasks as commanders, and Richard the Lion Hearted was left alone. Richard did, however, siege Acre, the most important port in Palestine, and in 1192, he made a treaty with Saladin, giving Christian pilgrims access to Jerusalem.
THE FOURTH CRUSADE was called by Pope Innocent the III and was unsuccessful because the crusaders made their final stop at Constantinople. Because the crusaders were short on money, they made an alliance with Doge, the king of Venice, who would pay for their transportation if they captured Zara, a rival trading port. The crusaders were successful, and they then attacked and captured Constantinople which embittered the relations between the Latin and Greek Churches.
THE SECOND CRUSADE was called by Pope Eugenius; however, it was unsuccessful. Many people, including Eleanor of Aquitaine went on the journey, but it was more of a tourist journey than a battle to reconquer the County of Edessa, which had been captured by the Turks.
THE THIRD CRUSADE was called by Pope Innocent the III. It was unsuccessful because two of the three commanders, Frederick Barbarossa (died) and Philip Augustus (returned home) did not fulfill their tasks as commanders, and Richard the Lion Hearted was left alone. Richard did, however, siege Acre, the most important port in Palestine, and in 1192, he made a treaty with Saladin, giving Christian pilgrims access to Jerusalem.
THE FOURTH CRUSADE was called by Pope Innocent the III and was unsuccessful because the crusaders made their final stop at Constantinople. Because the crusaders were short on money, they made an alliance with Doge, the king of Venice, who would pay for their transportation if they captured Zara, a rival trading port. The crusaders were successful, and they then attacked and captured Constantinople which embittered the relations between the Latin and Greek Churches.
The Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire developed in the eastern kingdom that Charlemagne's grandson, Louis, had been granted in the Treaty of Verdun. Because Louis and his descendants were ineffective, after the death of his last descendant, Louis the Child, in 911, the kingdom was split into five large duchies. Henry the Fowler gained the title of the Holy Roman Emperor after Conrad and united the duchies of Saxony, Franconia, and Lorraine. He also made a truce with the Magyars, defeating then in 933 and drove back the Danes in 934. Otto gained the title of the Roman Emperor because he drove off the Lombards, who were threatening the Pope. This action strengthened Otto's authority in the church. The Saxon dynasty had much success at spreading Christianity and their dynasty ended in 1024. The Saxon Dynasty was succeeded by the Franconian Dynasty.
The Franconian Dynasty only ruled for a century; however, during their reign, they increased royal authority by centralizing power. Conrad II and his son Henry III increased royal authority by reducing the power of nobles. They made sure taxes were collected, nobles paid their feudal dues, and even mined silver in order to mint coins. In 1056, after the death of Henry III, his son Henry IV ascended to the throne. He was very young, so nobles seized royal property and even assumed royal powers. From this time on, he faced a constant struggle trying to assert his royal authority over the nobles.
During the reign of Henry IV, a feud developed between the Holy Roman Empire and the Church, which became known as the Investiture Controversy. In 1073, monk Hildebrand, known as Pope Gregory VII, was elected Pope. During his reign, the papacy reached a new height of power and prestige. The Pope wanted to correct abuses among the clergy, eliminate simony, the buying of government positions, and abolish lay investiture, the act of the king choosing officials, such as bishops. In 1075, Pope Gregory VII issued a decree forbidding lay investiture. Henry IV wrote a letter to the Pope, accusing him of simony and other abuses, because of his actions. However, after a long series of conflicts, Henry sought forgiveness from the Pope, at Canossa, in 1077. Following the truce, Henry began plotting his revenge, and he captured Rome in 1083, setting his own candidate on the papal throne. The Normans and Moslems aided the Pope and attacked Rome. No compromise was ever reached during the lifetimes of Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV, who both died soon after all of the conflict. Pope Gregory VII died in exile, while Henry IV died after failing to regain the throne from his son who had rebelled.
After the Investiture Controversy between the Pope and Henry, there was still an issue of lay investiture and a weak king. In attempt to solve the lay investiture controversy, a compromise was reached at Concordat of Worms in 1122. In 1356, the German tried to establish a strong leader as king at Golden Bull, but the Germans plan to establish a strong king failed.
In 1125, the Franconian dynasty died out, and a civil war ensued. Two powerful noble families in Germany reached a compromise by placing Frederick I (Barbarossa) on the throne. He attempted to gain loyalty of the nobles by placing them in the government, but failed. The princes and bishops gained power, but Germany was not unified. Although Germany was just a region of small independent states, the Holy Roman Emperor maintained a dominant position in European politics. Two main themes that stayed in the Holy Roman Empire throughout its power were the importance of the king having allies with German bishops to stand up to powerful German nobles and the difficulties of ruling territories (Germany and Italy) separated by the Alps.
The Franconian Dynasty only ruled for a century; however, during their reign, they increased royal authority by centralizing power. Conrad II and his son Henry III increased royal authority by reducing the power of nobles. They made sure taxes were collected, nobles paid their feudal dues, and even mined silver in order to mint coins. In 1056, after the death of Henry III, his son Henry IV ascended to the throne. He was very young, so nobles seized royal property and even assumed royal powers. From this time on, he faced a constant struggle trying to assert his royal authority over the nobles.
During the reign of Henry IV, a feud developed between the Holy Roman Empire and the Church, which became known as the Investiture Controversy. In 1073, monk Hildebrand, known as Pope Gregory VII, was elected Pope. During his reign, the papacy reached a new height of power and prestige. The Pope wanted to correct abuses among the clergy, eliminate simony, the buying of government positions, and abolish lay investiture, the act of the king choosing officials, such as bishops. In 1075, Pope Gregory VII issued a decree forbidding lay investiture. Henry IV wrote a letter to the Pope, accusing him of simony and other abuses, because of his actions. However, after a long series of conflicts, Henry sought forgiveness from the Pope, at Canossa, in 1077. Following the truce, Henry began plotting his revenge, and he captured Rome in 1083, setting his own candidate on the papal throne. The Normans and Moslems aided the Pope and attacked Rome. No compromise was ever reached during the lifetimes of Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV, who both died soon after all of the conflict. Pope Gregory VII died in exile, while Henry IV died after failing to regain the throne from his son who had rebelled.
After the Investiture Controversy between the Pope and Henry, there was still an issue of lay investiture and a weak king. In attempt to solve the lay investiture controversy, a compromise was reached at Concordat of Worms in 1122. In 1356, the German tried to establish a strong leader as king at Golden Bull, but the Germans plan to establish a strong king failed.
In 1125, the Franconian dynasty died out, and a civil war ensued. Two powerful noble families in Germany reached a compromise by placing Frederick I (Barbarossa) on the throne. He attempted to gain loyalty of the nobles by placing them in the government, but failed. The princes and bishops gained power, but Germany was not unified. Although Germany was just a region of small independent states, the Holy Roman Emperor maintained a dominant position in European politics. Two main themes that stayed in the Holy Roman Empire throughout its power were the importance of the king having allies with German bishops to stand up to powerful German nobles and the difficulties of ruling territories (Germany and Italy) separated by the Alps.
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great, who ruled the Anglo Saxon kingdom from 871 to 899, was the most famous king of the Anglo Saxons. During his reign, England was attacked by the Danes (Vikings). Alfred agreed to a truce with the Danes, gaining him time to reorganize his troops. He managed to defeat the Danes, and created the Danelaw, a territory in northeast England, which was given to the Danes. After defeating the Danes, Alfred the Great administered his kingdom, established a law code, and had Latin texts translated into the vernacular, or local dialect. He also encouraged learning and cultural pursuits, and inspired monks to keep records, which became known as the Anglo Saxon Chronicles. During Alfred the Great's reign, the Anglo Saxon government organized and divided the country into shires (counties), which were ruled by earls. Another government official was a reeve, who was responsible for collecting taxes and later administering justice. The shire reeve brought criminals to courts administered by the earl. Along with the earls, reeves, and shire reeves, Alfred the Great also created the Witangemot, also known as the Witan, which was an advisory council. Their most important jobs was selecting and approving the successor to the king. Overall, Alfred the Great was important because he defeated the Danes and created an organized government and country.
William I (the Conqueror)
In 1066, William I became king after a period of struggle for power. William I had the best claim to the throne because he was the cousin of Edward the Confessor; however the Witan chose Harold Godwinson, an English nobleman, to be king. Harald Hadrada of Norway was also a contender for king; however, he was defeated and killed by Harold Godwinson. Because William I had the best claim to the English throne, he invaded England. In 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, William I defeated Harold Godwinson, which began the Norman Conquest. William the Conqueror's success in the Norman Conquest was commemorated in the Bayeux Tapestry. William the Conqueror's reign lasted from 1066 to 1087. During his reign, he consolidated his royal power, through a series of reforms and new laws. He created the Salisbury Oath, which was an oath of fealty to the king, superseding previous oaths, and rewarded his Norman supporters with clerical positions and land, which had been confiscated from the Saxons. To prevent rebellion and corruption, he limited the size and permits for new castles, as well as making all Papal letters go through his office and hiring Norman, not Saxon, bishops to the Church. He issued the first census and management of domain, which was recorded in the Domesday Book, the oldest public record. All in all, William the Conqueror was a well-respected, but not loved, king, who stabilized England.
William II
In 1087, William II seized control while his older brother Robert, who was the heir to William I, was on a crusade. He was hated by the English because he feuded with the church and nobles. He was not a noteworthy king, and during his reign, knights ran wild with impunity. In 1100, William II died a suspicious death and was succeeded by Henry I.
Henry I
In 1100, Henry I, William the Conqueror's youngest son became king. Robert, the oldest of William II's sons, was imprisoned which led Henry I to become king. He was a capable ruler, and created royal justice in England. He married a Saxon, and attempted to better the relations with the church and the nobles. He encouraged vassals to pay scutage, which generated revenue for England. The money was stacked on a checkered tablecloth, which gave the name Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Secretary of England. Henry I's son drowned and died, which created succession problems because his daughter, Matilde, was pushed aside from her rightful rule because she was female.
Stephen
In 1135, Stephen, Henry's nephew, became king. His entire reign was consumer by a civil war, because Matilde, Henry's daughter, rebelled. In attempts to form a truce, Stephen selected Matilde's son, Henry, as his successor.
Henry II
During Stephen's reign, an agreement was made between Stephen and Matilde, that stated her son, Henry, would become king after his reign. So, when Stephen died in 1154, Henry became king, and his reign began a new dynasty, the Plantagenets. During Henry II's reign, Henry restored royal authority, broadened the scope of royal justice, and attempted to extend royal authority to church law. He also laid the foundations for a stable government bureaucracy that could function without the king's presence. Henry II restored royal authority by destroying all unlicensed castles and strengthening the royal treasury by collecting overdue taxes from the nobles. By enforcing laws, Henry gained back royal authority and diminished the power nobles had gained during the civil war of Stephen's reign. He also broadened the scope of royal justice by requiring all court cases to have a license and using his itinerants, moving judges, to administer justice under his power. The itinerants formed the basis of the Common LawHenry II gained more power and authority over the nobles and commoners through these rules. Although Henry II was unsuccessful in extending royal authority to the church, he did make a valiant effort to try and gain more power. In 1164, Henry II issued the Constitutions of Clarendon, in an attempt to exert his royal power onto the church. The constitutions stated that religious people should be tried in English, not ecclesiastical, courts, and that appeals to the church in Rome could not go without royal permission. Along with the Constitutions of Clarendon, Henry II also appoint Thomas a Becket, his Chancellor, as the Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry II appointed Becket this high church position in hopes of gaining more power in the church; however, it was unsuccessful because Becket's loyalty shifted to the church, when he became "God's Man". Their feud ultimately led to Becket's murder in 1170, when Henry's knights killed Becket, because of an exaggerated statement Henry made. Although Henry II was unsuccessful with exerting his power onto the church, he did have much success in creating royal justice and authority in the Angevin Empire, which was named after his descendants who were the counts of Anjou. He was succeeded by his oldest son, Richard I, after a complicated family life of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his sons, Henry, Richard and John plotting against him.
Richard I
Richard I, also known as the lion-hearted, was king from 1189 to 1199. During his reign, he lived primarily in Aquitaine (he only resided in England for six months out of his ten year reign). He fought in the Third Crusade and possessed a lot of skill on the battlefield. During his reign, England nearly went bankrupt because he was fighting many wars, so England was not receiving taxes. He was wrongfully associated with the Folk hero Robin Hood. Because Richard the lion-hearted did not have an heir, his brother, John, successfully usurped the throne in 1199.
John
John, who was king from 1199 to 1216, earned such a bad reputation during his reign that no later king ever took the name of John. He lost the power to the church, to France and the nobles. In 1205, John appointed a bishop; however, Pope Innocent III disapproved of John's bishop, so he appointed a bishop named Stephen Langton. John refused to acknowledge Langton, so the Pope threatened to take John's kingdom with the help of France's King Philip Augustus. The Pope also placed England under interdict (no church services) and excommunicated John and England from the church. The people of England were miserable without the church, so they plotted against John. In 1213, John accepted Langton as the bishop, and was also forced to give England to the Pope. The Pope gave the land back to John as a fief. Thus, John became the Pope's vassals. Meanwhile, in France, the King of France encouraged John's vassals to revolt against him. John issued taxes to fight the French, but was unsuccessful. Therefore, in 1214, John lost all his French territory except for a small part of Aquitaine. Later, in 1215, John also lost the power to his nobles. The nobles called John to a meeting at Runnymede in 1215 because Langton had encouraged the nobles to gather. This act was exactly like the old practice to rule according to old Anglo-Saxon customs. The nobles were angered with John for many reasons and demanded to be given more power. When John was fighting in France, he placed high taxes on barons and forced them the serve in the army of pay money. Many English barons also had to give up their land in France because John lost most of his territory in France to the French. The barons, angry because of John's ruling, made a list of demands, which would be known as the Magna Carta, or "great charter". In the Magna Carta, John promised to ask the advice of his advisors before taxing people, give the right to a trial by jury to all the accused, have people found guilty in court only pay fines they can afford, not allow judges to take bribes, fine Barons only if the other barons say they are guilty, and not interfere with the church. The Magna Carta provisions were only extended to freemen and not serfs, but overtime, the rule was extended to everyone. The Magna Carta was a vital step to the development of representative government because it reduced the power of the King, and the nobles gained more power. In the end, John had a terrible reign because he lost the power to the Church, France, and the nobles.
Henry III
In 1216, at age nine, Henry III became king. Because of his young age, part of his rule was ruled by regents. He kicked the French out of England to maintain his rule; however, his reign was tied up in getting money to further regain lost territory in France. During his reign, he also dealt with Baron uprisings caused by John. The Baron uprisings were led by Simon de Monfort, who proposed a council for the king to consult in the Provision of Oxford (1258). Another provision, the Provision of Westminster, also limited the king's power and was an add-on to the Magna Carta. Both of the provisions were rejected by Henry III with the Pope's support. In 1263, the Baron's rebelled and Henry was deposed for fifteen months. During the period when Henry was deposed, Simon de Monfort ruled in his name. He summoned the assembly known as Parliament, which was composed of people from chartered towns. Eventually, Henry III's son, Edward, took back the throne from Simon de Monfort.
Edward I
Edward I, who was king from 1272 to 1307, had many accomplishments on the battlefield. He was famous for attempting to conquer Scotland and was successful in conquering Wales. He created model parliament, a type of parliament modeled after Monfort's, because he needed money to fight Scotland and Wales. The Parliament had regular meetings and when the king asked for money, parliament asked for something in return. Edward I also expelled the Jew, who were moneylenders, from England, because the English began borrowing money from the Italians.
Edward II
Edward II was a weak king because he was bad with money, made big mistakes, and got advice from bad people. During his reign, the Scots rose and took back their lost territory, under Robert the Bruce. The Scots defeated the English at Bannockburn in 1314. Edward married Isabel, who lead a rebellion against him with Mortimer. They forced Edward to resign in favor of his son, Edward III. Edward II was imprisoned and murdered because it was dangerous to have an ex-king around.
Edward III
Edward III became king in 1327 when he was seventeen years old. Isabel, his mother, and Mortimer thought they could control him and rule in his name; however, they were wrong. Edward immediately gained a group of supporters and had Isabel imprisoned and Mortimer killed. He was one of the best English kings, unlike his father, and had great success during his long reign. He regained control of Scotland using their own tactics, and he survived the Black Death and Avignon Papacy. Edward also renewed warfare with the French, because he said to have a claim to the throne (his mother was French). He was also the first to use the English language in a widespread way. His son, the Black Prince, was supposed to succeed him, but died.
Richard II
Richard II was the Grandson of Edward III. He showed early sign of promise when he put down the Peasants Revolt. The Peasants Revolt, led by Wat Tyler and John Ball , was a large revolt of peasant because of unfair taxes and no power. The Revolt was unsuccessful but laid the foundations for democracy. Although Richard II showed promise, he ended up being a poor king. He tried to re-assert power as the all-power but was forced abdicate, which ended the Plantaganet line. His cousin, Henry IV, became king.
Henry IV
Parliament elected him Henry IV and Henry acknowledged its right to do so. This resulted in an increase in parliamentary power.
Henry V
Henry V, who was king from 1413 to 1422, was king during the Hundred Year's War. He was famous for his win at Agincourt.
France
The Capetian kings established royal authority in France over time and diminished the power of the nobles. Through primogenture, the Capetians made sure there would be no issues in succession and they overpowered the nobles with their alliance to the church. They also gained financial support from the middle class through taxes. During Phillip II's reign, he established power over nobles and his territories, through the prestige of kingship and the support of the church. During the reign of Louis VI, Louis created the Parlement, the French Supreme court. Thus, the Capetians established authority because as they grew stronger, the nobles grew weaker.
During Phillip IV's reign, Phillip clashed with the Papacy because of his need for money, which ultimately led to the Great Schism. In 1296, Phillip taxed the French clergy, but Pope Boniface VIII forbade the clergy from paying the tax. Later, in 1301, Phillip imprisoned a papal legate. In the meantime, the pope issued the Unam Sanctum, a document that declared his supremacy over secular rulers. Phillip charge the pope with immorality and the pope excommunicated Phillip. In 1303, Philip arrested the pope, who was later rescued by Italian soldier. The pope died shortly after. Phillip and the next pope did not quarrel. In 1305, when the pope died, Phillip attempted to have a French cardinal elected pope. He then insisted that the new pope move to Avignon, France, so Phillip could influence and control the Pope. This period, from 1350 to 1378, was known as the Avignon Papacy, or sarcastically as the second Babylonian Captivity. In 1377, Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome. Pope Gregory XI died, so the people of Rome elected a new Italian Pope. Because most of the cardinal were French, they declared the election invalid and elected a French Pope. Both sides refused to turn down, so there were two popes. The Great Schism lasted from 1377 to 1417. During this time, ruler of various countries supported different popes. In 1409, a church council met and tried to solve the problems by electing a new pope. This was unsuccessful and just created more division in the church. Finally in 1417, the Council of Constant met and deposed all three pope, electing Martin V as the sole pope of the church. No pope could ever undo the problems the Great Schism caused and the church never regained their power.
During Phillip IV's reign, Phillip clashed with the Papacy because of his need for money, which ultimately led to the Great Schism. In 1296, Phillip taxed the French clergy, but Pope Boniface VIII forbade the clergy from paying the tax. Later, in 1301, Phillip imprisoned a papal legate. In the meantime, the pope issued the Unam Sanctum, a document that declared his supremacy over secular rulers. Phillip charge the pope with immorality and the pope excommunicated Phillip. In 1303, Philip arrested the pope, who was later rescued by Italian soldier. The pope died shortly after. Phillip and the next pope did not quarrel. In 1305, when the pope died, Phillip attempted to have a French cardinal elected pope. He then insisted that the new pope move to Avignon, France, so Phillip could influence and control the Pope. This period, from 1350 to 1378, was known as the Avignon Papacy, or sarcastically as the second Babylonian Captivity. In 1377, Pope Gregory XI moved the papacy back to Rome. Pope Gregory XI died, so the people of Rome elected a new Italian Pope. Because most of the cardinal were French, they declared the election invalid and elected a French Pope. Both sides refused to turn down, so there were two popes. The Great Schism lasted from 1377 to 1417. During this time, ruler of various countries supported different popes. In 1409, a church council met and tried to solve the problems by electing a new pope. This was unsuccessful and just created more division in the church. Finally in 1417, the Council of Constant met and deposed all three pope, electing Martin V as the sole pope of the church. No pope could ever undo the problems the Great Schism caused and the church never regained their power.