Question 1

In the conduct of the Hundred Years' War, a sure sign of feudalism's decline was the
A)inability of feuding kings to raise armies of knights.
B)reliance of kings on artillery as the main component of royal armies.
C)decisive role of peasant foot soldiers rather than mounted knights.
D)clear intention of kings to destroy the estates of their own vassals.
E)use of heavier armor and larger horses.

Accepted Answer

The use of peasant foot soldiers rather than mounted knights was a sure sign of feudalism's decline as it showed that the traditional power structure of the feudal system, where knights were the primary military force, was no longer as effective. As kings relied more on large armies made up of peasants and other non-noble soldiers, the power and influence of the old feudal nobility began to decline.

Question 2

Prior to the Golden Bull of 1356, Germany was
A)composed the four kingdoms of Bavaria, Prussia, Hanover, and Austria.
B)under the sole authority of the pope.
C)a land of hundreds of virtually independent states.
D)a highly centralized monarchy under the power of the emperor.
E)None of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

Prior to the Golden Bull of 1356, Germany was a land of hundreds of virtually independent states, meaning that there was no centralized authority or monarchy. Bavaria, Prussia, Hanover, and Austria were not yet established as separate kingdoms during this time period, and Germany was not under the sole authority of the pope.

Question 3

A key economic consequence of the plague was
A)the rapid expansion of European civic banking to rebuild industry.
B)a decline in manorialism and weakening of feudalism as noble landlords desperate for cash converted peasant labor service to market rents, freeing their serfs.
C)the more frequent bankruptcy of monarchs as they emptied their treasuries trying to provide poor relief.
D)the very slow enrichment of middling peasant laborers who began to dominate rural communities.
E)a long-term trend to abandon cities for the more secure rural environment.

Accepted Answer

The plague caused a shortage of labor as a large portion of the population died. As a result, peasants who survived found themselves in a position of power, as they were now in relatively short supply. In order to attract workers, many landlords began offering wages and freeing their serfs from labor obligations, eroding the feudal system that had dominated Europe up until that point.

Question 4

Politically, Italy and Germany were similar in the fourteenth century because
A)the plague had equally devastated both regions.
B)both regions failed to develop a centralized monarchical state.
C)local nobles and town governments lost much influence over reigning kings.
D)mercenary captains usurped royal authority and ruled violently.
E)both had begun to develop industrial economies.

Accepted Answer

Both Italy and Germany were composed of numerous independent territories with powerful nobles and city-states, and neither region had developed a strong centralized monarchy by the fourteenth century. Therefore, they were similar politically in this aspect. The other options are either irrelevant or incorrect.

Question 5

The French government and aristocracy responded to the Jacquerie by
A)drafting the rebels into the army.
B)taking no action and letting it run its course.
C)negotiating a settlement with its leaders.
D)massacring the participants.
E)renouncing their historic privileges.

Accepted Answer

The French government and aristocracy responded to the Jacquerie by massacring the participants. They feared the rebellion and violence and believed it necessary to suppress it ruthlessly.

Question 6

Joan of Arc saved France by inspiring the French soldiers to break the English siege of
A)Bordeaux.
B)Amiens.
C)Orléans.
D)Paris.
E)Geneva.

Accepted Answer

Joan of Arc inspired the French soldiers to break the English siege of Orléans.

Question 7

The Italian condottieri were
A)political leaders supporting the pope.
B)bankers with branch banks throughout much of Western Europe.
C)merchants working in northern Europe.
D)reformers within the Catholic Church.
E)leaders of mercenary bands, occasionally ruling as military dictators.

Accepted Answer

The Italian condottieri were leaders of mercenary bands, who were hired by various Italian city-states and occasionally ruled as military dictators. They were not political leaders supporting the pope, bankers, merchants, or reformers within the Catholic Church.

Question 8

Postplague socioeconomic relations between rich and poor in Europe
A)improved noticeably as Christians sought to make peace with one another to please an angry God.
B)did not alter from their preplague character.
C)deteriorated because a surplus of workers resulted in a dramatic downturn in wages.
D)improved radically as the economy entered into a period of sustained prosperity.
E)got much worse as the positions of landlords deteriorated, and they sought to limit the gains of the peasants.

Accepted Answer

The socioeconomic relations between rich and poor in Europe post-plague worsened as the positions of landlords deteriorated. They sought to limit the gains of the peasants, leading to increased tensions and a worsening of relations between the classes. The Black Death led to a significant reduction in the population, which initially increased the bargaining power of the surviving workers and peasants. However, landlords and the elite attempted to enforce laws to limit wages and restrict the mobility of peasants, aiming to preserve their pre-plague status and wealth, which exacerbated class tensions.

Question 9

One major issue behind the Hundred Years' War was a claim to the French throne by the English king
A)John II.
B)Edward II.
C)Edward III.
D)William the Conqueror
E)Henry I.

Accepted Answer

The English king who made a claim to the French throne was Edward III. He argued that he had a stronger claim than the French King Philip VI because he was the grandson of Philip IV of France, whereas Philip VI was only a cousin. This dispute over the succession to the French throne was one of the main causes of the Hundred Years' War, which lasted from 1337 to 1453.

Question 10

The European aristocracy responded to the adversity of the great plague by
A)seeking to lower wages by legal means, especially for farm laborers.
B)producing only the most basic foodstuffs, such as grain.
C)petitioning kings to order the relocation of laborers.
D)forming agricultural cooperatives linking landowners, laborers, and city consumers.
E)investing in trade and commerce rather than agricultural production.

Accepted Answer

The European aristocracy responded to the labor shortages and social upheavals caused by the great plague (Black Death) by seeking to lower wages through legal means, especially for farm laborers. This was an attempt to maintain pre-plague economic conditions despite the drastically reduced workforce.

Question 11

The crucial battle of the Hundred Years' War that was won by Henry V in 1415 and that led to the treaty and apparent victory in the war for Henry and England was the Battle of
A)Brétigny.
B)Tours.
C)Poitiers.
D)Calais.
E)Agincourt.

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Agincourt in 1415 was a major victory for the English under the leadership of King Henry V against the French forces. This battle is considered as one of the most significant battles of the Hundred Years' War and led to the capture of several French nobles by the English. The victory also boosted the morale of the English army and helped secure Henry V's position in France.

Question 12

Politically, France by the end of the fourteenth century saw
A)the dominance of the Estates-General in determining government policy and administering taxes.
B)no new forms of government revenue due to royal opposition.
C)chaos and civil war as rival noble factions fought for control of the realm.
D)new rights of political participation in the Parlement of Paris for poor townspeople.
E)strongly unified as a result of the leadership of Joan of Arc.

Accepted Answer

France at the end of the fourteenth century was marked by political instability and civil war, as rival noble factions battled for control of the realm. This was known as the Hundred Years' War, which lasted from 1337 to 1453, and caused much political and social upheaval in France. The Estates-General played a role in government, but it was not dominant, and there were no significant new forms of government revenue during this period. The Parlement of Paris did not extend new rights to poor townspeople, and while Joan of Arc was a unifying figure, her impact on French politics was limited.

Question 13

The English Peasants' Revolt of 1381
A)was caused by the rising economic expectations of ordinary people.
B)was halted when leaders Wat Tyler and John Ball betrayed the peasants' cause.
C)succeeded in getting the government to agree to the peasants' demands.
D)gained long-term results for the peasants.
E)led to the end of the Hundred Years' War.

Accepted Answer

The English Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was primarily caused by the rising economic expectations of ordinary people, who were frustrated with their serfdom and demanded better working conditions and wages. While the revolt did not ultimately succeed in gaining lasting changes for the peasants, it did demonstrate their ability to organize and challenge the existing power structures.

Question 14

France's "first woman of letters" was
A)Catherine of Siena.
B)Joan of Arc.
C)Heloise.
D)Christine de Pizan
E)Hildegard.

Accepted Answer

Christine de Pizan, born in Venice but lived most of her life in France, is considered the "first woman of letters" in France for her prolific writing career spanning from the late 14th century to the early 15th century. She wrote on a variety of topics, including politics, ethics, and gender, and was known for her outspokenness and defense of women's rights. While Catherine of Siena and Hildegard were also influential women writers and figures in their own right, they were not specifically associated with France. Joan of Arc, while an important figure in French history, was not known for her literary works. Heloise, while a scholar and writer, lived centuries earlier than Christine de Pizan and was not considered a significant figure in French literature.

Question 15

During the reign of Edward III of England, the Great Council of the barons
A)became the chief advisory body of the king.
B)relinquished most of its main powers.
C)became the House of Lords, forming a hereditary body of peers in Parliament.
D)became subservient to the House of Commons.
E)was abolished in favor of a unitary parliament.

Accepted Answer

During the reign of Edward III, the Great Council evolved into the House of Lords, marking the transition of the council into a hereditary body of peers within the Parliament. This was part of the broader development of the parliamentary system in England.

Question 16

The Golden Bull of 1356 in Germany
A)made heredity rather than election the process by which German kings were selected.
B)ensured the independence of the ecclesiastical states.
C)gave seven electors the power to choose the "king of the Romans."
D)ensured strong central authority for Germany in the next century.
E)gave limited religious toleration to urban Jews.

Accepted Answer

The Golden Bull of 1356 established a permanent electoral college, consisting of seven electors, who were given the power to choose the "king of the Romans" (who would later become the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire). The purpose was to limit the power of the monarch and ensure a balanced distribution of power among the various regions of Germany. This did not ensure heredity or strong central authority, nor did it address religious toleration for Jews.

Question 17

At the Battle of Crécy
A)the English defeated the French with cannons.
B)the English defeated the French after a lengthy siege of the castle of Crécy.
C)French pikemen defeated the English cavalry.
D)English archers devastated the French cavalry.
E)French mercenaries starved the English out of the city of Crécy.

Accepted Answer

The English victory at the Battle of Crécy was due to their skilled use of longbow archers, who devastated the French cavalry. There were no cannons present at this battle, and there was no siege of the castle of Crécy. While the French had pikemen, they were unable to withstand the barrage of English arrows. Likewise, there were no French mercenaries starving the English out of the city.

Question 18

Economically, the great plague and the crises of the fourteenth century
A)devastated peasants but not nobles.
B)brought an economic boom to landlords.
C)caused only minor changes in agricultural practices.
D)raised wages because of a scarcity of labor.
E)had little impact.

Accepted Answer

The great plague caused a scarcity of labor as many of the population died, and as a result, wages for workers increased. This was beneficial for some peasants who were able to demand better working conditions and pay. However, it also hurt landlords who relied on cheap labor to farm their lands. The crisis of the fourteenth century, including famine and war, further worsened the situation for peasants but did not benefit the nobles. Overall, the economic impact was significant, and the changes in the labor market and agricultural practices that followed were long-lasting.

Question 19

Merchants and manufacturers responded to the economic tribulations of the fourteenth century by
A)increasing their prices.
B)restricting competition and resisting the demands of the lower classes.
C)blaming the Jews and persecuting them.
D)pressuring the government to raise the prices of their products.
E)adopting laissez-faire policies.

Accepted Answer

Merchants and manufacturers responded to the economic tribulations of the fourteenth century by restricting competition and resisting the demands of the lower classes. They formed monopolies and guilds that limited entry into their trades and fixed prices to maintain their profits. They also resisted the demands of peasants and urban workers for higher wages and lower prices, leading to social and political tensions.

Question 20

Joan of Arc
A)was captured by the Burgundians and turned over to their English allies.
B)was handed over to the Inquisition on charges of witchcraft.
C)was considered transgressive because she wore men's clothing.
D)was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stake.
E)All of these are correct.

Accepted Answer

Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians and turned over to their English allies, who tried her for heresy and condemned her as a heretic. She was also considered transgressive because she wore men's clothing, and these actions contributed to the charges of witchcraft leveled against her. As a result, she was burned at the stake.

Quiz 11: The Later Middle Ages: Crisis and Disintegration in the Fourteenth Century

In the conduct of the Hundred Years' War, a sure sign of feudalism's decline was the

Prior to the Golden Bull of 1356, Germany was

A key economic consequence of the plague was

Politically, Italy and Germany were similar in the fourteenth century because

The French government and aristocracy responded to the Jacquerie by

Joan of Arc saved France by inspiring the French soldiers to break the English siege of

The Italian condottieri were

Postplague socioeconomic relations between rich and poor in Europe

One major issue behind the Hundred Years' War was a claim to the French throne by the English king

The European aristocracy responded to the adversity of the great plague by

The crucial battle of the Hundred Years' War that was won by Henry V in 1415 and that led to the treaty and apparent victory in the war for Henry and England was the Battle of

Politically, France by the end of the fourteenth century saw

The English Peasants' Revolt of 1381

France's "first woman of letters" was

During the reign of Edward III of England, the Great Council of the barons

The Golden Bull of 1356 in Germany

At the Battle of Crécy

Economically, the great plague and the crises of the fourteenth century

Merchants and manufacturers responded to the economic tribulations of the fourteenth century by

Joan of Arc