Print this page The Calamitous Fourteenth Century

The fourteenth century was marked by war, plague, political upheaval and dramatic social change. Historians have often described it as one of the most challenging periods in European history, yet it was also a century that laid foundations for profound transformation. This course explores the major events and personalities that shaped medieval Europe, including the Black Death, the Hundred Years' War, the Peasants' Revolt, and growing challenges to medieval religious authority. Participants will examine how demographic collapse, economic disruption and political instability reshaped societies across the continent. The course also introduces influential figures such as Edward III, Richard II, Philip IV, John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, alongside literary voices including Chaucer, Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio. Attention will also be given to climate events, social tensions and the changing relationship between ordinary people, rulers and religious institutions.

Suitable for anyone interested in medieval history and the origins of the modern world.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE RESOURCES

• Matthew Gabriel and David Perry, The Bright Ages a New History of Mediaeval Europe, Harper Collins 2023
• Barbara Tuchman, A Distant Mirror, The Calamitous Fourteenth Century, Penguin 2017
• Helen Carr, This Sceptred Isle, A New History of the 14th Century, Hutchinson Heinemann 2025
• Froissart’s Chronicle 1326-1400, online edition, Digital Humanities, www.dhi.ac.uk/onlinefroissart

COURSE OUTLINE

• Why historians use the descriptors “forlorn”, “dramatic” and “turbulent” when they write about the 14th century
• Key events which have contributed to significant changes to social and economic structures including the 100 Years War, the pandemic of the Black Death and the Peasants Revolt of 1381
• The erosion of trust in the Catholic Church across western Christendom, early church reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus and their fate, anti semitism, heretic hunting and book burning, 
• The importance of key figures from the 14th century including Kings Edward 11 and 111, Richard 11 the last of the Plantagenet kings, the Black Prince (son of Edward 111), the Knights Templar, King Philip IV and Charles VI of France and literary titans Chaucer, Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Gain a clear understanding of the key events and their implications in relation to social, economic and political trends throughout the 14th century
• Appreciate the role of key individuals across the century
• Discuss the key sources available to historians for this challenging period of history