Philip the Fair of France had several conflicts with Pope Boniface VIII. As the Western Civilization entered the fourteenth-century, they had to struggle with several crises including cattle dying, the Western Schism, harvests dying, Hundred Years’ War, and primarily, the Black Death. These conflicts and crises are a part of history.
Philip IV, and Philip the Fair, was going into war with England. However, he needed money to tax his armies. Therefore, without the Pope’s permission, he started stealing properties from the people and selling them and forcing everyone to pay taxes to support the armies of France. Eventually, the Pope, Boniface VIII can no longer watch the people pay Philip’s taxes and starts arguing with the soldier. Pope Boniface says that whoever pays anymore of Philip’s taxes will be excommunicated. In other words, the person who pays the tax will be sent away from his home and city. These conflicts between Pope Boniface VIII and Philip the Fair kept going on, each taking their turns striking back. However, these are significant. Today we understand the power the pope had back then and the power of the general of France had as well.
The Black Death was very devastating as it had killed one-third of the whole entire European population. The Black Death was a mixture of two different kinds of plagues. One was carried from Italy by fleas on rats which were on the ships taking goods to Europe. The other plague was spread primarily by coughing and sneezing. These two plagues combined, pneumonic and bubonic, were enough for most people to die of. The people of Europe responded to the Black Death, thinking different ways of why the Black Death was cursed upon them. Two thoughts were God made the Black Death because of something very wrong, that they did not know of, they did; the other was maybe they were supposed to have more children and increase the population. However, the reason for the Black Death is not certain.
~Perrissa
Perrissa's 10th Grade School Blog 