1358: The Jacquerie, Social Fear, and Repression
p5John II the Good: Captivity, Internal Crisis, and the Treaty of Brétigny (1350–1364) · HIGH MIDDLE AGES
In 1358, a peasant insurrection breaks out: the Jacquerie. In a kingdom devastated by war, struck by plague and pressed by ransoms and taxes, social violence explodes.
🌾 A Social Crisis Born of War
The countryside suffers plundering, protection demands, and permanent insecurity. The aristocracy is accused of failing to protect, while continuing to demand tribute. The breach of trust becomes a breach of violence.
⚔️ Repression and Lasting Fractures
Repression is swift and brutal. The Jacquerie leaves a memory of fear and vengeance, and reveals a major fragility: without security, the feudal social order fractures.
🧠 To Remember
- 1358: the political crisis is doubled by a social crisis.
- The Jacquerie reveals the fragility of seigniorial protection in wartime.