## TL;DR

The Middle Ages (5th-15th centuries) were the period between the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Renaissance. Often wrongly called 'Dark Ages,' it saw feudalism, manorialism, the rise of Christianity, Gothic cathedrals, universities (Bologna 1088, Oxford 1096), and the Crusades.

## Core Explanation

Feudalism: lords grant land (fiefs) to vassals in exchange for military service. Manorialism: self-sufficient agricultural estates. Key events: Battle of Hastings (1066, Norman conquest of England), Magna Carta (1215, limits on royal power), Black Death (1347-51, killed 30-60% of Europe), Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). High Middle Ages (1000-1300): population growth, trade revival, Gothic cathedrals.

## Further Reading

- [A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century (Barbara Tuchman)](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/56336/a-distant-mirror-by-barbara-w-tuchman/)