Feudal fragmentation - the weakening of the central state power with the simultaneous strengthening of the peripheral regions of the country.The term is used exclusively to medieval Europe, with its subsistence economy and the system of vassal relations.Feudal fragmentation was generated by an increase in the members of the royal dynasties, both claiming the throne.Along with this factor, the relative military weakness of medieval kings before the combined forces of their own vassals led to the fact that earlier the vast state began to break up into numerous principalities, the Duchy and other self-governing inheritance.Crushing was, of course, is generated by the objective evolution of economic and social development in Europe, but the beginning of a conditional moment of feudal fragmentation called 843, when the three grandsons of Charlemagne signed the Treaty of Verdun, which divided the country into three parts.It is from these scraps of Charlemagne's empire subsequently born, France and Germany.The end of this period in European history belong to the XVI century, the era of the strengthening of royal power - absolutism.Although the same German lands managed to unite in one state only in 1871.And, apart from ethnically German Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland.
feudal fragmentation in Russia
European trend X-XVI centuries, has also affected the Russian principalities.However, the medieval feudal fragmentation of the Russian state had a number of features that distinguish its character from the Western version.The first bell to the disintegration of the integrity of the state has become the death of Prince Svyatoslav in 972, after which his sons began the first civil wars for the throne of Kiev.The last ruler of united Kievan Rus' is considered to be the son of Vladimir Monomakh, Prince Mstislav Vladimirovich, who died in 1132.After his death, the government was finally divided into fiefdoms heirs and never raised in its previous form.
Of course, it would be wrong to talk about one-stage decay Kiev possessions.Feudal fragmentation in Russia, as in Europe, was the result of objective processes enhance local land boyars.Enough effort and has extensive holdings boyars became more profitable to keep their own prince, relying on them and consider their interests, rather than remain loyal to Kiev.It has allowed the younger sons, brothers, nephews and other relatives of the prince to oppose centralization.
As for the features of the national disintegration, it lies primarily in the so-called lestvicheskoy system by which the death of the ruler of the throne passed to his younger brother, and not to the eldest son, as it was in Western Europe (Salic law).This, however, was the cause of multiple internecine conflict between the sons and nephews of the Russian dynasty XIII-XVI centuries.Russian land in the period of feudal fragmentation have become a large number of independent principalities.The rise of local noble families and princely courts gave Russia the appearance of the Novgorod Republic, the rise of Galicia-Volyn and Vladimir-Suzdal principality, creation and rise of Moscow.That Moscow princes and feudal disunity was destroyed and created Russian kingdom.
