Feudalism In Britain And France By King John Of England

When comparing Britain and France it is appropriate to begin by looking at feudalism. The definition of feudalism is still controversial to this day. Some argue that feudalism is an entire social structure while others argue that feudalism is used to describe relations between lords and the peasantry. Also more recently feudalism is described as an “integrated system of class relations in which politico-legal relationships constitute the class exploitation of peasants by lords.” As well its debated exactly how the transition from feudalism happened. One point of view argues that internal contradictions began to arise which led to civil wars, rebellions, and on the whole the realization that a feudal system was an inefficient system. Another …show more content…
In 1215 a document called the Magna Carta was established and signed by King John of England. The Magna Carta was the first document to propose the idea that nobody is above the law, not even those who rule or those who enforce it. King John of England agreed to sign it because it seemed the most feasible way to handle the political situation he was encountering at the time. The Magna Carta came about as a result of a group of barons who were displeased by the way King John was ruling. These barons rebelled and waived their oaths of allegiance to the king. They then apprehended London. Once the barons had control over London, that left King John with no choice but to negotiate with the barons. As a result, King John accepted the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta is an important document to consider when discussing the fall of feudalism in England. The Magna Carta became a stepping-stone for future constitutions and acts, not just in England but all around the globe as …show more content…
For a democracy to be effective the people must balance the power of the government, essentially the people can decide how much power the government should be able to have (Cooper, 2002). Both countries formulated different ways of achieving a properly functioning democracy (Cooper, 2002). In England, the industrial revolution played a major role in shaping the government and giving power to the people but caused some brief moments of economic instability. During the industrial revolution it was able to establish a stable government and a capable parliamentary system, and as time went on changes were made gradually to make the state even more democratic (Cooper, 2002). Where as France was hesitant to modernize economically, and thus was constantly in a state of political instability, causing for its transition to be more rapid (Cooper, 2002). Also as mentioned before England was able to modernize into a democratic state gradually while avoiding violence and revolution (Cooper, 2002). On the other hand in France, the absence of the industrial revolution was a driving force for a number of powerful revolutions. Both countries have become increasingly decentralized, which has helped them earn the titles as model democracies (Cooper, 2002). Both countries have increased levels of participation, accountability, and representation in their