Final answer:
Before feudalism, Europe experienced the fragmentation of centralized power, leading to the formation of a protective system based on land ownership and military service called feudalism. Germanic tribes established early political units with inherited Roman bureaucratic practices while facing increasing external threats, necessitating a system like feudalism for order and security.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Situation Before the Emergence of Feudalism
The period before the transition to feudalism was characterized by the breakdown of large empires and centralized governments. The decentralization of power led local landowners and warlords to seek new methods of securing their territories and maintaining order, particularly in the face of repeated invasions and raids by various groups. The feudal system, emerging in the ninth century, was defined by an intricate hierarchy of land ownership and a protection system anchored in personal loyalties and military service.
Prior to feudalism, Europe was politically fragmented. The Germanic tribes that had overtaken the Western Roman Empire established the early political landscape of western Christendom. These tribes tended to inherit and integrate Roman bureaucratic elements while maintaining their own traditions of law based on clan membership. As the threat of violence increased, the need for security led to the establishment of the feudal system where the concept of a lord granting land, or fiefs, to vassals in exchange for military service and other forms of allegiance became prevalent.
The feudal system was marked by a hierarchical structure of landowners, knights, and serfs. The decline of this system came in the 14th century as a result of depopulation from events like the Black Death, shifts in military practices, and the centralization of monarchal power. This shift reflected the growing prominence of the merchant class and the weakening of the manorial system, leading to increased opportunities for social mobility that eroded the traditional feudal divide.