The social chaos of the previous century continues to erode the power of Bulgarian leaders.

The declining Bulgarian state reaches its nadir in 1330 when Tsar Mikhail Shishman (1323-1330) is defeated and slain by the Serbs …

…at the Battle of Velbuzhd (modern Kjustendil).

Dushan has meanwhile gained valuable military experience, and the reputation of an able commander in the campaigns against the Bosnians; he particularly distinguishes himself at Velbuzhd.

Although this victory frees Serbia of the great danger of an allied attack by both the Bulgarian and the Greek emperors, dissension soon arises between Dushan and his father, who has lost to the Bosnians the Adriatic lands conquered by his predecessor but gained from the Bulgarians and the Greeks control over most of the Vardar River valley.

War breaks out in the fall of 1330 between father and son.

Marsilius had returned in 1329 to Louis's court in Germany, where he will spend the rest of his life.

Pope John had meanwhile excommunicated Nicholas, who sought refuge with Count Boniface of Donoratico near Piombino.

Having obtained assurance of pardon, he had presented a confession of his sins first to the archbishop of Pisa, and then at Avignon on August 25, 1330 to John XXII, who absolves him.

He will remain in honorable imprisonment in the papal palace at Avignon until his death in October 1333.

Nicholas, realizing that he has little support, abandons his illegal claim to the papacy in 1330.

Juan Ruiz, a Spanish poet known as the Archpriest of Hita, writes a panoramic work of poetry, “The Book of Good Love,” in 1330, juxtaposing fables and scandalous parodies with moving poems to the Virgin Mary.

Employing a variety of poetic meters in his ironic, sensual, sometimes delicate, sometimes coarse treatment of love, Ruiz, as an ambivalent actor in his poem, succumbs to human temptations and never quite resolves the conflict between divine love and carnal love.

Sir James Douglas, called the Black, who helped Robert the Bruce defeat the English at Bannockburn, and recieved numerous estates after staging a series of raids into the north of England, takes the heart of Robert the Bruce on crusade against the Moors in Spain, where he is killed on Aug. 25, 1330.

Odoric of Pordenone reaches Italy in 1330, where he dictates a vivid account of his extensive travels throughout the Far East before his death on January 14, 1331.

The Succession of Artois and Its Integration with the House of Burgundy (1180–1330)

The County of Artois experienced several transfers of rule over the centuries, from a feudal county to Flemish control, then to France, and later into the hands of the House of Burgundy.

Artois Under French and Flemish Rule

• Originally a feudal county, Artois was annexed by the County of Flanders before becoming part of France in 1180 as the dowry of Isabelle of Hainaut, a Flemish princess who married King Philip II of France.
• In 1237, King Louis VIII’s younger son, Robert I, was granted Artois, making it a separate county once more.

Succession Dispute After the Battle of the Golden Spurs (1302–1309)

• Count Robert II of Artois, grandson of Robert I, died at the Battle of the Golden Spurs (1302), leading to a succession crisis.
• His daughter, Mahaut of Artois, and his nephew, Robert III, contested the inheritance.
• Robert III’s claim was based on his father Philip, who had died after the Battle of Furnes in 1298, making him the male heir.
• However, the dispute was settled in favor of Mahaut, following the principle of proximity of blood, which favored direct descendants over collateral male relatives.

Artois and Franche-Comté Under the Anscarids (1315–1330)

• Upon Mahaut’s death in 1329, Artois passed to her daughter, Joan II of Artois, who had already inherited the County of Burgundy (Franche-Comté) in 1315 from her father, Otto IV of Burgundy.
• When Joan II died in 1330, she bequeathed both Artois and Franche-Comté to her eldest daughter, Joan III of Burgundy.

The Burgundian Connection: Joan III and Odo IV of Burgundy (1318–1330)

• Joan III of Artois and Burgundy had strengthened her territories by aligning with the ducal House of Burgundy, a cadet branch of the royal Capetians.
• She married Odo IV, Duke of Burgundy, in 1318, bringing Artois and Franche-Comté into Burgundian influence.

This dynastic alliance would pave the way for the later expansion of the Burgundian domains, eventually leading to the powerful Burgundian State of the 15th century, which played a crucial role in French and European politics.

Legacy

• The legal dispute over Artois (1302–1309) became one of the most famous inheritance cases in medieval France, influencing later succession laws.
• The union of Artois and Franche-Comté under Joan III strengthened Burgundian power and expanded Capetian cadet control in the Low Countries and eastern France.
• This consolidation set the stage for the later Burgundian expansion, which would challenge the authority of the French monarchy in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Through marriage and inheritance, Artois passed from French royal control to the emerging power of Burgundy, marking a key moment in the shifting political landscape of medieval France.

Johannes Tauler and the Rhineland Mystics (1320s)

During the 1320s, Johannes Tauler, along with Henry Suso, came under the influence of Meister Eckhart, marking the emergence of the Rhineland Mystics, a group of Dominican thinkers and preachers who sought a deeply personal and experiential approach to God.

Tauler’s Intellectual and Spiritual Influences

• Like many Dominicans, Tauler was initially shaped by the Scholastic theology of Thomas Aquinas, emphasizing reason and systematic theology.
• However, under Meister Eckhart’s influence, he shifted toward a more mystical approach, emphasizing:
  • Detachment from worldly concerns (Gelassenheit).
  • Interior surrender to the Holy Spirit.
  • The idea that God can be encountered directly in the soul.

A Preacher for the People: Tauler’s Sermons

• Unlike Eckhart’s more abstract metaphysical style, Tauler was a practical preacher, using simple and direct language that resonated with ordinary people.
• His sermons particularly addressed Dominican nuns, lay communities, and the growing movement of Beguines, who sought a deeper spiritual life outside monastic structures.
• His teachings met the spiritual needs of his audience, emphasizing surrender to God’s will and the transformative power of divine grace.

Legacy of the Rhineland Mystics

• Tauler, Suso, and Eckhart are collectively known as the Rhineland Mystics, whose works deeply influenced:
  • Later German mysticism, including Johannes Ruusbroec and the Devotio Moderna movement.
  • Martin Luther, who admired Tauler’s emphasis on inner piety and the experience of God.
• Though Eckhart’s teachings were condemned for heretical implications, Tauler’s more practical and accessible style ensured that his influence endured within mainstream Christian spirituality.

Johannes Tauler’s preaching and mystical insights provided a bridge between Scholastic theology and medieval Christian mysticism, making him one of the most influential Dominican mystics of the 14th century.