feudalism

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…as well as the church, wanted law and order and supported the king. Larger revenues enabled kings to maintain national standing armies. Also, at the beginning of the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) armored knights on horseback yielded to foot soldiers armed with pikes and longbows. Then gunpowder came into general use, making the great stone castles conquerable. In the 14th century, before the Middle Ages ended, national states were taking the place of feudal governments.