How Did Feudalism Lead To Its Decline In Western Europe

What is Feudalism and what were the factors leading to its decline in Western Europe?
It can be argued that the end of Feudalism was due to many economic changes; mainly that of the change to a coin-based or monetary trade system, rather than that of labor in exchange for land. However, for the purpose of this essay, I will represent these factors as results of the decline of Feudalism, not the causes.
The feudal system functioned throughout medieval Western Europe as a form of social, political, and economic organization in the 10th to 15th century. Feudal institutions were put in place stabilize and secure a deeply divided empire after the fall of the Roman Empire. How The West Grew Rich tells us that, “Feudal institutions were directed to
The feudal institutions were not prepared for disasters such as the black death, peasant revolts, or wars like the Hundred Years’ War and were made unfit with a severe population reduction; as well as; the improvement of military technology such as the longbow and standing professional armies. These factors led to Feudalisms’ cessation after five centuries of success, in 15th century Western Europe.

Feudalism’s basic structure was that of a pyramid of power with the king seated at the top. The construction of this pyramid involved the relationships (under the king) between nobles or knights, vassals, and the peasantry. The nobleman owned a large piece of land. He would then grant parcels of land (called fiefs) to vassals (knights) in exchange for military service. The vassal, or lord of the manor, would then divide up his fief further and allow peasants to live on it in exchange for their labor. This relationship formed the basic principles of manorialism, a
Due to this, the life of the peasantry became even worse. Increased prices on goods and increasing taxation of the public brought upon further unrest. However, this did bring about a degree of opportunity. Skilled artisans or craftsmen could now charge steeper prices for their goods, with less of them around, and a higher demand for the goods. This meant that nobility had to pay the peasantry and skilled workers more, making them more valuable while degrading the power of nobility. The Hundred Years’ War also brought about a change in military tactics and technology. Many new weapons were introduced during the Hundred Years' War. Gunpowder, firearms, cannons, and longbows played significant roles as weapons in the series of conflicts. Cannons and longbows made manors, and even feudal castles less useful as defensive strongholds.7 The early phases of the war triggered the development and rising popularity of the longsword and longbow. Successful usage of these weapons triggered transformations in armor (including plate armor). The consequences of these new weapons meant that the nobility was no longer the deciding factor in battle; peasants armed with longbows or