The consciousness of commerce of Western Europe in the Middle Ages had no base in the masses of the people, the weakness of royal power and the wars between feudal lords made the society turbulent. The roads of trade always lacked maintenance, and the merchants were ever robbed often, which made the atmosphere of trade very adverse. The reasons for the decline of commerce were in two sides: Firstly, the Muslim blocked the Mediterranean to the Western Europe, the connections of trade between Western Europe and the external world were cut off; Secondly, the invasion and long period plunder by th...
