Feudalism was the dominant mode of production in much of Europe between the 9th and 15th century. It lived on longer in various parts of the world, for example in Tsarist Russia until the October Revolution of 1917, or in China until the War of Liberation of 1949.
Feudalism is characterised by the means of production belonging to the nobles, a social class whose members are
Eventually, the contradictions with the growing bourgeoisie reached their highest degree and wars erupted so that capitalism, a mode of production working in the interest of the bourgeoisie, could be established.
Marxist analysis
Material conditions
Economic policies
Class struggle
Two major classes existed in feudal society: the nobility and the serfs. Nobles became part of their class by birth, and were able to amass generational wealth by exploiting the surplus value of the serfs. Nobles were granted land by the monarch and in exchange agreed to participate in their wars and obey their orders. The people that lived on this land would also become the lord's property.
In exchange for letting them use the lord's land, serfs would have to surrender part of their harvest or provide free labour to the lord.