Marc Bloch's Feudal Society: Why It Still Matters Today

Joëlle Rollo-Koster explores the lasting impact of Bloch's groundbreaking work on medieval history.

Apr. 12, 2026 at 7:23pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print featuring an open book with the title Bloch's seminal work on feudalism is reinterpreted through the lens of modern pop art, reflecting the enduring influence of his innovative historical methods.Kingston Today

Historian Marc Bloch's seminal work "Feudal Society" is being honored with induction into the Panthéon in France, but Rollo-Koster argues that Bloch's greatest legacy lies not in his specific conclusions about feudalism, but in his innovative historical methods. She explains how Bloch's holistic, comparative, and ethically-grounded approach paved the way for modern historical thinking, even as his model of feudalism has been challenged by later scholars.

Why it matters

Bloch's scholarship cannot be separated from his civic conscience, and the most meaningful way to honor him is to engage with his transformative historical approach. While his views on feudalism's patriarchal nature are now outdated, his emphasis on social structures, economic rhythms, collective mentalities, and long-term change continue to shape how historians practice their craft.

The details

Bloch co-founded the influential Annales School in 1929, which rejected political narrative and event-driven history in favor of interdisciplinary approaches examining social, economic, and environmental factors. In "Feudal Society", he presented feudalism as a total social structure encompassing material conditions, human relationships, institutions, and hierarchies. Bloch defined feudal ties as contractual yet deeply social, shaped by reciprocal obligation and fear rather than abstract legality.

  • In 1939-1940, Bloch published the two-volume work "Feudal Society".
  • In 1961, L.A. Manyon published the English translation "Feudal Society".
  • In 2026, Marc Bloch will be inducted into the Panthéon in France.

The players

Marc Bloch

A French medieval historian who co-founded the influential Annales School and authored the groundbreaking work "Feudal Society".

Joëlle Rollo-Koster

A professor of medieval history at the University of Rhode Island and a Fellow of the Medieval Academy of America, who has written this article exploring the lasting impact of Bloch's work.

Simonne Vidal

Marc Bloch's wife, who provided him with intellectual and physical support.

Lucien Febvre

Bloch's co-founder of the Annales journal, which launched the Annales School of historical thought.

Elizabeth (Peggy) A.R. Brown

A historian who in 1974 famously declared that "the tyrant feudalism must be declared once and for all deposed".

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What they’re saying

“We read it because of what he would have regarded as his acts of citizenship.”

— Geoffrey Koziol, From the foreword to the Routledge Classics edition of Feudal Society

“Vive la France!”

— Marc Bloch

What’s next

The French government's decision to induct Marc Bloch into the Panthéon on June 23, 2026 will bring renewed attention to his life and work. This could spur new scholarly analyses and public discussions about the lasting impact of Bloch's historical approach.

The takeaway

While Bloch's specific conclusions about feudalism have been challenged, his innovative historical methods remain foundational to modern historical thinking. By emphasizing social structures, economic rhythms, collective mentalities, and long-term change, Bloch paved the way for interdisciplinary, ethically-grounded historical scholarship that continues to shape the field today.