The wars and plagues that occurred throughout Europe paved the way for an increase in advanced technology, which helped society progress and transition out of the medieval period. The Hundred Years' War brought with it modern warfare that had a lasting impact on society and changed the way war was fought. He moved in the direction of being less barbaric and more strategic, "...he responded with some very simple and cheap but highly effective new weapons: the longbow, the crossbow, and the palisade" (527). There were also advances in ships to be increasingly sustainable, “…he began to develop a new type of ship specially designed to operate in rough, open waters: the caravel” (575). The last bit of modern technology that accompanied the transition from the medieval era to the modern era was a new way of navigating via the newly created magnetic compass. Along with the compass came a new way of being at sea: “A maritime code called the Consulate of the Sea, which originated in the Catalan regions of the Crown of Aragon in the 14th century, gained the acceptance of the majority of sailors as a normative code of conduct maritime…” (576). The rise of new technology at the end of the Middle Ages was not the main reason for the fall of the Middle Ages, as it only contributed to a newly structured society. This would impact the feudal system now which would contribute to the creation of a middle class and make social roles less defined. The decline of the feudal system was caused by the Hundred Years' War in conjunction with the previous Crusades and as a result these advances no longer needed feudal ways. Feudal soldiers were no longer needed due to the new weapons and specific scouts would be eliminated because more laymen could assist in navigation due to the simplicity of the system.