The Black Death in Europe

The black plague killed millions of Europeans and put kingdoms in turmoil, however this essay will argue that the plague improved financial conditions for survivors and eventually advanced Europe into a new age of prosperity.

The black Plague or Black Death or even the bubonic plague was one of the worst and most devastating pandemics in human history. The black plague was a serious disease which was centered in Europe, it was recorded at killing over 70 to 200 million people peaking in the 13th and 14th centuries. The disease was reported to be the cause of a bacteria called Yersinia Pestis, which was actually not discovered until the late 19th century by French scientist Alexandre Yersin. The bacteria infected rats and later evolved to be able to jump to fleas and then so on to humans. The black plague had many symptoms, which included swelling of the lymph nodes, blackening of extremities such as toes, fingers, nose, and coughing and throwing up blood and bursting buboes which was extremely painful. It was also noted that the black plague originated and traveled along the silk trade route at the beginning of its era.

Before the black plague erupted in Europe, the continent was already in a state of economic despair and hardship. The largest kingdoms in Europe before the black plague were the kingdoms of France, England, and Italy which included the Holy Roman Empire. One of the reasons for the economic turmoil present in Europe before the arrival of the plague was due to the wars and campaigns that were carried out by the major states and kingdoms which had a huge impact on Europe’s economy. The most notable war which occurred before, during, and even after the black plague was the hundred year war which was fought with...

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...mically, and technologically. The two economists claim that if Europe’s population and continued to grow extensively it would have still been at the development level as china in the 18th century.

In conclusion, the black plague did kill millions of Europeans and did put kingdoms in turmoil especially in the case of France. However it also advanced Europe and brought on a new age of prosperity for the continent. This excerpt from the article regarding Europe after the plague sums it up perfectly:

“What does this mean for today? Thankfully, few mass-casualty events on the scale of the plague have occurred in recent centuries. Plagues act as what Voigtländer calls a "neutron bomb," removing people but relatively little in the way of economic capital (unlike, say, the two 20th-century world wars, which caused massive property damage and tens of millions of deaths).”