How Does Europe Develop Without the Black Death?

First of all; can the Black Death be avoided or reduced in some way? Secondly; what would the effects be? The Black Death killed 30-60% of Europe's total population in the 14th Century. Without such a massive death toll, would Europe have regressed into a state of near-theocracy and religious fervour? Could it have advanced?
 
I guess that it could slow down the decline of feudalism.

Edit: Maybe mercantilism would not have developed or would be pushed further into the future. This could delay the age of exploration.
 
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Serfdom would continue for much longer than it did. Look at it this way. With so many peasants wiped out from the plague, the survivors could now start demanding that the local landowning aristocrats start paying them to work the fields. Also if the peasants weren't content with their "employer" they could leave to go find work on another landowner's property. For the landowner's, it's either pay the peasant to do your farming or you can do it yourself.
 

trurle

Banned
I do not think the effect will be dramatic. Population density will be slightly higher, but other diseases will take the place of Black Death. Most likely, either Leprosy or Tuberculosis will become the main killers. Not as morbid as Black Death, but as efficient.
Also Typhoid, Typhus, Smallpox, Measles, Influenza, Yellow Fever, Malaria, Cholera.
Only if all of these major killers are removed, one can tell about significant impact on history.

In this case, i expect a stronger church because less dirty and tick-ridden would-be-saints will be dying from the disease. More wars to kill off excess population. In these wars, more mercenaries, as mortality gap between nobility and commoners will be reduced. But also more arts and science, and more long-term land improvement projects like fortifications, dams and irrigation. Not sure about effects on serfdom. Secondary effects on peasant`s attitude due less fluctuating population levels will be most likely swamped by effect of general population increase, increasing the role of Third Estate. So Second Estate (nobility) will be less prominent, so may be no period of absolute monarchies will happen.
 
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