Quid operatus sit Deus

pietertheelderbruegel_thetriumphofdeath-detail3.jpg


Quid operatus sit Deus

The Black Death was a plague of which the world had never seen. It spread into Italy from the East and before anyone knew what was going on Europe was in serious trouble. The Black Death ravaged Europe for 5 years between 1348-53 killing a estimated 300 million people. Nobody was spared, after most of Europe was dead the few zones that were considered safe (Poland, Milan) were breached and havoc ensued.

With Europe and her culture now all but gone the Black Death disappeared almost as suddenly as it appeared. The Great Plague left Europe in shambles, the graveyards were full and bodies were just left to decompose. The great kingdoms of Britain, the Holy Roman Empire and France were severely depopulated and it put them at risk of attack, especially from each other. The mutual fear of them kept the peace, for a while; in 1360 France and the Holy Roman Empire went to war when someone in France claimed the throne from a 4 year old king. The War eventually called in various other kingdoms and before the first armies went on the march the Brits were on the march, the War of the Three Kingdoms has begun. It lasted 10 years and killed hundreds of thousands of men, hurting every party involved. The Kingdom of Aquitaine in southern France took the chance and declared independence from their liege in Paris. The HRE saw this as a way of further weakening France and declared war on France again to make them split their forces.
 
Last edited:
Not really, it's the premise of Years of Rice and Salt, but as far as I can the plague while devastating could never wipe all of Europe the more killed the more harder it would be to spread. Also parts of the Muslim world would be hit as well, The Middle East was greatly divided anyhow with the fall of the Illkhanate and the Sultanate of Rum, There was only really the Taifa state of Granada left at this point in Spain. Russia would more than likely be under the Tartar Yoke still as the Golden Horde is still around.
 
The Muslim world was far from unified and not really able to just up and conquer even a severely weakened Europe. Also, Russia was kind of hit by the Black Death just as hard as Europe...

The Years of Rice and Salt mostly just uses the Black Death as an excuse premise for exploring a world not dominated - or even really influenced - by Western culture. There's no good science behind the premise. I like the book, though.
 
It did slow down but eventually the last vestiges of untouched land in Milan and Poland were breached and that gave the Black Death more hosts. If the Muslims were unable, how about the various hordes?
 
Disease doesn't work that way. As for the Hordes the Russian Principalities where vassals anyway, so no need to invade them.
 
I didn't mean the hordes invade the russians, the horde invades Europe, but i'm guessing that is still a impracticability.
 
Top