The Black Death had devastating short-term consequences for 14th-century Europe. Modern-day scientists are still trying to figure out the epidemiologic nature of the deadly plague. Some sources claim that Black Death was a bubonic plague, while others argue that it might have been anthrax or hemorrhagic plague similar to the Ebola virus (Noble et al., 2013). Regardless, the pandemic’s death toll was astonishing: initial infestation may have killed 25 to 35 percent of Europe’s population between 1348 and 1351. In Florence alone, the population declined from approximately 90,000 to 50,000 residents. Moreover, the plague had a tendency to return after short rebound periods, so many generations of Europeans could not avoid it (Noble et al., 2013). While the Black Death undoubtedly was a tragic event, given the number of deaths, a claim exists that the long-term negative impact of the pandemic was insignificant. In particular, the population loss enabled conditions for prosperity, created opportunities for the masses, and improved political stability by eliminating rebellion against the ruling elites. However, such a perspective of the Black Death’s impact on Europe is marginally accurate since only the first part of the claim is unconditionally correct.
In terms of enabling conditions for prosperity, the Northern European merchants and bankers capitalized on Black Death after their Italian competitors faced difficulties sustaining usual business contacts with Byzantium, Egypt, and China. The Hanseatic League, an association of over a hundred German trading towns, ascended to prominence in the North. By the late 14th century, Hansa established control over trade in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea (Noble et al., 2013). While the Italian trade cities of Venice, Cremona, Genoa, Florence, and Siena struggled from the most devastating waves of plague, the Dutch, the English, and southern German merchants continued to fill the power vacuum. By the second half of the 15th century, these European regions gained shares in the wool, grain, and fur trade (Noble et al., 2013). Additionally, the Black Death paved the way for the improvement of laborers’ living standards. Since many laborers did not survive the plague, landlords and employers had to increase wages to attract the workforce (Noble et al., 2013). As such, one can agree that Black Death enabled conditions for prosperity across Europe.
However, the second part of the claim — a creation of opportunities for the masses, is only partially correct. On the one hand, certain populations benefited from the plague’s consequences. In particular, artisans and laborers who became wealthier due to the increase in workforce demand were able to challenge the dominance of patricians, the ruling urban elites (Noble et al., 2013). Additionally, the Black Death increased the social significance of women, who received a chance to practice trades and earn money as artisans and peddlers (Noble et al., 2013). On the other hand, landlords took advantage of the laborers in certain parts of Europe. For example, landlords in eastern Germany and Poland forced their tenants into semi-servile status, creating an impoverished workforce for cheap labor in the grain fields (Noble et al., 2013). Therefore, the claim of opportunity creation for the masses in the aftermath of the Black Death is not universally accurate.
Finally, the third part of the claim — elimination of rebellion against ruling elites, is directly opposite to actual historical events. Artisans and laborers frequently challenged patricians’ rule, creating conditions for social unrest. According to Noble et al. (2013), numerous revolts were recorded across Europe in the second half of the 14th century. The balance of power between the patricians, the emerging centralized governments, the artisans, and the laborers was fragile. When that balance was upset by plague and additional circumstances, such as wars and economic depression, powerful popular revolts were frequent. The Rising of 1381 in England and the Ciompi insurrection of 1378 in Florence are the most famous examples of such popular revolts (Noble et al., 2013). Given these facts, one can conclude that the plague served as a premise for social unrest rather than a force of internal political stabilization. In this regard, the long-term influence of the Black Death on Europe was opposite to the initial depiction.
In summary, one can conclude that the original claim offers only a marginally accurate representation of the real state of affairs. The Black Death contributed to the spread of prosperity across Europe due to the workforce shortage and increasing competition in international trade. The living standards of laborers and artisans improved, and English, Dutch, and Hanseatic merchants challenged the dominant position of the Italian trade cities. However, the second part of the claim is not universally correct since opportunities for the masses decreased in Eastern Germany and Poland, where the landlords turned their tenants into low-paid serfs. Lastly, the third part of the claim is entirely false since the plague frequently shattered the balance of power, thus creating the ground for popular revolts against the ruling elites. Overall, the European 14th century significantly differed from the initial depiction, rendering it quite inaccurate.
Reference
Noble, T. F. X., Strauss, B., Osheim, D.J., Neuschel, K. B., Accampo, E. A., Roberts, D. D., & Cohen, W.B. (2013). Western civilizations: Beyond boundaries (7th ed.). Cengage Advantage Books.