Causes of the Black Death (1348 – 1350)

1. Causes of the Black Death (1348 – 1350)

2. What caused the Black Death? The Black Death was a form of bubonic plague. It was the result of infection by the bacillus (bacteria) yersiniapestis. The bacteria lives in the bloodstream of a specific flea and these fleas live in the fur of a specific rat (the common Black Rat). Infection results from a flea bite. Fleas and rats were common in most Medieval villages.

3. What makes this a historical event? Three major historical causes: The Great Famine (1315-1317)  Weakened the European Population Expanding trade with the East (along the Silk Road)  Exposure to regions where the plague was common (endemic) Conflict with the Mongols at Kaffa  the introduction of the plague to Europeans

4. Medieval Warm Period and Population Growth (950-1250) The medieval climate experienced a relatively warm period between 950 and 1250AD. More than warmth, the main benefit of this period was relative stability in temperature and rainfall. This led to increases in food productivity (longer growing seasons  larger crops) A more stable food supply contributed to a growth in the population of Europe. The population of England grew from 2 million (1000AD ) to over 6 million (1300AD)

5. The Medieval Cooling Period (1250-) From 1250 the medieval climate began to cool. The temperature difference may have been minor (only 1 or 2 degrees) but it made weather patterns unpredictable. Some decades were very dry (1300s) while others were very wet (1310s). This devastated food production because it resulted in floods that rotted crops, dry spells which would destroy seedbeds and a significant reduction in food production.

6. Medieval Famine(1315-1317) The combination of a population boom for 300 years and a significant drop on food production was predictable. The worst famine in European history occurred between 1315 and 1317. In some towns and regions 50% of the people died. Cannibalism of the old and weak was often reported. Link to the Black Death Children who survived the Medieval Famine were often malnourished, affecting their resistance to disease throughout their lifetime. A child of the famine would be an adult during the Black Death.

7. Causes of the Black Death - Expanding Trade in the 13th and 14th Centuries The Black Death is native to the great plains of northern Asia (it is still common there today). In the 1200s and 1300s trade with China was expanding. The crusades had introduced exotic products to western Europeans and China was in a position to provide them. Trade in silk, spices, ceramics and other products travelled down the overland route known as the Silk Road. Link to the Black Death Evidence suggests that the major waves of Plague were carried from Asia to the Black Sea along the Silk Road

8. Causes of the Black DeathConflict with the Mongols • The Mongols were originally led by Genghis Khan (1162-1227). • They were a highly disciplined army and sophisticated army, originally based in Mongolia. • Climate change threatened their grasslands so they sought to expand their empire. • By 1279 they controlled all of China. • They controlled Poland and Hungary by 1241 before internal disputes confined them to eastern Europe and Asia.

9. Mongol Empire

10. Mongolian relationship with Europe The Mongolian empire initially welcomed contact with Europe: • They sent embassies (representatives to the west) • Welcomed Christian missionaries (who gave up when the Mongolian empire converted to Islam). • Encouraged trade. The Silk Road and other overland trading routes passed through Mongolian territory. Although the relationship between the two empires was one of mutual benefit there were occasional tensions and conflicts.

11. The siege of Kaffa (1345-6) The basics: • The Mongolian territory in Asia Minor (the region close to the Middle East) was known as the Golden Horde. • The Mongols traded with the Europeans based in the port city of Kaffa. This was the European end of the Silk Road. • Kaffa was useful because you could sail from Kaffa (on the Black Sea) to the Meditteranean. • The people of Genoa (an Italian city) were particularly good businesspeople and tended to control the European side of trade. Complete the rest of the sheet using the handout on the siege of Kaffa!