High Middle Ages Disasters

During the High Middle Ages, Western Europe developed one of the most impressive and successful civilizations the world had yet seen. One might have thought it was a civilization destined to continue essentially unchanged for centuries. But that's not what happened. In the 14th century, a series of disasters shook Western European civilization to its foundations, eventually forcing major changes in Europe.

The first disaster to hit Europe was famine. Some of the agricultural success of the High Middle Ages had been due to improved weather conditions, what's called the Medieval Warm Period (800-1300). Around 1300, Europe begins to cool off, and there is the beginning of what is called the Little Ice Age (1300-1870). Bad weather conditions meant bad harvests, particularly in 1315, 1316, and 1317. Harvests were so bad farmers ended up eating their seed corn, and, with no seed to plant, future harvests weren't going to be much good either. Food shortages led to widespread malnutrition, increased vulnerability to disease, and shorter life expectancy.
Another disaster to hit the Europe at this time: out of control diseases. The worst of these diseases was the Black Death, a disease that hit around 1348
The disease tended to kill off the best of those in religious life, those who cared most for others. The best priests tended to be carried off first by the Black Death because they visited the sick, giving the victims the last rights or other spiritual solace. Their high-level exposure rates meant a great chance that they too would catch the disease and die. The death of such individuals opened up the door to religious quackery. Groups like the flagellants travelled from place to place whipping one another, trying to punish themselves so God wouldn't punish them with the Black Death. And a small love offering from you would help you share in the work--and, hopefully, help you avoid God's wrath as