The Effect of Crisis on Religion in Europe: Black Death vs. Wwii
The Effect of Crisis on Religion in Europe:
How did Black Death and World War II affect religious beliefs in Europe, with a focus on the effects it had on both the Roman Catholic Church and Jews?
Candidate Name: Katie Miller
Candidate Number:____________
May 2013
History Extended Essay
Supervisor: Mr. Derek Parsons
Word Count: 3,133
Abstract
This essay is a comparative analysis of the effect that two major crises in Europe had upon religion. Europe was a central hub for both the events of the Black Death, as the place where the devastation of the plague was most accurately documented, and World War II, as it was the main theater during the conflict. Both events are defining moments in history, with the Black Death holding the title of the worst biomedical disaster ever,2 and World War II being named the worst war in history.3 The Black Death occurred in the Fourteenth Century, whereas World War II occurred in the Twentieth Century. In both cases, the Jews were blamed for the events that took place, and were persecuted for these biased perceptions. During the Black Death, the churches lost followers as a result of corruption and overall ineffectiveness. Several churches were forced to close due to the loss of so many religious leaders as a result of the plague. During World War II, even though the churches were still corrupt, these faults were overlooked in favor of the services they rendered. Though church was no longer the main focus of the culture at the time, it still held an important role in the lives of the European people. This investigation covered sources with and without known biases in order to fully illustrate the impact these two events had upon religion in Europe.
Table of Contents
A Abstract 2
B Table of Contents 3
C Introduction 4
D Body 5
E Conclusion 12
F Bibliography 13
How did Black Death and World War II affect religious beliefs in Europe, with a focus on the effects it had on both the Roman Catholic Church and Jews?
Candidate Name: Katie Miller
Candidate Number:____________
May 2013
History Extended Essay
Supervisor: Mr. Derek Parsons
Word Count: 3,133
Abstract
This essay is a comparative analysis of the effect that two major crises in Europe had upon religion. Europe was a central hub for both the events of the Black Death, as the place where the devastation of the plague was most accurately documented, and World War II, as it was the main theater during the conflict. Both events are defining moments in history, with the Black Death holding the title of the worst biomedical disaster ever,2 and World War II being named the worst war in history.3 The Black Death occurred in the Fourteenth Century, whereas World War II occurred in the Twentieth Century. In both cases, the Jews were blamed for the events that took place, and were persecuted for these biased perceptions. During the Black Death, the churches lost followers as a result of corruption and overall ineffectiveness. Several churches were forced to close due to the loss of so many religious leaders as a result of the plague. During World War II, even though the churches were still corrupt, these faults were overlooked in favor of the services they rendered. Though church was no longer the main focus of the culture at the time, it still held an important role in the lives of the European people. This investigation covered sources with and without known biases in order to fully illustrate the impact these two events had upon religion in Europe.
Table of Contents
A Abstract 2
B Table of Contents 3
C Introduction 4
D Body 5
E Conclusion 12
F Bibliography 13
Bibliography: 3 "World War 2 Stastics." Second World War History. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. . This website accessed is purely statistical. Only numbers are given. There is no room for bias. 8 "FC71: The Black Death and its Impact (c.1300-1450) - The Flow of History." Welcome - The Flow of History. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/10 This is a teaching website and no known bias is evident. 9 Biel, Timothy L., Maurie Manning, and Michael Spackman. Black Death. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books, 1989. Print. No bias is known or apparent. 13 "Church, Catholic." Jewish Virtual Library - Homepage. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012.