1347–1351: The Great Plague and Its Effects

Between 1347 and 1351, the Black Plague strikes Europe. Plague diseases had vanished from the West since the Plague of Justinian. This is the first pandemic well described by chroniclers, and one of the deadliest: estimates suggest it kills 30 to 50% of the European population in a few years.

In France, the epidemic transforms society at the very moment war becomes established: the health crisis and the military crisis overlap.

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💀 Mass Mortality and a Disorganized Economy

Mortality, fear, and supply breakdowns cause labor shortages, abandoned lands, and increased tensions over work and wages. Merchant and urban circuits contract.

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💸 War and Taxation in a World That Empties

Raising funds during a health crisis increases distrust. Authorities seek solutions: taxes, requisitions, monetization of war effort. The population, weakened, poorly bears the accumulation of burdens.

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🔁 Regular Returns

After the first wave, the disease reappears regularly: in France between 1353 and 1355, in England between 1360 and 1369, then at recurring intervals until the 17th century.

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🧠 Key Points to Remember

• 1347–1351: a major pandemic transforms European society.
• War and taxation worsen the shock of plague.
• Plague returns in waves for centuries.