Did The Black Death Pave The Way For The Reformati

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Did the Black Death pave the way for the reformation? The Black Death, or ‘Great Plague’ of 1347-52 must be considered as one of the deadliest pandemics to ever have struck Europe, and certainly one of the greatest tragedies to strike in the medieval era. The three strains of plague: bubonic; septicaemic; and pneumonic, were spread by fleas carried by rats, and could kill their victim in as quickly as one day. The Black Death is said to be responsible for the decimation of up to two-thirds of the European population at the time, which proved to have catastrophic effects upon all spheres of society and economy, ultimately resulting in the crumbling of society altogether for the most part. In terms of the reformation, amongst the most crucial consequences of the Black Death lay the changes within religion and social stance of the general populace, peasants in particular. Although it can be argued that the religious reformation took place nearly two hundred years after this deadly strain of the Black Death, it must be taken into consideration that the roots of the reformation lie in the consequences of this destruction, and the way in which Europe was rebuilt. Although this was not the first time a wave of plague had, or was to hit Europe, it was without a doubt the most catastrophic strain to have struck to this date. Perhaps the most prevalent explanation for the speed and far-reaching mark of the disease lies in the fact it had three separate strains, spread in different ways. Bubonic plague was the first to strike, which was spread by rats infected by flies. The widespread nature of the disease was made easy by the location of rats almost everywhere, especially aboard ships used for trade.[1] This strain of the plague was characterised by buboes forming in the glands in the neck, armpits and groin. Additionally it caused nausea, fever, and
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