Impact of the Black Death Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Impact of the Black Death - Term Paper Example Fathers left diseased children and wives left husbands, such was the situation back then. Between 1347 and 1351, it killed nearly 30% of the European population and a phenomenon known as depopulation occurred. Not only that but also economic, political and cultural changes were brought about by plague. Victims of plague died every day and there was no one to claim their bodies or no one to bury them (Gottfried, 1983). The Black Death was also there in Asia and the Middle East during 1347-51, simultaneously with Western Europe (Peschke, 2008). The economic impact of the Black Death was that it favored the peasants more than the landowners or the elites. Impact Before the Black Death period, Europe was reaping the fruit of its growth. There was an agricultural revolution at the start of the 14th century in Europe and food production increased and the area under cultivation increased. However there was a famine for two years in Europe (1315 to 1317) but the growth far surpassed it. But the growth period came to an end in1347 when Europe was struck by the Black Death, which left the entire Europe in pessimism and melancholy (Peschke, 2008). Investigating the effects of plague was important in knowing the economic and demographic trends as a lot of controversies were involved. One of the controversies was that deaths were not caused by plague but because the Jews had poisoned the water wells. Innocent Jews were killed, not by plague but by the people who held them guilty for the chronic depopulation (Peschke, 2008). One of the most affected European countries was Italy, so in-depth studies to find out the causes and remedies for plague were very necessary. The Black Death was an outcome of bubonic, pneumonic and septicaemic symptoms of plague. The Black Death was a part of the second plague pandemic, as it was its first epidemic and it recurred in the eighteenth century. Before Europe was hit by plague, it was dominated by aristocrats and religious leaders as they o wned property and ruled over peasants and the working class in general. Labor was underpaid and abundant in supply but after plague, when chronic depopulation occurred, technological methods were introduced to meet the shortage of workers and overtime, it became good substitutes for human labor (Bowsky, 1964). There are various viewpoints for the Black Death as some historians believe that the impact of the Black Death was transient while others believe that it was the main driving force which revolutionized medieval Europe into modern Europe. Some religious leaders like Cardinal F. A. Gasquet associate the Black Death with the downfall of the Christian church. Monasticism was particularly more adversely affected by the Black Death. Whereas there were also some optimists like G. G. Coulton, who viewed the effects of depopulation as beneficial for the ones who survived, as they had more wealth per head and as a result the advent of the Renaissance and Protestant Reformation was made possible. Besides that, the Black Death also had a psychological impact as the survivors were disturbed by the massive wave of plague and the way it killed so many of the people they knew or were related to. Some people are of the opinion that the Black Death was too massive a blow to Europe and hence they categorize it under the three worst catastrophes that ever took place on the face of this earth. With time, people forget how huge the impact of a particular catastrophe was. For instance some Marxists and non-Marxist both sideline the Black Death as a part of a crisis, rather than being the main crisis itself (Gottfried, 1983). Europe was dominated by feudalism before the end of the 13th century and peasants were paid less, even though they worked a lot. But after the end of

Research Project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project - Research Paper Example Ukrainian language is related to Russian (Kubicek 2008). However, grammatically, it more closely resembles Polish and Czech. Due to the fact that Ukraine has not been integrated with Europe for over 70 years (as a result of the Soviet Union), there are few English speakers available to an â€Å"English only† tourist (Risch 2011). As such, it would be a strong recommendation to obtain a tour guide and/or hire a native speaker who could act to guide the tourist as well as negotiate prices. The culture displays many nuances that a Westerner would not fully understand unless it was explained to him/her. For instance, like many Asian cultures, Ukrainians are very prone to remove their shoes prior to entering into a house or place of employment. Slippers are often provided for guests so that they can conveniently remove their shoes while still having something to cover their feet while moving around inside. Furthermore, whereas one might be tempted to put one’s feet up on the couch or rest them on a chair, such a practice is frowned upon in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Similar to many Mediterranean cultures, Ukrainians often express themselves using high levels of body language. Whereas those from a more Anglo-European background would find this waving of hands and other gestures to be out of the ordinary, even rude, they are used to great effect to convey meaning, levels of irritation, expressions of finality, and frustration with a given topic or person. Due to the effects of communism, many people are non-religious and/or atheist. However, the historical strength of the Orthodox Church is gaining in influence and it is difficult to go very far without seeing the onion domes of the Orthodox churches that dot the countryside. Although the exterior of these churches do not closely mirror those that a Western European or American might be familiar with, the theology of belief is very much similar to that of the Catholic Church from which the Orthodox Church originally derived. The Orthodox Church, or more specifically the Eastern Orthodox Church (to distinguish it from its Greek counterpart) was born from the schism that resulted from the sacking of Constantinople by the Romans during the 1st Crusade (Korostelina 2011). Resultantly, the church leaders in Constantinople (currently Istanbul) decided that they no longer wanted to be considered under the same religious umbrella that Rome placed over them. Consequently, the Orthodox Church was born into existence. It is hard to over-emphasize the importance of the Orthodox Church as it relates to Eastern Europe and specifically Ukraine. This can be understood for a number of reasons but mostly due to the fact that during the days of the Russian Empire (of which Ukraine was a part), the Orthodox Church was considered on equal place with the Tsar (Velychenko 2007). One may remember seeing the double headed eagle that represented Imperial Russia. The eagles’ heads r epresent the head of the state and the head of the church (metropolitan). These metropolitans were and are similar in nature to the position that is occupied by the Pope in Rome. As such, these religious leaders held a great deal of power over the nation and the laws that affected it up until the Bolshevik Revolution. An example of