The Black Death | Bubonic Plague | Social
and Political Unrest | One Third of European Population Wiped Out | Caused Peasant
Uprisings and Mercenary Raids
The terrible epidemic known as the bubonic
plague came into France from the Mediterranean in 1348 and
spread quickly throughout the land, killing almost one-third
of the total population. The Black Death persisted for almost
half a century with further outbreaks in 1361, 1362, 1369,
1372, 1382, 1388, and 1398.
This contributed to the dismal state
France was in. There was social and political unrest as the
value of labor of the survivors increased sharply, triggering
increases in wages and prices. Psychological side effects
resulted in the proliferation of fanatical religious movements,
there were many peasant uprisings and mercenary bands terrorized
the countryside.
