Great Plague: Difference between revisions

The [[Holy Levantine Empire]] overall was hit the hardest by the Plague, suffering a loss of over a third of its total population which represented more than a half in some of the modern Deric States. The loss of life included the significant disruption of landowning classes, greatly affecting inheritance and political stability throughout the Empire. The Plague was so severe within the Empire that it is recorded not a single member of the Collegial Electorate in 1340 was still seated in the body by 1355. The turmoil lead to contested successions for decades to come. For some families, the Plague presented a golden opportunity. The relatively minor Jazonid dynasty, Dukes of Eagaria, managed to ascend to Emperor of the Levantines by the end of the century. Although the Jazonids managed to provide order by ruling until 1509, the considerable dynastic turmoil set in motion by the Plague would lead to the opening stages of [[The Anarchy]].  

The Great Plague is viewed as the pivotal event in the history of the [[Kingdom of Gassavelia]], ending a century-and-a-half golden age which represented the height of power and prestige for the Kingdom. As a consequence of its proximity to Burgoignesc trade cities, Gassavelia was among the first places in Levantia for the plague to spread. With the first mass deaths being reported in 1347, by 1351 most modern historians estimate the Kingdom lost approximately half of its total population.

The impact of the Great Plague was relatively limited in Urcea, the reasons of which have been a matter of contentious scholarly debate. Beginning in the 1940s, a twin-theory consensus emerged: that the ongoing [[Saint's War]] had depleted trade to the extent that travel from infected areas to Urcea was non-consequential, and; that Urcea's topographical features (as it was then contained by the [[Ionian Mountains]]) prevented fatal exposure to the rest of [[Levantia]]. Some demographic historians have posited that the lack of a significant Plague impact in Urcea is the single biggest historical factor for its emergence as the world's most populous country, though this theory is disputed.

Historical evidence suggests that Urcea was not totally isolated from the effect of the Plague, with 21st century scholarship demonstrating a 5-10% loss of population. The [[Saint's War]] and casualties of the Great Interregnum have complicated the picture due to the significant loss of life as a result of those conflicts.