The Great Depression of the Late Middle Ages: Economic Slump or Economic Growth
When one speaks of the ‘Great Depression’ typically images of America during the troubling period of 1929 to 1933 come to mind, however, Europe experienced a much more devastating ‘Depression’ during the late middle ages. Surely, those four years of American history must have felt as if they were endless by those who lived it, however the ‘Great Depression’ of the late middle ages in Europe didn’t simply last years, it lasted generations. For nearly 150 years, Europeans were subjected to a tumultuous life of instability and rising death toll. The question is, was this time of economic slump or economic growth? To answer this question several items need to be considered, including a firm understanding of life pre-1320, life during this period and the ramifications of the devastation.
