In the spring of 1315 Edward II decreed that the price of basic foodstuffs be limited.
The straw and hay for the animals could not be cured, so there was no fodder for the livestock. Under such conditions, grain could not ripen, leading to widespread crop failures. This did not however do much to mitigate the crisis: the traders simply refused to sell their goods at these low prices.
A description of the Great Famine of 1315-17 from Wikipedia tells the story. Crop failures lasted through 1316 until the summer harvest in 1317, and Europe did not fully recover until 1322. Europe south of the Alps (Italy) and the Pyrenees (Southern Spain), as well as lands east of the Kingdom of Poland and much of Byzantium avoided this disaster.The reason for the development and spread of the “great famine” of the beginning of the XIV century was the anomalously high level of precipitation, which was observed almost everywhere in Europe, starting with the territories of modern Ireland and ending with Poland, Belarus and Lithuania. By then, however, people were so weakened by diseases such as The Great Famine is noteworthy for the number of people who died, the vast geographic area that was affected and its length but also its lasting consequences. In the end the act was abolished at the Lincoln parliament in 1316. Places affected include continental Europe (extending east to Russia and south to Italy) as well as Great Britain. Crop failures were not the only problem; cattle Famines were familiar occurrences in medieval Europe. Here are excerpts. This period has had serious consequences for the church, states, European society and the future disasters of the XIV century.At present, the Great Famine offensive is associated with the Little Ice Age, the causes of which are long-term solar activity cycles (Maunder minimum), slowing of thermohaline circulation (in particular, slowing down of the Gulf Stream), and volcanic eruptions (possibly Tararavera in New Zealand).In addition, the shortage of food and pet food that caused this large-scale catastrophe in medieval Europe cannot be attributed only to changing weather conditions, heavy rains and fierce winters. It covered almost the whole of Northern Europe – the current territory of Ireland, Great Britain, France, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland. The Great Famine may have been precipitated by a volcanic event,Changing weather patterns, the ineffectiveness of medieval governments in dealing with crises, and population level at a historical high made it a time for little margin for error in food production.In the spring of 1315, unusually heavy rain began in much of Europe. Crop failures lasted through 1316 until the summer harvest in 1317, and Europe did not fully recover until 1322. Although some believe growth had already been slowing down for a few decades, the famine was undoubtedly a clear end of high population growth.
The great famine caused millions of deaths (according to estimates, around 10 to 25% of the urban population died) … Continue reading The Great Famine (1315-1317)
The great famine caused millions of deaths (according to estimates, around 10 to 25% of the urban population died) and marked the end of the previous period of growth and prosperity of the 11th — 13th centuries.
Many parents abandoned their children, some sold theirs to save them or buy food, cannibalism became widespread, crime increased unusually, and the spread of diseases increased.
Most of Europe was affected.
Throughout the spring and the summer, it continued to rain, and the temperature remained cool. In the spring of 1316, it continued to rain on a European population deprived of energy and reserves to sustain itself.
The Great Famine would later have consequences for future events in the fourteenth century, such as the Note: the average life expectancy figures are inclusive of child mortality which was naturally high compared to that during the modern era, even during non-famine years.Historical research has calculated that approximately 12% of human deaths from 700 to 1500 A.D. were
Poor economic planning with the communal way of farming and the complex interaction of many social and environmental factors also played a role in this disaster: the demographic peak in Europe, marked by 1300 during the Medieval warm period (X-XIII cc.)
For example, localised famines occurred in The onset of the Great Famine coincided with the end of the Medieval Warm Period. At this time, thousands of people died every day, public rules ceased to operate.