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The World the Plague Made

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James Belich

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In 1346, a catastrophic plague struck Europe, halving populations and causing immense suffering, yet it also sparked unprecedented cultural and economic renewal. This history reveals how the bubonic plague transformed labor, trade, and technology, paving the way for Europe’s global expansion. The author explores the paradox of Europe's rise following the Black Death, illustrating how the plague, despite its devastation, doubled per capita resources. With fewer people, disposable incomes increased, leading to heightened demand for luxury goods like silks, sugar, and spices. This surge in demand prompted European expansion, facilitated by labor scarcity that accelerated the adoption of water and wind power, as well as gunpowder. Innovations such as water-powered blast furnaces and heavily armed galleons emerged rapidly in response to these pressures. A new "crew culture" of "disposable males" developed to operate these advancements. By situating Western Europe's ascent within a global context, the narrative highlights how the empires of the Middle East and Russia also thrived post-plague, revealing the interconnectedness of European expansion with Chinese and other global influences.