"The Plague that Reshaped Europe"
Arriving on Genoese trade ships in 1347, the Bubonic Plague ravaged Europe. Caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis carried by fleas on rats, it killed an estimated 75 to 200 million people—up to 60% of Europe's population. Entire towns were wiped out.
Paradoxically, the plague improved life for survivors. With fewer workers, labor became valuable. Peasants could demand higher wages, leading to the collapse of the Feudal System. The inability of the Church to stop the plague also sowed seeds of doubt that would later fuel the Reformation and the rise of medical science.