The Black Death killed millions of Europeans and placed kingdoms in turmoil, however this essay will argue that the plague improved the financial conditions of the survivors and ultimately advanced Europe into a new era of prosperity. The Black Death or Black Death or even the bubonic plague was one of the worst and most devastating pandemics in human history. The Black Death was a serious disease concentrated in Europe, killing 70 to 200 million people with a peak in the 13th and 14th centuries. The disease was said to be caused by a bacterium called Yersinia Pestis, which was actually only discovered in the late 19th century by French scientist Alexandre Yersin. The bacteria infected rats and later evolved to move to fleas and then humans. The Black Death had many symptoms, including swelling of the lymph nodes, blackening of extremities such as toes, fingers, nose, coughing, vomiting of blood, and bursting of buboes that were extremely painful. It has also been noted that the Black Death originated and traveled along the Silk Trade Route early in its era. Before the Black Death broke out in Europe, the continent was already in a state of desperation and economic hardship. The largest kingdoms in Europe before the Black Death were the kingdoms of France, England and Italy which included the Holy Roman Empire. One of the reasons for the economic turbulence present in Europe before the arrival of the plague was due to the wars and campaigns conducted by the major states and kingdoms which had a huge impact on the European economy. The most notable war that occurred before, during, and even after the Black Death was the Hundred Years' War which was fought with... middle of paper... physical and technological terms. The two economists argue that if the European population had continued to grow extensively it would still have been at the same level of development as China in the 18th century. In conclusion, the Black Death killed millions of Europeans and threw kingdoms into turmoil, especially in the case of France. However it also advanced Europe and brought a new era of prosperity for the continent. This excerpt from the article about Europe after the plague sums it up perfectly: “What does this mean for today? Fortunately, few mass casualty events on the scale of the plague have occurred in recent centuries. Epidemics act like what Voigtländer calls a “neutron bomb,” removing people but relatively little in the way of economic capital (unlike, for example, the two world wars of the 20th century, which caused massive material damage and tens of millions of dead).).”