[extropy-chat] Back to Causes of War

[Lee Corbin]

Keith writes

> [Lee wrote]
> 
>> Well documented causes exist for the
>> wars between England and France that broke out in the 1300s.
>> The plague came later (1346) but I don't think slowed the war
>> any except for a bit of financial exhaustion among the rulers.
>> The 15th century was still very war-prone in Europe.
> 
> One of the things you need to keep in mind is how fast the population 
> rebounded.  The Black Death killed about 25% of the European population at 
> the time.  As a guess the dip recovered in a generation or so since humans 
> have the ability to double (or more) per generation.

Not true.  It took more than a century for Europe to reach its
pre-plague population levels.  "War and Peace and War", by
Peter Turchin, or, The Penquin "Atlas of World Population History"
history says about 150 years:  it was not until 1500 that Europe
got back to its 1300 level.

Lee

> Hungary recovered in less than 50 years from 25% of their population being 
> killed in wars.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Muhi

That's two generations, anyway, to pick a nit for Hungary.

Lee