WASHMUN IX 1348 Europe: The Plague. Chaired by: Camila Anderson and Eleanor Holtzapple

Transcription

1 WASHMUN IX 1348 Europe: The Plague Chaired by: Camila Anderson and Eleanor Holtzapple

2 Welcome delegates! My name s Eleanor Holtzapple and I m currently a junior at Washington-Lee High School. I ve participated in MUN on-and-off for two years, and I ve done one year of admin for the PAMUN conference at the American School of Paris. Aside from MUN, I m a part of Romanian Children s Relief and Ultimate Frisbee. My co-chair and I are excited to be able to be a part of the 1348 Europe committee with you this WASHMUN. It s an unconventional committee, but there is a lot of policy that can be discussed, and we look forward to see what resolutions and papers you all come up with. One important thing to remember: make sure you represent the views that your delegation would have had! This might mean having some ideas or solutions that sound ridiculous to a modern ear, but they would make perfect sense in the 14th century. Feel free to me with any questions you might have! Eleanor Holtzapple elmholtzapple@gmail.com Dear Delegates, My name is Camila Anderson and I am a junior here at Washington Lee High School. I ve been a part of MUN since my freshman year of high school and have attended conferences both overseas and at high schools here in Northern Virginia. Both my co-chair and I are excited to welcome you to WASHMUN 2018 and look forward to seeing delegates debate the issues surrounding 1348 Europe. This committee is full of dire and pressing challenges that delegates will have to face, so we encourage you to do research beyond the background guide. If you have any issues you can me or my co-chair. We look forward to seeing you! Camila Anderson thecatlikespie@gmail.com 1

3 Topic Overviews Prevention of the Bubonic Plague The year is A mysterious plague sweeps across the continent, killing almost everyone it touches. This is the bubonic plague, one of the most devastating epidemics in the history of the human race. Leaders and commoners alike have gathered together to discuss how to prevent the spread of the plague and how to treat it. Due to the lack of twenty-first century medicine we take for granted today, how will the people of medieval Europe halt the progress of the deadliest pandemic they have ever known? Treatment of the Bubonic Plague The sickness not only needs to be stopped from spreading but cured. No one is safe from the plague. Different doctors of different backgrounds all offer their expert medical advice, but how will monarchs know what is truth from fiction? Whose advice should be followed to create new policy? What if this isn t a medicinal issue at all, but a religious one? What, or who, is to blame? This seemingly incurable disease has ravaged the land and its people. How far are the desperate willing to go, and what are they willing to risk, to cure the plague? History of the Plague The bubonic plague, or the Black Death, is known today as one of the worst epidemics in human history, and at the time it seemed apocalyptic. Millions of people in Europe and Asia are estimated to have died from the bubonic plague. The worst outbreak of the disease was in the mid-1300s, when merchants coming from parts of Asia and the Black Sea sailed into Italian ports. Most of the sailors were infected with the plague, which then spread to the neighboring countries of France, Spain, Portugal, and England, continuing into the East and infecting Germany, Russia, and Scandinavia. With no real means of prevention or treatment, millions suffered grotesque deaths. Now a council has been called together, comprised of powerful monarchs, the best and brightest doctors, and respected commoners, to come up with a solution to their plight. 2

4 Background Information While more commonly associated with Europe, the bubonic plague in the 1300s actually originated in Asia. It devastated the continent, especially the north-west regions of China, where the first outbreak was recorded in After that, the plague spread around the country, the continent, and then to Europe. The first cases in Europe were on a dozen merchant ships in 1 October of These ships were coming from Asia and the Black Sea to the ports of Sicily. The men on the ship were already infected and dying of the plague, and the disease quickly spread from these few men to the whole country and continent. In Florence, Italy, it is estimated that 60% of the city s population would die over the course of the plague. For this committee, we are assuming that all of the major European countries and cities have been contaminated by the plague. During the 14th century, it was unknown exactly how the plague was spread (although people did know that contact with infected-persons could lead to the spread of the plague). However, the symptoms were obvious. When humans were infected, they would have an infected lymph node, most commonly found in the upper thigh, armpit, or neck region. After the infection set in, it would be another few days before the person fell ill, and another few days before they would die, putting the incubation period from infection to death at around 10 days. Around 80% of the infected would die, putting the mortality rate of the plague incredibly high. The plague was also extremely contagious. Reports showed that even one person with the disease could cause the contamination of a small city. Additionally, the plague was easily transmitted through trade over rivers, oceans, seas, etc. Many at the time also believed the disease to be miasmic (spread through plague-contaminated air). Due to its extreme contagiousness, and the multitude of ways it is believed to be spread, halting the progress of the disease would be difficult. Treatments/Reactions to the Plague 1 History Channel 3

5 Due to the fact that many were not sure of how the plague was spread and how it affected the body, aside from obvious physical symptoms, there were many conflicting beliefs on how to prevent the spread of the plague. One commonly used treatment was to quarantine people who had the disease. Many cities and town had pestilence houses, where the sick were confined until they died, while others would board up their homes when a family member or neighbor got sick. The wealthy would move out of the cities to the countryside, where the disease was less common. Ships were also quarantined, such as those entering Venice, and would have to undergo a day quarantine period to prove that no one onboard was infected before they were allowed into the city. Many people believed that miasma (infected air) was what was causing and spreading the 2 disease. People would burn fires in an attempt to clean the air, and others would carry around scented herbs and spices with them in an effort to keep infected air from at bay. Miasma was such a popular theory that even the pope was known to help light fires in order to fight the corrupted air. The miasma theory was also popular among medical practitioners and doctors, who were also fond of bloodletting as a form of treatment. Even more people turned to religion as their savior from the plague. Many prayed to God to save them from the disease and to bring an end to the plague. This period of time also marked the rise in popularity of extremist religious groups, such as the Brothers of the Flagellants (especially popular in Germany), who believed that God had sent the disease as a form of punishment. These extremist groups also blamed the Jews for the plague, even going so far as to 3 claim that they were poisoning water supplies to further infect people with the disease. Many violent acts against the Jews were committed, because some Christians saw this as a possible solution to stop the plague. 4 Jewish communities were blamed for poisoning water and causing the sickness. Because their communities were already separated from cities, Jews were not as affected by the Black Death as others were. This caused tensions and suspicions to rise, and as a result entire 2 Ibeji 3 Ibeji 4 Khan Academy 4

6 Jewish communities in Europe were killed in violent massacres. Massacres occurred in Toulon, Barcelona, Erfurt, Basel, Aragon, Flanders, and Strasbourg. Map of 14th century Germany (Erfurt in the center & Basel would be located between Switzerland & Germany). The Erfurt massacre took place in Germany 1349, in which up to three thousand Jews are 5 thought to have died. By lynching Jews, people believed they could stop the plague. Some of the Jews set themselves and their homes on fire before they could be hanged. Similar massacres took place in Basel and Strasbourg, where entire Jewish communities went up in flames. Jews all over Europe were persecuted, prompting Pope Clement VI to speak out against the violence. He claimed that those who inflicted violence upon Jews were influenced and seduced by the Devil, and that anyone who intentionally harmed a Jew would be excommunicated. Guy de Chauliac, a French physician who studied the plague and its victims, concluded that Jews could not be held responsible for the illness. Their words did little to sway public opinion, as the massacres didn t stop until the first outbreak of the disease ceased. 5 History Channel 5

7 Current Situation The continent is in a state of crisis. Nearly every region of the European continent has been affected by the plague, and major cities such as Venice, Milan, Avignon, London, and Zurich (among others), have lost a large part of their population to the disease. Map of Europe, showing how (and when) major cities were affected by the plague Despite this, the plague doesn t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Not to mention, there is barely any coherence among different cultural and national groups on methods for stopping the plague. Major European leaders have reached an agreement that the best way to find a means to stop and treat the plague is to gather representatives of different cultural and social groups to develop a solution that would be the most effective for the widest range of people. This is why this council, filled with people of many diverse backgrounds, has been called together. The people of Europe are counting on you to stop the bubonic plague and save them, or else it might mark the end of the human race. 6

8 Questions to Consider 1) Church members: How should nonconformist and possibly dangerous activities, such as those of the Flagellants, be handled? Should the mass discrimination and violent behavior regarding Jews be tolerated? 2) Doctors: What is your preferred method of treatment and how will you convince those in power that this is the cure to the plague? ( Note: remember that you are representing people who have no knowledge of 21st century medicine; use only the medical knowledge that people had at the time.) 3) Monarchs: How are you going to control your population and protect them from further waves of the disease? Think about the political, social and economic aspects of your nation that influence your stance. 4) Merchants: If it meant saving lives, would you risk your own business, your livelihood and family by ceasing trading activities? 5) Religious Commoners: How pleased/displeased are you with your rulers? Do you feel protected from religious prejudice in your state? Position Paper Guidelines Preparing a position paper is essential to being fully prepared for any conference. At WASHMUN, delegates must submit a position paper if they wish to be considered for awards. We suggest that position papers follow this format: A cover page with your name, school name, position title, and country/state flag About 1-2 pages written in response to each topic, including background information, past action, and suggested solutions Suggested solutions should be the most in depth section of the paper Bibliography Do not forget to cite your sources in a bibliography. Under WASHMUN conference policy, any paper without citations will be considered plagiarized. 7

9 Positions Within the committee, there will be a mix of some real historical figures, as well as chair-created figures who represent historical groups affected by the plague (such as the Silk Road merchant). All chair-created people will be marked with an asterix, and they will include mini-biographies. The figures based on real people will not include biographies, since there is information regarding them online. Some of the historical figures were not alive during the 14th century, but for the sake of committee, we will pretend they were. You can use any information that they might have known for their time period to help you. Note: many of the positions listed have strongly prejudiced views, especially those regarding religion. That said, do not forget that this is a diplomatic conference and you are still expected to be respectful toward other representatives regardless of differences, religious or otherwise. 1. Marco Gagliardi* (Silk Road Merchant) a. You are a merchant, who primarily uses the Silk Road to transport goods from parts of Asia to Europe, and this has made you very wealthy. The plague has caused many to call for trade and travel restrictions between different countries and between Asia and Europe, especially since many blame the Silk Road merchants for being the ones to bring the plague to Europe. If trade was restricted, this would greatly hurt your financial interests. You have two children and a wife living not far from Rome. 2. Guy de Chauliac ( ) 3. Guivanni Boccaccio ( ) 4. King Edward III ( ) 5. Bishop Edendon of Winchester a. Look at the BBC link in the bibliography and for the Voice in Rama speech 6. Michel de Nostredame ( ) 7. Pope Clement Vi ( ) 8

10 8. Giovanni de Ventura 9. Niall O Glacain ( ) 10. Ambroise Pare ( ) 11. Charles de Lorme ( ) 12. Louis XIII ( ) 13. Albert Armbruster* (Devout Catholic/Brotherhood of Flagellants Member) a. You ve always been a relatively religious man, but the start of the plague has made you more extremist in your views. You see the plague as a sign from God about the evils of current society, and you want large social and political change in order to appease God. You ve also joined the Brotherhood of the Flagellants that is popular in your German hometown. (Note: in order to keep this committee respectful towards all, don t focus strongly on the anti-semitism aspect of the Brotherhood of the Flagellants or the character; instead, call for more general religious reform than religion-specific actions) 14. Thomas Vicary ( ) 15. Rachel Klein* (Jewish immigrant) a. In Europe at this time, many Jews have been pushed to the fringes of cities (which were majority Christian) into their own secluded Jewish communities. This has both positive and negative consequences for the Jewish community: on one hand, being kept alienated from non-jewish Europeans has kept the spread of the plague among Jews minimal so not many Jews have felt the direct effects of the plague, but the indirect effects of the plague can be felt strongly, with persecution and discrimination against Jews increasing steeply as the plague goes on. You are here to act as an advocate for rights of Jews, which have been infringed upon, but you also recognize that being in Jewish communities has kept the plague from spreading too quickly among the Jewish population. 16. Philip VI of France ( ) 17. Isabella of France ( ) 18. Louis the Great of Hungary ( ) 9

11 19. Charles IV King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor ( ) 20. Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow ( ) 21. Constance d Artagnan* (washerwoman) a. You are a lower-class washerwoman in a large city in France. You feel as if the monarchs and other European rulers have not focused enough on how the working-class and lower-class are affected by the plague, especially those, like you, who live in major cities. You wish to keep the interest of the committee on helping the poor. Things you might want: government aid to poor, cleaner streets in poor neighbourhoods (you and your neighbors believe that dirt can spread the plague), better statistics being taken about the effect of the plague (only Italy has been seriously recording statistics like death toll from the plague up to now) and a better system of dealing with the dead bodies. 22. Benino de Cerva* (Dubrovnik port master) a. You are port master of the city of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is currently under the control of the the free-state of Venice, but many people in the city wish to break free of Venetian rule, and become a city under the control of the kingdom of Hungary. Dubrovnik is an important port and plays an essential role in maritime trade, and, due to your upper-class background and education, you have been granted the affluent position of port master. The job has become more difficult with the start of the plague, since Dubrovnik has been badly hit by the plague due to its vulnerability as a trade point. You do not want to completely halt any trade at the port because it would hurt your job and the city economically, but you also want to make sure that the plague does not contaminate and devastate all of Dubrovnik. 23. Nicolas du Molin* (French serf) a. Unlike many at this time, the plague has brought you a stroke of good fortune. You are a serf, or a agricultural peasant worker who tends your employer s fields. The death toll of the plague has greatly reduced the amount of available cheap labour, and labourers/serfs like you are in high demand due to this shortage. You 10

12 can use this to your advantage and ask for higher wages, so hopefully, one day, 6 you can buy your own land. However, many people do not wish to have to pay their laborers higher wages, and these people tend to be upper-class landowners or nobles. While you are not trying to prevent the committee from finding a solution to the plague (since you are always at risk of being infected), that doesn t mean you can t also try to profit off it. 24. Jean Baptiste de Durfort* (French nobleman and landowner) a. You are a rich and affluent landowner from a French noble family (the Durforts). You and your immediate family hasn't been infected by the plague, since you fled to your estates in the countryside when the plague first broke. However, the plague has affected you. Many of your serfs (the peasant labourers who work your farms and lands) have died of the plague, meaning there is a labour shortage. Your remaining serfs are asking for increased wages, and this sentiment is echoed 7 by serfs across Europe. Paying them higher would mean losing a lot of valuable cheap labour, but can you really risk upsetting them and not having anyone working your fields? Your goal is to find alternative solutions to keep your serfs or to find other sources of labour, while also avoiding increasing wages and losing money. (Hint: government imposed price controls.) 25. Wild card: Sebastien Girard, Time Traveler* a. You are a time traveler who has gone back to the 1348s to try and help Europe fight against the plague. You are posing as the apprentice of a made-up Italian doctor. You have extensive medical knowledge about the plague and modern treatment ideas about how to fight it. For many, your ideas will seem outlandish and you can t tell anyone that you are a time-traveler, because you risk being burned at the stake for witchcraft. You also have no proof to show for being a time traveler, so you have to solely try to convince the committee of your knowledge about modern methods of medicine through ways that will make sense to a medieval community. 6 Khan Academy 7 Khan Academy 11

13 Bibliography Bubonic Plague. Khan Academy, Khan Academy, ease-and-demography. Black Death. History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010, (especially good source for explaining what people thought caused the plague at the time) Ibeji, Mike. History - British History in Depth: Black Death: The Disease. BBC, BBC, 17 Feb. 2011, Image Links Germany Map: KEwjp6uqfp7zZAhWSmeAKHTRZC0cQ_AUICigB&biw=1214&bih=603#imgrc=02e3zLYTpmR13M : General Europe Map: fcfbe7 12