Intermission! The Little Ice Age

This…

This…

Word Wall• Climate change• Famine• Rebellion• Natural Disasters• Harvests

Easy Steps to Cataclysm

Unpredictable Seasons

Crop Harvest

s

Famine

Tax Revenue

s

Tax Rates

Loyalty to the

Monarch

Snowball Effect?

bad harvests

natural disasters instability fewer

resources

= Cataclysmic Impact

Brainstorm #1• To understand how would you react to a string of

disasters that threatened your nation, write how you would rank your priorities as absolute ruler.

• The power of your nation (its territory, resources)• Stability of your nation • Your hold on power• Safety of your people• Create one original priority.

Which Monarch Am I?• Your farm harvests are down dramatically after

several years of natural disasters, leading to famine and claims you are losing the 'Mandate of Heaven'. Do you.....

A. lower taxes on your people to relieve their burden and calm their anger?

B. lower taxes on your people... and reduce the size of your military to save money?

C. increase taxes on your people and increase the size of your military?

Chongzhen

• I chose ‘C’. I am also the last Ming Emperor ever from 1627 to 1644….

• *I committed suicide after stabbing my daughter and forcing my wife to kill herself.

Which Monarch Am I?• Your farm harvests are down 60% from normal after a brutally hot

summer that arrived far earlier than expected. The year before, massive flooding in the spring and fall caused half or more of thatyear's harvest to be lost. Do you....

A. purchase grains from unaffected provinces to distribute to yourstarving population?

B. invade Northern Italy to prevent a rival country from takingadvantage of that region's famine-induced weakness?

C. invade Northern Italy to take advantage of their famine-inducedweakness and gain control of their harvests?

D. purchase grains from unaffected provinces to distribute to yourhungry military?

King Louis XIII of France

Review• What was the main effect of the Little Ice Age on

the stability of nations?

A. Longer and colder winters meant less time for war fighting, reducing levels of violence.

B. High rates of famine from failed harvests led to unhappy protests and rebellions.

C. Failed harvests pushed rulers to invade other countries for access to their resources.

D. Wetter summers and colder winters increased instances of plague, killing millions.

GROUP: Absolute (Mis)Rule?

• Role-play in groups as….

• Peasants• Military• Merchants• Nobles• Outsiders