it's not good to be the king
Jan. 24th, 2006 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quarrelInteresting tidbit from the History Channel.
There was a mini-Ice Age from 1300 to 1850, more or less. Bitter frosts caused by cool climates could randomly wipe out grain crops in a day. That, coupled with skirmishing armies intentionally trampling and burning croplands, led to great proliferation of the newly-imported potato throughout most of Europe, as it was far more resistant to those sorts of thing.
Most of Europe, that is, except France. Citizens refused to cultivate the crop or change their diet away from the cereal-based breads they were used to, despite even a propaganda campaign by the king that he ate potatoes at every dinner. The resulting lack of food as above-ground crops continued to fail was one of the major causes of the French Revolution -- you know, that uprising of the downtrodden common people against the uncaring aristocracy.
Whoever said leadership was a privilege?
There was a mini-Ice Age from 1300 to 1850, more or less. Bitter frosts caused by cool climates could randomly wipe out grain crops in a day. That, coupled with skirmishing armies intentionally trampling and burning croplands, led to great proliferation of the newly-imported potato throughout most of Europe, as it was far more resistant to those sorts of thing.
Most of Europe, that is, except France. Citizens refused to cultivate the crop or change their diet away from the cereal-based breads they were used to, despite even a propaganda campaign by the king that he ate potatoes at every dinner. The resulting lack of food as above-ground crops continued to fail was one of the major causes of the French Revolution -- you know, that uprising of the downtrodden common people against the uncaring aristocracy.
Whoever said leadership was a privilege?
