Final answer:
The Great Famine led to significant population loss, and economic and political instability, and eroded public confidence in institutions. It prompted demographic changes, including urban migration and a questioning of the manorial system, ultimately leading to social transformations across Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
Impact of the Great Famine on Western Europe
The Great Famine of 1315–1317, caused by the onset of the Little Ice Age, had a devastating effect on Western Europe, with up to 10 percent of the population succumbing to starvation. This catastrophic event prompted a massive population collapse and had dire economic consequences.
It led to soaring prices for food staples like grain, widespread political and economic instability, and social tensions escalated due to competition for scarce resources. The prolonged food shortages also undermined the public trust in both church officials and monarchs, as their ability to effectively respond to such crises was called into question.
Moreover, the famine and subsequent disasters such as the Great Bovine Pestilence weakened the European population, creating a generation that was less resilient than those who had survived the famine. This, along with events like the Black Death, propelled significant socio-economic transformations. Peasants began moving away from rural areas and the manorial system, seeking better labour opportunities in cities which enhanced urban growth and gradually led to the decline of feudalism.
In summary, the Great Famine was a defining moment in European history that precipitated demographic shifts, affected socio-economic structures, and altered the course of the region's future development.