AHC: by 1700 make Poland a great power comparable to France

[AsukaEMP]

because the farmers in Holland and Belgium were much more productive than their Polish counterparts

Is your polish population of 20 million going to live off of a diet of hemp and butter?

 

[marcinL]

Is your polish population of 20 million going to live off of a diet of hemp and butter?

They are going to eat grains and beans and vegetables, with occasional cheese, meat and fish, like people in France, England, Spain, Germany, Italy and every other country in the world.

 

[Jan Olbracht]

That didnt happen in any other country. The only area I know where half of population perished in war was the Deluge Lithuania.

Because every country with similar climate and agricultural package with three field system had serfdom.

Worse things happened in Ukraine, where within generation after Khmielnitsky Uprising 90% left or died.

 

[marcinL]

Because every country with similar climate and agricultural package with three field system had serfdom.

I think that this is a case of correlation but not causation and that the territories east of Elbe were less developed than the west was more important to the rise of serfdom than relatively minor climtic differences, but anyway, it would hardly be a challenge if it was too easy.