A three-year drought
The three-year drought was one of the greatest natural crises of the Late Empire. In three years, according to the chronicles, only seven rains were to fall, causing poor harvests, famine and a major weakening of the economy. Magnus VIII. he was able to avert a much larger disaster by stockpiling and moving food.
The end of certainty
A year after the accession of Magnus VIII. a period of drought came, which quickly ended the sense of security inherited from the reign of Anna I. In the entire three years, according to the chronicles, it rained only seven times. Crops grew small or did not grow at all. The eastern part of the empire suffered the most, where a famine already occurred at the end of 1306.
Granaries as rescue
Magnus VIII. he began moving grain and food from granaries throughout the empire as needed. This process was not easy and was accompanied by minor and major problems, but in the overall result it prevented a catastrophic death toll. At the end of the drought, deaths from starvation were counted in the hundreds, not the thousands or higher. It was this that showed the importance of granaries, administration and earlier stabilization reforms.
The crisis that changed the economy
A three-year drought severely weakened the economy and signaled that the second golden age was over. The empire survived better than the surrounding states, but the confidence in endless growth was gone. At the same time, the crisis opened the way for the Conflict of Grain, as some of the surrounding powers were affected by the drought even worse than the Empire.