1135 CE
A year defined by the death of Henry I of England and the seizure of the throne by Stephen of Blois, igniting a succession crisis known as the Anarchy that would plunge England into nearly two decades of civil war.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
- King Henry I of England died on December 1 in Normandy, reportedly from food poisoning after eating a meal of lampreys, leaving the succession in dispute.
- Stephen of Blois, nephew of Henry I, raced to England and was crowned king on December 22, despite the late king's designation of his daughter Matilda as heir.
- Matilda, also known as the Empress Maud, had been designated as Henry I's successor and had received oaths of loyalty from the English barons, but Stephen's swift action preempted her claim.
Conflict & Security
- Stephen's seizure of the throne set the stage for the civil war known as the Anarchy, as Matilda and her supporters refused to accept the legitimacy of his claim.
- The barons of England were divided between supporters of Stephen and those loyal to Matilda, creating deep factional divisions that would persist for years.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 275 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Culture & Society
- The Cistercian monastic order continued its rapid expansion across Europe under the influence of Bernard of Clairvaux, establishing new abbeys dedicated to austerity and manual labor.
- The estimated world population was approximately 335 million.