1152 CE
A year of dynastic transformation, in which Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage to Louis VII of France was annulled and she married Henry Plantagenet, future King of England, while Frederick Barbarossa was elected King of Germany.
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
- Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage to King Louis VII of France was annulled in March on grounds of consanguinity, returning to her the vast Duchy of Aquitaine, the richest territory in France.
- Eleanor married Henry, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou, on May 18, just eight weeks after her annulment, creating a combined domain that stretched from the Scottish border to the Pyrenees.
- Frederick I, known as Barbarossa, was elected King of Germany in March following the death of his uncle Conrad III, beginning a reign that would reshape the politics of the Holy Roman Empire.
- The marriage of Eleanor and Henry fundamentally altered the balance of power in western Europe, making the Angevin lands far larger than those of the French crown.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 275 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Culture & Society
- The troubadour tradition of courtly love poetry flourished in the lands of Eleanor of Aquitaine, influencing literary culture across western Europe.
- The estimated world population was approximately 342 million.