Directory

1412 CE

A year defined by the Compromise of Caspe resolving the Aragonese succession, the birth of Joan of Arc in Domremy, and continuing power struggles across the fragmented Ottoman and Timurid empires.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The Compromise of Caspe on June 28 resolved the Aragonese succession crisis, with nine appointed judges selecting Ferdinand of Antequera of the Castilian Trastamara dynasty as King of Aragon.
  • Ferdinand I of Aragon began his reign, uniting the Crown of Aragon with Castilian dynastic interests and reshaping the political landscape of the Iberian Peninsula.
  • The Duchy of Milan under Filippo Maria Visconti pursued an expansionist foreign policy, seeking to recover territories lost during the instability following his father's death.
  • Emperor Yongle of the Ming dynasty relocated the imperial capital from Nanjing to Beijing, initiating a massive construction program to transform the northern city into a worthy seat of government.
  • King Ladislaus of Naples continued his campaigns in central Italy, temporarily occupying Rome and threatening papal authority before retreating under diplomatic pressure.

Conflict & Security

  • The Ottoman civil war intensified as Mehmed Celebi, based in Anatolia, prepared for a decisive confrontation with his brother Musa, who controlled Ottoman territories in the Balkans.
  • Musa Celebi's harsh governance in the Balkans alienated many Ottoman vassals and frontier lords, driving them to support his brother Mehmed as an alternative ruler.
  • The Armagnac-Burgundian civil war in France continued, with John the Fearless of Burgundy and the Armagnac faction competing for control of the regency government.
  • English garrisons in Wales suppressed the last remnants of the Glyndwr revolt, though Owain Glyndwr himself remained at large in the Welsh countryside.
  • Civil unrest in the city of Liege in the Low Countries reflected broader social tensions between urban artisans and the ecclesiastical and noble authorities who governed the bishopric.

Economy & Finance

  • The Medici bank expanded its branch network, establishing operations in Rome to handle financial transactions for the papal curia under Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici's direction.
  • Textile production in the Flemish cities faced increasing competition from English cloth manufacturers, who benefited from access to raw wool and lower labor costs.
  • Banking operations in Barcelona and Valencia expanded to support the growing commercial activity of the Crown of Aragon under its new Trastamara dynasty.
  • Precious metal shortages in parts of Europe contributed to deflationary pressures, as silver and gold supplies struggled to keep pace with the demands of expanding trade.

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing advanced under Emperor Yongle's direction, with vast quantities of timber, stone, and marble transported from across the empire.
  • Mining technology in the Harz Mountains of Germany improved with better ventilation systems and horse-powered water pumps, enabling deeper underground excavation.

Science & Discovery

  • Joan of Arc was born on January 6 in Domremy, France, though her significance would not be recognized until her military campaigns seventeen years later.

Climate & Environment

  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 272 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.

Culture & Society

  • The Limbourg Brothers continued their work on the Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, producing one of the most celebrated illuminated manuscripts of the medieval period.
  • The Florentine humanist movement gained momentum as scholars studied classical Latin and Greek texts, laying the groundwork for the intellectual transformation of the Renaissance.
  • The estimated global population stood at approximately 364 million, with slow demographic recovery continuing in regions affected by fourteenth-century pandemics and wars.