Directory

1422 CE

A year defined by the deaths of Henry V of England and Charles VI of France, the Treaty of Melno between Poland-Lithuania and the Teutonic Order, and the continuing Hussite Wars in Bohemia.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Henry V of England died on August 31 at Vincennes, leaving his infant son Henry VI as king of both England and, under the Treaty of Troyes, heir to France.
  • Charles VI of France died on October 21, just weeks after Henry V, leaving the question of the French succession violently contested between English and Dauphinist factions.
  • The Duke of Bedford, John of Lancaster, was appointed regent of France for the infant Henry VI, taking command of the English position on the continent.
  • Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, became Lord Protector of England during the minority of Henry VI, sharing power with a regency council.
  • The Dauphin Charles proclaimed himself King Charles VII of France following his father's death, though he controlled only territories south of the Loire.
  • The Treaty of Melno was signed on September 27 between the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Teutonic Knights, settling border disputes in the Baltic.
  • Murad II consolidated his rule as Ottoman Sultan, strengthening central authority and managing relations with Balkan vassal states.

Conflict & Security

  • The Hussite Wars intensified in Bohemia, with Jan Zizka leading Taborite forces to victory at the Battle of Nebovidy in January against royalist troops.
  • Hussite forces defeated another crusading army at the Battle of Deutschbrod, demonstrating the effectiveness of their war wagon tactics and religious fervor.
  • The siege of Meaux, conducted by Henry V earlier in the year, concluded with the fall of the town after a prolonged and brutal blockade.
  • Border warfare between the Teutonic Knights and Poland-Lithuania persisted until the Treaty of Melno established new territorial boundaries.

Economy & Finance

  • The death of Henry V created economic uncertainty in English-held France, as merchants and administrators adapted to the new regency government.
  • The Bohemian economy continued to suffer from the Hussite Wars, with trade routes disrupted and agricultural production damaged by military campaigns.

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Brunelleschi's work on the Florence Cathedral dome continued, with the innovative herringbone brick pattern allowing construction without traditional scaffolding.
  • Hussite military technology advanced further, with improvements to war wagon formations and the integration of early firearms into battle tactics.

Science & Discovery

  • Ulugh Beg advanced his astronomical research in Samarkand, beginning construction of a massive observatory that would produce precise stellar measurements.

Health & Medicine

  • Henry V of England died of dysentery contracted during the siege of Meaux, illustrating the devastating impact of camp diseases on medieval armies.
  • Disease and malnutrition spread through areas affected by the Hussite Wars, as military campaigns disrupted food production and displaced populations.

Climate & Environment

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

Culture & Society

  • The estimated global population was approximately 377 million, with gradual recovery continuing in regions affected by the fourteenth-century plagues.