Directory

1431 CE

A year defined by the burning of Joan of Arc at Rouen, the coronation of young Henry VI as King of France in Paris, and the opening of the Council of Basel.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Henry VI of England was crowned King of France in Paris on December 16, in an attempt to legitimize English claims to the French throne under the Treaty of Troyes.
  • The Council of Basel opened on July 23, convened by Pope Martin V's decree to address Church reform, the Hussite heresy, and reunion with the Eastern Church.
  • The Timurid ruler Shah Rukh maintained diplomatic relations with Ming China, with embassies exchanged between Herat and the Ming court.
  • The Aztec Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan continued to consolidate power in the Valley of Mexico.

Conflict & Security

  • Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30 after being convicted of heresy by an ecclesiastical court organized under English authority.

Economy & Finance

  • The prolonged Hundred Years' War disrupted agricultural production and trade across northern France, causing economic hardship for the peasant population.
  • Venetian merchants adjusted their eastern Mediterranean trade networks following the Ottoman capture of Thessalonica.

Science & Discovery

  • The Council of Basel brought together scholars and theologians from across Europe, facilitating intellectual exchange alongside ecclesiastical debate.

Climate & Environment

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

Culture & Society

  • The trial and execution of Joan of Arc at Rouen became one of the most consequential events in medieval cultural memory, later inspiring veneration and legend.
  • Jan van Eyck continued his groundbreaking work in oil painting, developing techniques of layered glazing that achieved unprecedented realism.
  • The Ming dynasty Xuande Emperor in China was himself a skilled painter and calligrapher, patronizing the arts at the imperial court.
  • The estimated global population stood at approximately 389 million, with the largest concentrations in China, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe.