Directory

1435 CE

A year defined by the Treaty of Arras reconciling France and Burgundy, the death of the Duke of Bedford ending effective English rule in France, and the completion of Brunelleschi's dome.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • The Treaty of Arras was signed on September 21, reconciling Charles VII of France with Philip the Good of Burgundy and ending the Anglo-Burgundian alliance.
  • The Treaty of Arras effectively isolated England diplomatically, as Burgundy recognized Charles VII as the legitimate King of France.
  • John, Duke of Bedford, the English regent in France, died on September 14 at Rouen, removing the most capable English leader in France.
  • Philip the Good of Burgundy gained significant territorial concessions through the Treaty of Arras, including exemption from personal homage to the French king.

Conflict & Security

  • The Treaty of Arras fundamentally shifted the balance of the Hundred Years' War against England by breaking the Anglo-Burgundian alliance.
  • French armies under Charles VII's commanders began to recapture towns and territories in northern France previously held by the English.

Economy & Finance

  • The Treaty of Arras disrupted the long-standing English wool trade with the Burgundian Netherlands by altering the political alignment.
  • English crown revenues suffered from the disruption of traditional continental trade relationships following the Treaty of Arras.

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Filippo Brunelleschi completed the dome of Florence Cathedral, a masterpiece of Renaissance engineering constructed without traditional wooden centering.
  • The development of printing technology advanced in Europe, with early experiments in movable metal type attributed to the Rhineland region.

Science & Discovery

  • Leon Battista Alberti, the Italian humanist and polymath, continued his studies in architecture, art, and natural philosophy.

Climate & Environment

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

Culture & Society

  • The completion of Brunelleschi's dome on Florence Cathedral became a symbol of Florentine achievement and Renaissance architectural innovation.
  • Roger van der Weyden emerged as a leading painter of the Netherlandish school, producing emotionally expressive religious works.
  • The estimated global population stood at approximately 394 million, with the largest concentrations in China, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe.