Directory

1467 CE

A year defined by the death of Philip the Good of Burgundy and the rise of Charles the Bold, the Onin War's outbreak in Japan, and Songhai expansion in West Africa.

Geopolitics & Diplomacy

  • Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, died in June and was succeeded by his son Charles the Bold, who pursued more aggressive territorial ambitions.
  • Charles the Bold immediately sought to expand Burgundian power, challenging King Louis XI of France and alarming neighboring states.
  • The Onin War erupted in Japan as rival factions of the Ashikaga shogunate fought for control, beginning a decade of devastating civil conflict in Kyoto.
  • Edward IV of England strengthened ties with Burgundy, negotiating the marriage of his sister Margaret to Charles the Bold.
  • Sonni Ali of the Songhai Empire continued to expand his domain, extending control over territories along the middle Niger River.

Conflict & Security

  • The Onin War began in earnest in Kyoto, with the Hosokawa and Yamana factions devastating large portions of the Japanese capital.
  • The Ottoman-Venetian War continued with clashes in the Morea and the Aegean, as both sides fought for control of strategic positions.
  • Charles the Bold of Burgundy confronted the city of Liege, which had rebelled against Burgundian authority with encouragement from Louis XI.
  • Sonni Ali's forces continued their military campaigns in West Africa, subjugating neighboring peoples and expanding the Songhai Empire.
  • Skanderbeg continued his resistance to Ottoman rule in Albania, though his forces were increasingly isolated and lacking external support.
  • The Catalan civil war dragged on, with sieges and skirmishes continuing to damage the economy and population of northeastern Iberia.

Economy & Finance

  • The accession of Charles the Bold disrupted trade in the Low Countries as merchants adjusted to the new duke's aggressive policies.
  • The Onin War devastated Kyoto's economy, destroying workshops, markets, and merchant quarters in the Japanese capital.
  • Portuguese trade along the West African coast continued to generate significant revenue from gold, pepper, and the slave trade.
  • Venetian commerce suffered from the prolonged war with the Ottomans, with insurance costs and shipping risks increasing.
  • The Medici bank's fortunes continued to fluctuate under Piero de' Medici's management, with some branches performing poorly.
  • Songhai control of the trans-Saharan trade routes brought wealth from gold and salt exchange to the empire's ruling elite.

Technology & Infrastructure

  • Japanese castle construction and fortification techniques evolved in response to the warfare that engulfed Kyoto and surrounding provinces.
  • Venetian glass production on Murano island reached new levels of artistic and technical achievement.
  • Clockmaking became more sophisticated, with smaller and more accurate mechanisms produced by skilled artisans in German cities.

Science & Discovery

  • Regiomontanus continued his astronomical work in Nuremberg, publishing calendars and ephemerides used by navigators and scholars.
  • The printing of astronomical tables and calendars by Regiomontanus made accurate celestial data available to a broader audience.

Health & Medicine

  • The warfare in Japan during the Onin War created conditions of famine and disease that affected the civilian population of Kyoto.
  • Medical texts began to be printed, making the works of Galen, Avicenna, and other classical authorities more widely accessible.

Climate & Environment

  • Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 273 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
  • Deforestation in Japan accelerated due to the destruction caused by the Onin War and the demand for timber to rebuild damaged structures.

Culture & Society

  • The Onin War disrupted Japanese cultural life in Kyoto, though the dispersal of artisans and scholars spread Kyoto's culture to the provinces.
  • Charles the Bold of Burgundy inherited one of the most culturally sophisticated courts in Europe, known for its art, music, and pageantry.
  • The Songhai Empire's cultural influence grew as Timbuktu's Islamic schools and libraries attracted scholars from across West Africa and beyond.
  • The estimated global population was approximately 436 million people.