The Second Millenium

[Vince53]

And now it is 1392

The Joseon Dynasty seizes Korea, holding it until 1910. They will expand Korea to its present boundaries, enhance culture and stability, and successfully repel invaders. After more than five centuries, the Joseon Dynasty collapsed due to internal strife, and the Japanese Empire forcibly annexed Korea.
Japan's division into a northern and southern court is ended through peaceful negotiation. With two Emperors and some cloistered Emperors who held the real power., Japan is once again united.

Charles the Mad, King of France, finally goes insane. He will have periods of sanity, though.

Seven bishops sentence a Franciscan friar to be boiled alive for impersonating a bishop and ordainng priests.

There is an area in modern western Turkey where opium is easily grown. The area incudes a massive black rock with a fortress that has changed hands for thousands of years. This year, Turkey captures it. They lose it a few times, but they hold it today.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1393!

The Muzzafarid Dynasty had risen in the area around Iraq seventy-nine years ago. They had agreed to become a vassel state to Timur the Lame, but this year they rebel. Timur quickly defeats them, executes all their leaders, and absorbs them into his Empire.

Ottoman Turks capture the capital of east Bulgaria but allow the king to remain as a puppet ruler.

The Turks also capture Thessaly, a large area of Greece, from the Byzantine Empire. Thessaly will remain part of Turkey until 1881, when it will return to Greece.

 

[Vince53]

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO THE WHOLE LOT OF YOU!

Welcome to 1394.

Benedict XIII begins his nine year reign as one of two Popes. He is forced to fless Avignon (ending "The Babylonian Captivity") when the French cardinals turn against him. Refusing to resign, he flees to Spain where the Kingdom of Avignon remains the only nation to recognize his as Pope. He vigorously persecuted the Jews and accomplished little else.

Wallachia, which is now part of Romania, wins a major victory over invading Turks at the Battle of the Trenches. The shattered Turkish survivors join another army to begin an eight year siege of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire.

Having made peace with France (for a while) England invades Ireland. The Irish give them a beating and throw them out.

China orders its people to set aside part of their land for planting fruit trees. Why? The best land for fruit trees is not that good for growing rice, but trees need a lot of room and take a few years before they bear fruit. The Emperor hoped to improve the health of his people by giving them a more varied diet.

The Delhi Sultanate was a large Moslem kingdom in northern India from 1206 to 1526. This year it breaks into a civil war that will eventually cost it almost half its territory.

 

[Vince53]

1395

Shortly after the death of Genghis Khan, the Mongolian Empire had broken into four empires. This year, Timur the Lame defeats one of them in Russia, razes their capital to the ground, and installs a puppet ruler.

After seizing eastern Bulgaria last year and installing their Emperor as a puppet ruler, the Ottoman Turks behead him for treason.

For the second year in a row, Ireland defeats an invading English army.

 

[Vince53]

1396 is a really, really bad year for Crusaders.

In addition to the official Catholic Crusades, there had been dozens of minor Crusades. The last great Crusade of any type takes place this year, as Bulgarians, Germans, French, Hungarians, Italians, and others gather to fight the Ottoman Empire. Bulgaria had lost Nicopolis to the Ottomans, and an army of about 13,000 men attacked an equal-sized Ottoman Empire. The night before the battle, the Crusaders massacred over 1,000 civilian hostages. The Ottomans win, with heavy losses on both sides, and the victorious Moslems massacre all their prisoners. The second Bulgarian Empire later collapses as a result of the battle.

Mexican astronomers record a transit of Venus across the face of the sun.

Timor the Lame murders the remaining rulers of the tottering Kurt Dynasty and seizes control. Centered in Afghanistan, the Kurts (not to be confused with the Kurds) had become subserviant to their Mongol conquerers, but then rebelled and expanded all the way to eastern Iran.

 

[Vince53]

It's 1397!

The Kalmer Union unites Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Greenland under one monarch. It survives until 1523. Designed to halt German expansión northward into the Baltic nations, it was opposed by Scandinavian nobility who resented the single monarch's control.

Turks capture Vidin, a port town in northwestern Bulgaria that had been an independent kingdom.

England's King Richard II is feeling his oats. He arrests the Archbishop of Canterbury and many of the leading nobility as he re-asserts his control.

 

[Vince53]

It's not too late for 1398!

Three year old Tran Thieu De begins his two year reign as the last Vietnamese Emperor of the Tran Dynasty. The collapsing government is marked by assassinations and plots, but when he is overthrown at the age of five, he is quietly demoted to "Prince" and allowed to live.

In India, Timur the Lame conquers the city of Delhi and massacres hundreds of thousands of its citizens. For the record, World War 2 killed less than 3% of the world population, while Timur the Lame, "The Sword of Isalm," killed about 5%.

"Establishing Civility" begins his four year reign as Emperor of China. He diligently re-seizes territory from his uncles while stabilizing the nation, but he is overthrown after four years.

Jeongjong begins a successful two year reign over Korea. He has to deal with rebellions by his brothers, but he establishes a stable government before voluntarily abdicating to a younger brother.

 

[Vince53]

Things look fine in 1399!

Timur the Lame starts the year off right by conquering and sacking the city of Haridwar. One of Hidu's holiest cities, it is here that the Ganges River enters India.

Having exiled, arrested, or killed most of his opponents, England's King Richard II heads to Ireland to personally lead a military campaign. Bad move, as some of his victimes begin a civil war in his absence. Henry IV seizes the throne, arrests Richard on his return, forces him to abdicate, and puts him on trial for crimes against his subjects.

An overthrown Mongol leader who had escaped to Lithuania promises to return their lands if they will help him regain his throne. He is able to raise a Mongolian army loyal to him, and he and Lithuania launch an attack on Mongolian territory in Russia. But the combined army suffers a major defeat. The victorious Tartars (eastern Turks who were not a part of the Ottoman Empire) then began a major expansión back into Russian territory.

Meanwhile, the Ottoman Empire invades Syria. This is a bad move, because Timur the Lame had been planning to seize Syria for himself.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1400, a whole new century! (Most of you have to settle for merely a new year).

It's a great century for the Maori, who have settled in New Zealand. Free from war, they expand into the interior, developing an extensive agricultural society. This year, they finish hunting the moa (large, flightless birds, that weighed about 1/4 of a ton) to extinction. This causes the extinction of the Haast's Eagle, a 25 pound bird that is the largest eagle known.

England's new King, Henry IV, has a good year. A bungled assassination attempt leads him to quickly defeat and execute rebellious nobles who wanted to restore Richard II. Henry then allows Richard to starve to death in prison while he invades Scotland.

But the man who is really having a great year is Timur the Lame. He captures Damascus, capital of Syria, and massacres most of its inhabitants. This means, of course, that he must defeat both Egypt and the Ottoman Empire, and he does.

You say you've never heard of the Empire of the Black Sheep Turkomans? It lasted less than 100 years, because Timur the Lame destroyed it. But it actually held a lot of territory in Asia. They had some boundary conflicts with a neighboring Mongolian kingdom, but Timur solves the problem by conquering them as well.

 

[Vince53]

Happy New Year, and we're still in the year 1400.

Europe has about 52 million people.

About 10 million people live in North America.

And the world? About 130 million people live there.

It going to be a bad century for the American Indians (the next century will be even worse): But about 1400, the Mississippi Culture, a large civilization that included the entire southeastern United States, begins to decline. They were mound-builders with a peaceful government.

The Kingdom of Kongo begins in a west African valley. It will later become enthusiastically Catholic, will battle the Portuguese and the Dutch, be steadily divided up by Europeans, and disappear in 1964.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1401!

William Sawtrey, a Catholic priest, is burned at the stake in England for heresy. The first Lollard (followers of John Wycliff) to suffer martyrdom, his death produced an outpouring of Lollard support among the poor. There is another side to the story. While denying idol worship and Transubstantiation, Sawtrey still taught salvation by works. He had previously recanted Lollardy and been released from prison, moved to a different area of England, and started preaching it again. Much of his support came from his doctrine that the properties of the Catholic Church needed to be sold and the money given to the poor.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church manages to get possession of Wycliff's translation of the Bible made a crime.

Timur the Lame raids Baghdad.

It's a good year for China. Japan and Korea agree to become vassal states in return for peace.

 

[Vince53]

1402 has just rolled in.

Three years after the Emperor of China began massacring his opponents, his uncle defeats him and becomes "The Yongle Emperor." For 22 successful years, he will make repairs, enforce civil service exams, and battle the Mongols.

Beset by civil wars, the Ottoman Turks suffer a major defeat from the Byzantine Empire. As rival groups seek alliances with Byzantium, the Byzantines are able to reclaim much of the European territory they had lost to the Turks.

The bad news continues as Timur the Lame's forces invade the Ottoman Empire and capture their Emperor.

A Welsh victory at "The Green Hill" prolongues the Welsh rebellion against England and destabilizes English politics for the next several years.

And in Smyrna, the Knights of Saint John refuse to convert to Islam or pay tribute, so Timur the Lame massacres the entire population.

The Spanish Empire begins, which is strange since Spain does not yet exist. Nonetheless, the Spanish Catholic Kingdom of Castille conquers the Canary Islands off Africa's northwest coast, and they are part of Spain today. Although resistance would continue for almsot a century, Spain is able to force the natives to grow only one crop, keeping them dependent on Spain for trade.

 

[Vince53]

Okay, it's 1403.

Pope Benedict XIII flees Rome for the safety of Avignon, in France.

In modern Germany (Bohemia) John Hus begins preaching Wycliff's doctrines.

China begins constructing a large navy.

Georgia, a Christian nation, agrees to pay tribute to Timur the Lame in exchange for peace.

At war with Timur the Lame, the Ottoman Turks are unable to stop the Byzantine Empire from re-seizing part of Greece.

 

[Vince53]

1404 is a rough year for new Popes.

Innocent VII begins his two year reign as Pope. He was a rival of Pope Benedict XIII, who ruled from Avignon. Although unanimously elected by the Roman cardinals, he immediately needed soldiers from Naples to put down the civil war that erupted in Rome over his election. He was then forced to submit to the King of Naples.
The new Pope soon appoints his nephew, a professional mercenary, as cardinal, and the new cardinal promptly starts murdering his uncle's supporters, causing another civil war in Rome. Naples intervenes agian, seizing the Papal States and raiding its territories, only backing down after being excommunicated.
He died of natural causes, having totally failed to heal the schism in the Church.

The First Saint Elizabeth's Flood destroys so much of Holland, Flanders, and Zeeland that the government unites all the dikes into one long dike running the length of the country.

 

[Vince53]

I hope that 1405 will be an improvement over last year.

Zeng He, a successful Chinese politician, leads an exploration fleet that will explore the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, looking for lands for China to claim and conquer. A Moslem, he builds mosques and attempts to form alliances between Moslem nations and China. He returns to China after twenty years to learn that the Emperor he had served was dead.

England's King Henry IV executes the Archbishop of Canterbury for treason. The Archbishop had actually assembled an army but was tricked into sending his soldiers home during negotiations.

In the western Pacific, a Moslem scholar founds the Sultanate of Sulu. He voluntarily unites a variety of small kingdoms under his rule, and at its height, it will control northern Borneo and the southern Philippines. The sultanate will flourish by introducing trade with distant Moslem nations. It still exists as a part of the Philippines.

 

[Vince53]

1406

Gregory XII begins his nine year reign as Pope in Rome. A condition of his election was that if Pope Benedict XIII of Avignon would resign, Pope Gregory would also resign. Another condition was that Gregory would appoint no new cardinals. Fearing that he would be deposed in order to end the schism, Gregory quickly appointed enough Roman cardinals, including relatives, to hold his office. In 1415, he agreed to resign, along with the Pope at Avignon, and the schism ended. Gregory retired to peaceful obscurity, and not until 2013 would another Pope voluntarily resign.

China begins construction of "The Forbidden City." Located in the center of Beijing, it will serve as the home of the Emperor for the next five centuries. At its height, it included 980 buildings and also served as the capital. In 1912, the last Chinese Emperor abdicates, and the entire complex is now a museum.

Two year old John II begins his 49 year reign as King of Castille. A blatant incompetent, his entire reign is marked by others having actual control. He persecutes Jews, banning them from office and requiring them to wear distinctive clothing.

 

[Vince53]

Oh thank Heaven for 1407!

China invades and conquers Vietnam, holding it for twenty years.

I should point out that watching China's conduct after it overthrew their Mongolian conquerors helps us to understand their thinking today. China claims that any territory that was ever part of China is still part of China. To their people, this justifies their expansionist policies.

In France, civil war break out between the Burgundians and the French.

 

[Vince53]

1408

Congratulations to Thorstein Olafssøn and Sigrid Bjørnsdatter, who get married in Greenland! It is the last recorded event in the history of the Viking settlements there. Three centuries later, Denmark will return to find their colonies abandoned.

After five years of work by thousands of scholars, China completes the Vast Documents of the Yongle Era. For the next six centuries, it will be the largest enciclopedia in the world.

 

[Vince53]

Will things be fine in 1409?

Meeting secretly and illegally, cardinals from both Rome and Avignon depose both Popes and appoint Alexander V as Pope. Reigning one year (neither of the other two Popes would resign), Alexander promised several reforms, but he died too suddenly to carry them out.

Martin of Aragon becomes King of Sicily for one year. He was also King of Aragon, but the kingdom was filled with strife and civil wars. During his one-year reign, he managed to end Sicily's conflicts and promoted international trade.

In Germany, Leipzig University is founded. It will survive World War 2 with 40% of its buildings and still operates today.

 

[Vince53]

Never again will it be 1410.

The first Pope John XXIII begins his five year reign after being appointed by cardinals from both Rome and Avignon. He succeeded Pope Alexander V, whom he may have poisoned. Before becoming a cardinal, he had controlled various robber bands which he used to terrorize opponents and provide him with wealth. Quickly recognized by France, England, Portugal, and other large parts of Europe, he captured Rome but was quickly driven out by Naples.
Later deposed by the Council of Constance (which ordered all three Popes to resign) he fled, was captured and imprisoned, and later released. Made a cardinal, he died a few years later of natural causes.

In one of the greatest battles of the Middle Ages, Lithuania and Poland defeat the Teutonic knights. Both sides take heavy losses. The Teutonic Knights lose little territory, but their power is broken economically. Meanwhile, the Polish-Lithuanian Union will become the dominant power in eastern Europe for the next few centuries.