The Second Millenium

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1457

The Sultanate of Sulu is founded. A Moslem ocean kingdom in the eastern Pacific, it will rule much of the Philipines and various neighboring islands for four and a half centuries.

Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Greenland are once again united in the Kalmar Union. This ends a war between Sweden and Denmark.

Hopelessly outnumber 9 to 1, Albania splits its army into smaller units that maneuver through the mountains while the Turks grow frustrated. The Albanians then launch a surprise night time attack, killing 30,000 Turks. This marks the high point of Albanian resistance, however.

Stephen the Great begins his 47 year reign as King of Modavia (in modern Romania). He wins 46 out of 48 battles, keeping the Turks out of his territory, and also resists Polish and Hungarian attempts to annex his kingdom. The Pope named him "True Champion of the Christian Faith," and the Catholic Church later made him a saint.

 

[Vince53]

1458

Pius II begins his six year reign as Pope. As a layman, he was an immoral practicing Catholic who rose to become a brilliant diplomat. He voluntarily entered the priesthood and became moral, and he was quickly promoted to bishop. However, he was still sent on dipomatic missions.


He was elected Pope ater outmaneuvering a French candidate of high morals. Pius convinced the cardinals that he was the one with the most ability. As Pope, he was unable to get a Crusade organized against the Turks, but he did get Count Dracula to start a small border war with them.


He is the only reigning Pope to write an autobiography, and it is of historical value. It is not clear when he wrote his pornographic poems and pornographic novel.


Turkey seizes Athens.


Portugal sends 25,000 men in 200 ships to conquer "Little Castle" on the extreme northwestern tip of Africa. Little Castle enables Portugal to control the southern end of the Strait of Gibraltar, which controls entry to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean.


Erfurt, Germany expels all Jews and seizes their property.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1459

In England, the House of York wins a major battle in the War of the Roses (Both families had roses in their coat-of-arms). But a few weeks later, they lose a massive battle and their leader has to flee to Ireland.

Stephen Thomas, King of Bosnia, asks Pope Pius II for help in holding off the Turks. The Pope refuses aid as long as the Bosnian Church is tolerated. Stephen begins a nation-wide persecution, seizing Bosnian Church property and driving the clergy into exile. By the end of his reign, the Bosnian Church had been virtually destroyed.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1460

The War of the Roses was between two sides of the same family. The House of Tudor is usually called the House of Lancaster, so I'll be doing that from now on.

York captures London from Lancaster. Six days later, York captures the King of England and forces him to agree to make the House of York his heir.

Taking advantage of England's civil war, Scotland besieges one of the few remaining English castles in Scotland. The King of Scotland is killed when one of his own cannons explodes.

But on December 30, Lancaster makes a comeback with a major victory over York.

Hermeticism, a pagan doctrine that greatly influenced European thinkers, arrives in Italy. It taught that there is one theological truth, and it appears in most religions.

Portuguese navigators reach Sierra Leone on Africa's western coast.

 

[Vince53]

And now it is 1461.


Sixtus IV begins his thirteen year reign as Pope. He established the Sistine Chapel, furthered the arts, strengthened the Spanish Inquisition, and brought the beginnings of the Renaissance to Rome.

A genuinely pious man, he failed in his Crusade against the Turks and in his attempts to re-unify with the Orthodox Church. He instigated war among the Italian city-states, continued to support the Black slave trade against non-Christian Blacks, and objected to some of the excesses of the Spanish Inquisition.


The War of the Roses swings back and forth, with both sides winning major victories. Lancaster manages to rescue the King from his York captors, and since the Yorks declare a King of their own, England now has two Kings. And then the Lancaster King has to fight a major battle against his Queen for control of the Throne.


About 28,000 men are killed in an all-day battle during a blizzard, with the House of Lancaster winning. But their losses are so heavy that the King and his nobles have to flee the country. Edward IV, of the House of York, then begins his nine year reign as King of England.


Victorious Turks capture the last remaining Byzantine castle and a small Orthodox kingdom. They now hold all of modern Turkey plus large portions of other lands.


A Chinese general seizes the Throne of China.

 

[Vince53]

It is 1462.

Ivan the Great begins his 43 year reign over Russia. He will triple the size of Russia, end the last remains of the Mongolian Empire in Russia, and produce a sound economy. But he will also isolate his nation, driving out the Catholic Church (thus ending a major union with western Europe), ending freedom, and keeping out cultural and scientific advancements. He is in large part responsible for producing the gigantic, backwards nation that would fall to Communism five centuries later.

Count Dracula launches a failed attack on Turkish invaders. But when the victorious Turks advance on his capital, they encounter 20,000 impaled Turkish prisoners, and the Turks flee in horror.

Mainz, Germany, expels all Jews.

 

[Vince53]

1463

Across the Adriatic Sea from Italy's east coast, Bosnia falls to the Turks. Small parts of Bosnia survive another century before being conquered, and Bosnia becomes the westernmost part of the Ottoman Empire in Europe.

Poland and Prussia had united to seize territory from the Teutonic Knights. This year, both sides fight a naval battle on the Vistula River. The Knights have 44 civiliam boats and several galleys.The Prussians and Poles had thirty ships, including ten light sailboats. but won because they were better sailors. The Teutonic Navy was almost destroyed, and two Teutonic cities join Poland as a result.

 

[Vince53]

1464

Paul II begins his seven year reign as Pope. Rising rapidly in the Church after his uncle was elected Pope, he agreed to a series of rules before being elected, giving the cardinals much more power over the Pope. But he cancelled his promises after a few years in the Papacy.

Although an unsuccessful diplomat, he straightened out a lot of the corruption in the Church and in the Papal States. He angered the cardinals by appointing several more in order to keep the majority under his control, even appinting secret cardinals whose names were not released. A fantastic amount of personal welath was discovered after his death.

But Paul's greatest contribution was his decision to bring printing to the Catholic Church. He supervised the importation and manufacture of printing presses, making it possible to keep better records. He also furthered education by bringing down the price of textbooks so that more could be printed. Although all printing was controlled by the government and was mostly limited to Latin works, Paul made printing a major part of European civilization.


The House of Lancaster suffers two major defeats three weeks apart, and the House of York rules England with little opposition for the next several years.

Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado begins his unsuccessful 36 year reign as Emperor of Japan. His reign is marked by a civil war that destroys many of Japan's largest buildings and drains the treasury. Eventually he wins, but his impoverished nation has neither the desire nor the money to finance his ambitions to glorify the royal court.

 

[Vince53]

1465

China is hit by massive floods and begins a major bridge-building program as a result.

Henry VI, who had been King of England before being defeated by the House of York, is captured and imprisoned.

When Morocco appoints a Jewish ruler, the people revolt. They kill the new leader and massacre most of the Jews, and then Morocco goes into years of civil war. Portugal is able to seize a Moroccan city in the chaos.

 

[Vince53]

1466

A 65,000 man Turkish army invades Albania. It takes Albania two years to do it, but they drive the Turks out.

Prussia and Poland end their war against the Teutonic Knights with a victory. Poland gets the western part of Prussia. The Knights keep eastern Prussian but must be vassals to Poland.

In Peru, the Chimu Empire had developed extensive pottery. This year, they are conquered and absorbed by the Inca Empire.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1467

Turkey invades Albania again. The Albanians beat them and throw them out again.

In Japan, a century and a half of civil wars breaks out, as the Warring States Period begins. It started when the eastern half of the royal family started a war in an attempt to seize the Throne.

 

[Vince53]

Things go great in 1468!

Baeda Maryam begins his ten year reign as ruler of Ethiopia. Thoroughly devoted to Mary worship, he inherits an empire that is falling apart as local rulers re-assert their authority. But after initial defeats, he re-unites Ethiopia and establishes a stable central government.

The King of Norway isn't too smart. He wants his daughter to marry the King of Scotland, but he can't afford a dowry. So he pledges the Orkney islands to Scotland as a guarantee that he will eventually pay. But he never does pay, and the Orkney Islands are still part of Scotland today. As it is now home to a major British naval base, they are probably not going to give them back.

Sonni Ali, ruler of the Songhai Empire in Africa for the past four years, now gains clear title to the Throne. Over the next 26 years he will expand into the Mali Empire, unite local Moslems with local African religions, and form a long-lasting empire just south of the Sahara in western Africa.

 

[Vince53]

It is now 1469.

Isabella the Catholic, Queen of Castile and also Queen of Leon, marries Ferdinand, King of Aragon. A competent, successful ruler, she will be responsible for the later formation of the nation of Spain.


Water Face begins his twelve year reign as ruler of the Aztecs in Mexico. He will conquer some of his neighbors, expanding the Aztec Empire. He has artists carve the 24 ton "Great Sun Stone." It appears to include a calendar, but it was used mostly for religious and political ceremonies, including possible human sacrifice.

 

[Vince53]

1470 just got here!

It's a rough year for England. With the House of York pretty well in control, a rebellion breaks out. The House of Lancaster quickly joins the rebels. York still wins, but two of the rebel leaders defect to Lancaster. Months later, the rebels strike again, forcing the York King to flee the country and restoring the Lancaster King.

Ever heard of Euboea? It's the second-largest Greek island, and this year, the Turks invade and conquer it. It remains part of Turkey until 1830.

Switzerland begins trying witches. Over the next 130 years, the Swiss will execute 5417 people for witchcraft.

 

[Vince53]

So much happens in 1471 that we'll be spending three days here.


Sixtus IV begins his thirteen year reign as Pope. He established the Sistine Chapel, furthered the arts, and strengthened the Spanish Inquisition. Have you ever heard of the Pazzi Family? They were rivals of the powerful Medici Family, and Pope Sixtus joined the Pazzis in an unsuccessful attempt to murder the leaders of the Medicis and seize their power. But although some Medicis were killed, the leaders of the conspiracy were executed, and the Pazzis faded away.


Sixtus organized wars between Italian cities so that he could place family members in charge, but an alliance of Italian princes forced him to make peace. He also approved the growing Portuguese trade in Black slaves. Although never married, he had several illegitimate children, some of whom he appointed to powerful positions. Some of them were executed by the Medicis.


Sixtus also built several forts in the Papal States, rebuilt thirty old churches, widened roads, improved the quality of the drinking water, enlarged the Vatican Library, paved streets, and built the first new bridge over the Tiber since the Romans.

 

[Vince53]

We return to 1471

In England, the War of the Roses is back in full swing. The defeated York King returns from exile and plunges into battle. So many soldiers have already been killed, that his next two battles are fairly small, with casualties of about 2,0o0. But the Yorks kill the Lancaster commander, the Lancaster Queen and the Prince of Wales, and then murder the captured Lancaster King. For the next twelve years, England is at peace, with the Yorks on the Throne.

The Portuguese seize two African cities. The Portuguese aren't really interested in conquering Africa; they want secure trading posts so they can carry out profitable trade with the Africans.

And Portugal "discovers" the Equator. They learn to navigate by the Southern Cross constellation, instead of by the North Star.

 

[Vince53]

For the third and last time, we return to 1471.

Having been attacked by the Champa Kingdom, Vietnam had invaded with a quarter million man army. This year, they capture the Champa King and his capital and annex Champa, which is still part of Vietnam. A thin coastal nation, Vietnam now continues its southern expansion, eventually reaching the borders it has today.

Novgorod had been a prosperous city-state in northern Russia for a reason: it was too cold to invade. But Moscow (a Grand Duchy) defeats them and absorbs them a few years later.

"Noble Inca Accountant" inherits the Inca Empire of South America from his father. Don't let his name fool you; as a general, he had conquered a lot of territory. And during his twenty-two year reign, he conquered the Inca Empire's greatest surviving rival nation.

 

[Vince53]

It's about time we reached 1472.

João Vaz Corte-Real was a Portuguese explorer who claimed this year that he had discovered an island that he named "New Land of the Codfish." It might have been Newfoundland. I should explain that Newfoundland is a large island off the eastern Canadian coast that is now part of Canada. The shortest routes from Europe to America usually take you to Newfoundland.

An Italian magistrate founds "The Mount of Piety," and today it is the oldest bank in the world.

 

[Vince53]

And now we have reached 1473!

Copernicus, the great astronomer, is born.

A French romance becomes the first book ever printed in English. According to reviews, it isn't that good.

Having defeated the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Turks now look to the East. A rival Turkish empire had allied itself with Christian Europe, and the Ottomans attack them, inflicting heavy losses and eventually annexing them.

 

[Vince53]

1474 just sailed into port.

Civil war breaks out in Spain over who will will Queen of Castile. The King of Portugal backs his wife, while King Ferdinand backs his. Ferdinand and Isabella eventually win, and Spain is on its way to becoming a single nation.

Venice passes the first patent law.

Almost bankrupt from the Hundred Years War, and in the midst of The War of the Roses, England had started a naval war with the Hanseatic League. These city states on Europe's northern coast force England to sign a humiliating peace treaty giving them control of England's biggest shipyard and virtually ending English trade with Germany and northeastern Europe.