Chronology of Military Events, 400-1500
This chronology includes major battles and sieges and a few political markers such as the accession of important rulers. For brevity rulers of Germany are noted as HRE (Holy Roman Emperors), whether crowned only as King of the Romans or not. Byzantine Emperor is abbreviated as Byz., France as Fr., England as Eng., Spain as Sp. With long-lasting events, generally just the beginning is noted. * represents a battle; # a siege. The number in brackets shows the section in which details of the event can be found.
Date | Western Europe | Central and eastern Europe | Elsewhere |
---|---|---|---|
410 | Alaric [1] sacks Rome | ||
415 | Visigoths reach Sp. | ||
439 | *Toulouse [1] | ||
451 | *Châlons [1] | ||
452 | *Aquileia [1] | ||
453 | d. Attila [1] | ||
455 | Sack of Rome | ||
471 | Theoderic king of Ostrogoths [1] | ||
476 | Odoacer [1] deposes Romulus Augustulus | ||
481 | Clovis [1] king of Franks | ||
486 | *Soissons [1] | ||
490 | *Adda [1] | ||
496 | *Tolbiac [1] | ||
527 | Justinian I Byz. [7] | ||
531 | Chosroes I Persia [7] | ||
532 | Nika Revolt [7] | ||
541 | Totila king of Ostrogoths [1] | ||
552 | *Busta Gallorum [1] | ||
577 | *Deorham [4] | ||
582 | Maurice Byz. [7] | ||
610 | Heraclius Byz. [7] | ||
632 | d. Mohammed | ||
634 | *Heavenfield [4] | ||
636 | *Yarmuk [7] | ||
638 | Muslims take Jerusalem | ||
695 | #Dorestad | ||
710 | Rodrigo I king of Visigoths [1] | ||
711 | Tāriq invades Sp. [1] | ||
732 | *Tours [1] | ||
737 | Charles Martel takes power [1] | ||
751 | Pepin king of Franks [2] | ||
757 | Offa king of Mercia [4] Desiderius king of Lombards [2] |
||
771 | Charlemagne sole king [2] | ||
772 | Charlemagne invades Saxony [2] | ||
773 | Charlemagne invades Lombardy [2] | ||
778 | *Roncesvalles; #Zaragoza [2] | ||
782 | Verden slaughter | *Süntel Mountains [2] | |
786 | Haroun al-Rashid | ||
795 | Charlemagne defeats the Avars | ||
800 | Charlemagne crowned HRE *Barcelona [2]; Godfred king Denmark [3] |
||
808 | Danewirk built | Krum khagan [7] | |
811 | *Tortosa [2] | ||
813 | LeoV Byz. [7] | ||
814 | d. Charlemagne Louis the Pious HRE [2] |
||
834 | #Dorestad [7] | ||
841 | *Fontenoy [7] | ||
843 | Charles the Bald king [7] | ||
852 | #Jeufosse [3] | ||
858 | #Oissel [3] | ||
860 | Rus attack Constantinople [7] | ||
865 | Rus attack Constantinople [7] | ||
867 | Basil I Byz. [7] | ||
870 | Harold Finehair king Norway [3] | ||
871 | *Ashdown; Alfred the Great king Wessex [4] | ||
876 | *Andernach [2] | ||
878 | Athelney; *Edington [4] Peace of Wedmore |
||
885 | #Paris [3] | ||
886 | Leo VI Byz. [7] | ||
891 | *Dyle [3] | ||
893 | First Bulgar empire | ||
900 | *Hafrsfjord [3] | ||
911 | Treaty of St-Clair-sur-Epte | Conrad I HRE [6] | |
912 | Abd er Rahman caliph [11] | ||
919 | Henry the Fowler HRE [6] | ||
924 | Aethelstan king Eng. [4] | ||
927 | Symeon khan [7] | ||
932 | #Toledo [11] | ||
933 | *Riade [6] | ||
936 | Louis IV king Fr. | Otto I HRE [6] | |
937 | *Brunanburh [4] | ||
955 | *Lechfeld [6] | ||
958 | Harold Bluetooth king Denmark [3] | ||
968 | Fatimids invade Egypt | ||
973 | Otto II HRE [6] | ||
974 | *Hals [3] | ||
976 | Basil II Byz. [7] | ||
978 | Aethelred II king Eng. [4] | ||
980 | *Tara [3] | ||
983 | Otto III HRE [6] | ||
987 | Hugh Capet king Fr. [9] | ||
989 | Sigtrygg Silkbeard king Dublin [3] | ||
991 | *Maldon [4] | ||
992 | *Conquereux [2] | ||
993 | Otto III crowned Emperor [6] | ||
1000 | Stephen king Hungary [6] | ||
1014 | *Clontarf [3] | ||
1016 | *Ashdown [4] Cnut king Eng. [4] |
||
1024 | Conrad II HRE [6] | ||
1025 | St Ólaf king Norway [3] | ||
1026 | *Holy River [3] | ||
1030 | *Stiklestad [3] | ||
1031 | Henry I king Fr. [9] | ||
1035 | William II duke Normandy [5] Magnús the Good king Norway [3] |
||
1038 | George Maniakes invades Italy [7] | ||
1040 | Macbeth king Scots | ||
1042 | Edward the Confessor king Eng. | ||
1045 | Harold Hardrada king Norway [3] | ||
1053 | *Civitate [5] | ||
1056 | Henry IV HRE [6] | ||
1060 | Philip I king Fr. [9] | ||
1061 | Normans invade Sicily | ||
1063 | Alp Arslan sultan [7] | ||
1066 | *Stamford Bridge [5] *Hastings [5] |
||
1071 | *Cassel [9] | *Manzikert [7] | Seljuks over Anatolia |
1072 | Alfonso VI king León [11] | ||
1075 | Seljuks take Jerusalem | ||
1077 | Meeting at Canossa | ||
1080 | *Flarcheim [6] | *Durazzo [5] Alexius I Comnenus Byz. [7] |
|
1086 | *Zalaka [11] | Kilij Arslan sultan [8] | |
1087 | William Rufus king Eng. [5] | ||
1094 | El Cid takes Valencia [11] | ||
1096 | First Crusade | ||
1097 | #Huesca [11] | #Antioch [8] | |
1099 | #Jerusalem *Ascalon [8] | ||
1100 | Henry I king Eng. [5] | ||
1106 | *Tinchebrai [5] | ||
1108 | Louis VI king Fr. [9] | ||
1109 | Alfonso I king Aragon [11] | ||
1111 | Henry V HRE [6] | ||
1119 | *Brémule [5] | ||
1127 | Charles the Good killed | ||
1130 | Roger II king Sicily [5] | ||
1135 | Stephen king Eng. [5] | ||
1137 | Louis VII king Fr. [9] | Conrad III HRE [6] | |
1138 | *Standard [5] | ||
1141 | *Lincoln [5] | ||
1143 | Manuel I Byz. [7] | ||
1144 | #Edessa [8] | ||
1147 | Second Crusade | ||
1148 | #Damascus [8] | ||
1152 | Frederick Barbarossa HRE [6] | ||
1154 | Henry II king Eng. [10] | ||
1155 | Barbarossa crowned HRE [6] | ||
1165 | William the Lion king Scots [10] | ||
1166 | Alfonso VI king Castile [11] | ||
1169 | Strongbow to Ireland [10] | ||
1170 | d. Becket | ||
1175 | Saladin rules Egypt and Syria | ||
1176 | *Legnano [6] | ||
1180 | Philip Augustus king Fr. [9] | ||
1187 | *Hattin #Jerusalem [8] | ||
1189 | Richard the Lionheart king Eng. [10] | ||
1190 | Third Crusade | ||
1191 | #Acre *Arsuf [8] | ||
1196 | *Alarcos [11] | ||
1197 | Otto IV HRE [6] | ||
1199 | John king Eng. [10] | ||
1202 | #Zara, Fourth Crusade [8] | ||
1203 | #Château-Gaillard [9] | ||
1204 | #Constantinople [8] Baldwin I Byz. [7] |
Emergence Genghis Khan | |
1208 | Albigensian Crusade | Otto IV HRE [6] | |
1212 | *Las Navas de Tolosa [11] | ||
1213 | *Muret [9] | ||
1214 | *Bouvines [9] | ||
1215 | Magna Carta | Frederick II HRE [6] | |
1217 | *Lincoln *Sandwich [10] Jaime I king Aragón [11] |
Fifth Crusade | |
1224 | #Bedford [10] | ||
1226 | St Louis king Fr. [9] | ||
1227 | d. Genghis Khan | ||
1228 | Frederick II's Crusade | ||
1229 | Jaime I invades Mallorca | ||
1232 | Jaime I attacks Valencia [11] | ||
1236 | #Córdoba [11] | Mongols attack Hungary | |
1237 | *Cortenuova [6] | ||
1241 | *Leignitz [6] Mongols to Vienna |
||
1242 | *Taillebourg [9] | *Lake Peipus [6] | |
1243 | #Jerusalem | ||
1244 | Montségur [9] | *La Forbie [8] Fall of Jerusalem |
|
1247 | Alexander Nevsky prince of Kiev [6] | ||
1248 | St Louis' Crusade | ||
1250 | *Mansurah [8] | ||
1258 | Treaties of Corbeil and Paris | Mongols take Baghdad | |
1260 | *Ayn Jalut [8] | ||
1261 | Michael VIII enters Constantinople [7] | Emergence of Kublai Khān | |
1263 | *Largs [10] | ||
1264 | *Lewes [10] | ||
1265 | *Evesham [10] | ||
1266 | Charles of Anjou takes Sicily [12] *Benevento [12] |
||
1268 | *Tagliacozzo [12] | ||
1270 | St Louis' Tunis Crusade | ||
1271 | d. St Louis [9] | ||
1272 | Edward I king Eng. [10] | Marco Polo goes east | |
1273 | Rudolf I HRE [6] | ||
1279 | Qalawun sultan [8] | ||
1280 | Othman sultan [7] | ||
1282 | Sicilian Vespers [12] | ||
1285 | Philip IV king Fr. [9] | ||
1290 | al-Ashraf sultan [8] | ||
1291 | Fall of Acre [8] | ||
1296 | *Dunbar [10] | ||
1297 | *Stirling [10] | ||
1298 | *Falkirk [10] | ||
1302 | *Courtrai [9] | ||
1304 | *Mons-en-Pévèle [9] | ||
1306 | *Methven [10] | ||
1308 | Henry VII HRE [6] | ||
1314 | *Bannockburn [10] | ||
1315 | *Morgarten [6] | ||
1322 | *Boroughbridge [10] | ||
1324 | Orhan sultan [7] | ||
1327 | Edward III king Eng. [10] | ||
1328 | Philip VI king Fr. [9] *Cassel [9] |
||
1333 | *Halidon Hill [10] | ||
1336 | Stephen Dušan king Serbia [7] | ||
1337 | Opening of Hundred Years' War | ||
1340 | *Sluys [9] *Salado [11] | ||
1346 | *Neville's Cross [10] *Crécy [9] |
Charles IV HRE [6] | |
1347 | #Calais [9] Black Death through Europe |
||
1356 | *Poitiers [9] | ||
1358 | Jacquerie [9] | ||
1359 | Murad I sultan [7] | ||
1360 | Treaty of Brétigny | ||
1364 | Charles V king Fr. [9] | ||
1366 | Enrique de Trástamara king Castile [11] | ||
1367 | *Nájera [11] | ||
1369 | Tamberlane khan [7] | ||
1370 | #Limoges [9] | ||
1371 | *Maritsa [6] | ||
1372 | *La Rochelle [9] | ||
1376 | War of the Eight Saints [12] | Wenceslas IV HRE [6] | |
1378 | Gian Galeazzo Visconti over | Milan [12] | |
1380 | Charles VI king Fr. [9] | *Chioggia [12] | |
1381 | Peasants' Revolt [10] | ||
1382 | *Roosebeke [9] | ||
1385 | *Aljubarrota [11] | ||
1386 | Louis of Anjou king Naples [12] | *Sempach [6] | |
1387 | *Radcot Bridge [10] | ||
1388 | *Otterburn [10] | ||
1389 | *Kosovo [7] | Bayezit I sultan [7] | |
1391 | Manuel II Byz. [7] | ||
1396 | *Nicopolis [7] | ||
1399 | Henry IV king Eng. [10] | ||
1402 | *Homildon Hill [10] | *Ankara [7] | |
1403 | *Shrewsbury [10] | ||
1407 | Murder of Louis of Orléans | ||
1408 | *Bramham Moor [10] | ||
1410 | Sigismund HRE | *Tannenberg [6] | |
1412 | Filippo Maria Visconti over Milan [12] | ||
1413 | Henry V king Eng. [10] | ||
1415 | *Agincourt [9] | ||
1419 | Opening of Hussite Wars | ||
1420 | Treaty of Troyes | ||
1421 | *Baugé [9] | Murad II sultan [7] | |
1422 | Henry VI king Eng. [10] | ||
1423 | *Cravant [9] | ||
1429 | Orléans relieved [9] | ||
1431 | d. Joan of Arc [9] | ||
1434 | Cosimo Medici over Florence [12] | ||
1435 | Treaty of Arras | ||
1438 | Albert II of Habsburg HRE | ||
1440 | Frederick III HRE [6] | ||
1442 | Alfonso I of Aragón king Naples [12] | #Rhodes [8] | |
1444 | *Varna [8] | ||
1448 | *2nd Kosovo [7] | ||
1450 | Cade's Rebellion [10] *Formigny [9] Francesco Sforza over Milan [12] |
||
1451 | Mehmet II sultan [7] | ||
1453 | *Castillon [9] | Fall of Constantinople [7] | |
1455 | *1st St Albans [10] | ||
1460 | * Wakefield [10] | Ottomans over Peloponnese | |
1461 | *2nd St Albans *Towton [10] Louis XI king Fr. [9] |
||
1465 | *Montlhéry [9] | ||
1469 | Lorenzo the Magnificent over Florence [12] | ||
1471 | *Barnet *Tewkesbury [10] | ||
1474 | Ferdinand and Isabella over Castile [11] | ||
1476 | *Grandson *Morat [6] | ||
1477 | *Nancy [6] | ||
1479 | *Guinegate | ||
1480 | #Rhodes [8] | ||
1481 | Bayezit II sultan [7] | ||
1485 | *Bosworth [10] Henry VII king Eng. | ||
1486 | Maximilian I HRE [6] | ||
1487 | *Stoke [10] | ||
1492 | Taking of Granada [11] | Voyage of Columbus | |
1494 | Charles VIII invades Italy [12] Ludovico il Moro over Milan [12] |
A-Z of Major Castles
Abinger | Aigle | Alhambra | Amboise |
Arques | Arundel | Beaufort | Beaumaris |
Bled | Bodiam | Bodrum | Bonaguil |
Bouillon | Burghausen | Burwell | Caernarvon |
Carisbrooke | Castel del Monte | Castello | Sforzesco |
Castel Sant'Angelo | Châteaudun | Château-Gaillard | Chepstow |
Chillon | Chinon | Cochem | Colchester |
Conway | Corfe | Domfront | Doue-la-Fontaine |
Dover | Drachenfels | Falaise | Gisors |
Grandson | Habsburg | Hälsingborg | Harlech |
Hastings | Haut Koenigsbourg | Herstmonceux | Hochosterwitz |
Hüsterknupp | Karlštejn | Kerak | Kirby |
Muxloe | Krak des Chevaliers | Langeais | Lewes |
Linz | Loches | London | Louvre |
Málaga | Mantua | Margat | Marienburg |
Montréal | Montreuil-Bellay | Montségur | Muiderslot |
Niort | Nuremburg | Nyborg | Orford |
Plessis-Bourré | Plessis-Grimoult | Rhodes | Rhuddlan |
Riga | Roche-Guyon | Rochester | Salzburg |
San Gimignano | Saumur | Segovia | Silifke |
Sirmione | Stirling | Stokesay | Tarascon |
Thun | Trifels | Trim | Valladolid |
Vincennes | Visborg | Wartburg | Werlar |
Windsor | York |
A-Z of Terms
adulterine castles | archères | artillery | ashlar |
bailey | balearic sling | balista | barbican |
bastide | bastion | belfry | bergfried |
berm | bore | brattice | brigola |
cannon | castellan | castle-guard | cat |
catapult | combustibles | concentric castles | counter |
castles | crakkis | crenellation | curtain |
donjon | drawbridge | en bec | fonevol |
forebuilding | funda | Greek Fire | hoarding |
keep | machicolation | mangonel | mantlet |
merlon | meutrières | mining | moat |
motte | parapet | paterell | pavise |
pele | petrary | portcullis | postern |
ram | rampart | ravelin | rendability |
ribaudequin | scaling | scorpion | sow |
spur | talus | testudo | trebuchet |
ward |