-
Period: 1070 to 1136
Hugh of Payns
The founder of the Knights Templar in 1119. [22] -
Period: 1095 to 1291
The Crusades
A series of wars fought by the Christians and Muslims between 1096 and 1291 over the control of holy sites which have been deemed sacred to both groups. Many historians believe that the Christians led the charge for authentic religious reasons, as they believed that they were liberating the holy places, forming Christian unity, and protecting the Christian minorities in the Muslim lands. [1] In spite of these potential desires, the Crusades were largely unsuccessful. -
Period: 1114 to 1158
Otto, Bishop of Freising
A German chronicler who was born in 1114 and attempted to write a “history of the world”. He was also the first person to introduce Prester John in a literary sense. [31] -
Period: 1119 to 1312
Knights Templar
A religious military order developed to protect the Holy Land in 1119. [29] -
Period: 1159 to 1181
Pope Alexander III
An Italian pope who was born in 1159 and died in 1181 who spent most of his pontificate in exile. He was the first “great lawyer-pope” and in 1179 assembled the Third Lateran Council which asserted papal supremacy and discussed church and civil authority. [6] -
Period: 1162 to 1227
Genghis Khan
A powerful warrior who united the tribes of Mongolia and eventually controlled one of the largest empires in history from today’s Afghanistan across China. [16] -
Period: 1170 to 1240
Jacques de Vitry
A historian and cardinal bishop who preached the crusades and died in 1240. [25] -
Period: 1207 to 1272
King Henry III
Assumed the full power as the King of England in 1227, but extravagant spending, an invasion in France, and crusading caused him to go bankrupt and compromise on a controlling baronial council in 1259. Despite his faults, he is widely recognized as being extremely pious. [19] -
Period: 1214 to 1270
King Louis IX
The King of France who gained the throne in 1226 and was canonized in 1297. He expelled the Jews from France and participated in two failed crusades, but also managed to stabilize France's economy and political climate during his reign. [30] -
Period: 1243 to 1314
Jacques de Molay
The last Grand Master of the Knights Templar who was charged with blasphemy and homosexuality by Philip IV of France and was eventually burned at the stake. [24] -
Period: 1260 to 1314
Pope Clement V
Originally Bertrand de Got, he was born in 1260 in France and was elected as Pope in 1305 because of the manipulation of King Philip IV. Under the instruction of King Philip IV, he moved the papal residence to Avignon and in 1312, suppressed the Templars. He has often been referred to as the King's prophet. [13] -
Period: 1268 to 1314
King Philip IV
A King of France and grandson of Louis IX who marked a major change in the regency of France, by increasing the royal administration and its jurisdiction, while also emphasizing bureaucratic efficiency over personality. He was nicknamed "the Fair" for his looks rather than his ruthless policies in which he expelled the Jews from France and suppressed the Knights Templar in the name of royal expansion. [33] -
Period: 1284 to 1327
King Edward II
The King of England who was crowned in 1307 and married Isabella of France in 1308. It was under his rule that Rober I reunited Scotland by defeating Edward at Bannockburn. His homosexuality caused problems in his reign, and eventually, due to the plotting of his wife and her lover, he was captured and forced to abdicate, with Isabella appointed the regent to Edward III. [14] -
Period: 1293 to 1350
King Philip VI
The first French King of the House of Valois who ruled from 1328 to 1350. His rule was dominated by the controversy over who should sit on the throne, King Edward III of France, who was the nearest relative to the late Charles IV, but through a female bloodline, or Philip VI himself. It was under his rule the Hundred Years' War commenced. [34] -
Period: 1294 to 1328
King Charles IV
The King of France from 1322 to 1328 who left no heirs, made poor financial decisions, and whose death led to the Hundred Years' War. [8] -
1307
The Trial of the Templars
The Knights Templar were arrested and charged with heresy in 1307 on orders from King Philip IV. [5] -
Period: 1312 to 1377
King Edward III
Was crowned the King of England at 15, after his father was forced to abdicate in 1327. He was influential in the restoration of control over Scotland, the victory at Crécy, and the economic growth of England in spite of the Black Death. He is well known as a warrior and a skillful bargainer. [15] -
Period: 1337 to 1453
Hundred Years' War
A war fought between England and France that began in 1337, after a dispute between Philip IV and Edward III over who was the rightful heir to the French throne. The war was on-off through the ages, but in 1453, with the help of the French cannon, the French finally defeated the English and ended the 114-year long war. [2] -
Period: 1348 to 1351
The Black Death
In 1348, Europe was hit with an epidemic that killed one-third of the population. The disease spread from China to Italy along the trade routes and wiped out the economy and farming industry along with it. [3] -
Period: 1371 to 1419
John the Fearless
Philip the Good's father and predecessor to the Duke of Burgundy position. [28] -
Period: 1371 to 1442
Pierre Cauchon
He was the bishop of Beauvais and a judge in Joan of Arc's trial. [32] -
Period: 1380 to 1422
King Charles VI
Also known as “the Mad”, was the king of France. He was born in 1380 and died in 1422. [9] -
Period: 1380 to 1438
Johannes (Johann) Nider
A Dominican theologian and author of the Formicarius, an influential source about witchcraft. [27] -
Period: 1386 to 1422
King Henry V
The King of England from 1413 to 1422, who had impressive military skills and had many impressive victories against France in Harfleur, Agincourt, and Rouen. He married Charles VI of France's daughter and was declared regent and heir to the French throne as a result of the Treaty of Troyes. [20] -
Period: 1390 to 1464
Heinrich Kalteisen
A fifteenth-century Dominican humanist. [17] -
Period: 1394 to 1460
Henry the Navigator
The Prince of Portugal who initiated the country's expansion into the south Atlantic in the fifteenth century. [18] -
Period: 1396 to 1467
Philip the Good
The third Duke of Burgundy who founded the Order of the Golden Fleece and defined his court as an important cultural centre of artistic life. [35] -
Period: 1401 to 1437
Catherine of Valois
Was the wife of Henry V of England and was married as part of the Treaty of Troyes. [7] -
Period: 1412 to 1431
Joan of Arc
A strong French girl who took part in a successful military campaign that led to King Charles' coronation. She was captured in 1430 and tried for heresy by a church court organized by the English. She was burned at the stake in 1431, but the verdict was nullified in 1456, and in 1920, she was declared a saint. [26] -
1420
The Treaty of Troyes
A treaty written in 1420 that declared Henry V of England the effective ruler of France, because he was Catherine of France’s husband (Charles VI’s daughter). [4] -
Period: 1421 to 1471
King Henry VI
He inherited the throne as an infant and suffered an eighteen-month catatonic breakdown in 1453. At that point, Richard of York was given the position of Lord Protector and eventually, he became installed as heir. He is known as feeble-minded and a "luckless victim of irresistible dynastic violence". [21] -
Period: 1422 to 1461
King Charles VII
Known as “the Well-Served”, he was the king of France and ruled between 1422 and 1461. He was disinherited though in the Treaty of Troyes, and Henry V of England was supposed to take his place. He was aided by Joan of Arc as he attempted to secure the throne after Henry died in 1422, but even after he took power, he faced much opposition. [10] -
Period: 1436 to 1506
Christopher Columbus
A Genoese sailor who took four transatlantic voyages under Spanish authority and “discovered” the Americas. [11] -
Period: 1438 to 1466
Claude des Armoises
A Joan of Arc imposter who spoke in “vague comparisons” and was also known to be frivolous and willing to kill, unlike the real Joan. [12]