What happened in the 1200s in Europe

Alfred the Great (r. 871-899) of Wessex·Restricts Vikings to Danelaw, strengthens Wessex Defenses

912-961: ·rule of Abd al-Rahman III in Spain

919-936: ·Henry the Fowler in Germany, reannexes Lorriane

Aethelstan (r. 925-939)·Conquers the Danelaw

Otto I (r. 936-973)·Defeats rebellious counts, defeats Magyars (955), establishes Saxon control in Italy, is crowned Roman Emperor and appoints popes.

955: ·Battle of the Lech

960: Hugh Capet as Duke of Franks·Chosen by French counts specifically because he will be a weak ruler.

976-1025: Basil II, Byzantine Emperor·Fends off attacks to throne, sees to Conversion of Russians, helps peasant status, defeats Bulgar army and destroys Bulgar state.

1054: ·Schism between Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches

1066: Norman Conquest of England·William the Bastard (alternatively known as William the Conqueror) of Normandy invades and conquers England, ending the Anglosaxon period. Defeats Harold Godwinson at Hastings.

1071: Manzikert·Seljuk Turkish forces under Alp Arslan defeat Byzantine forces under Romanus IV Diogenes. Beginning of Turkification of Asia Minor.

1074: Gregory VII as Pope·Beginning of Investiture Controversy between Papacy and German Emperor Henry IV. Gregory's Dictatus Papae. Controversy continues ten years, to 1084.

1086: Battle of Sagrajas·Almoravids, coming from North Africa to Spain, defeat Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile.

1095: Pope Urban II preaches First Crusade at Clermont·Crusade goes from 1096-1099, capturing Jerusalem and setting up states of Edessa, Antioch, and Jerusalem.

1100-1135: King Henry I of England·Increases central government's efficiency, puts down baronial revolts, and begins the Norman-Plantagenet alliance.

1122: Concordat of Worms·Concordat between Pope Calixtus and German monarchy officially ends Investiture Controversy with the decision that only popes may invest bishops, but monarchs are allowed to be present.

1144: Muslim capture of Edessa·County of Edessa captured by Zengi of Mosul--beginning of Muslim counter- offensive in East.

1152-1180: Frederick I Barbarossa in Germany·Is crowned Emperor by Pope during one of six expeditions into Italy to tame Italian towns. Bases rule on feudal relations in Germany. Not able to assert claims totally on Italians.

1180-1223: Philip II Augustus of France·Increases royal power and makes monarch supreme in France. Works to end Angevin Empire, and defeats John of England at Bouvines.

1176: Myriocephalum·Manuel Comnenus (1143-1180) defeated by Seljuks of Rum under Kilij Arslan. Full scale Byzantine military decline sets in; reliance on the West increases.

1187: Hattin·Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi defeats Guy de Lusignon and then takes Jerusalem for Muslims.

1181-1226 ·St. Francis of Assisi and Franciscan orders emergence.

1190: Third Crusade.·Barbarossa of Germany dies, Richard the Lionheart gets restricted access to Holy Sites.

1198-1216: Pontificate of Innocent III·Launches and excommunicates Fourth Crusade. Insists on temporal powers of a centrally-controlled Church. Protects and crowns Frederick II. Recognizes Francis of Assisi. Holds Lateran councils.

1202-1204: Fourth Crusade·Diverted by Venice to sack Constantinople. Latin states in Byzantium emerge.

1212: Las Navas de Tolosa·Almohads defeated by Alfonso VII of Castile and Pedro II of Aragon. Most of Spain taken shortly thereafter.

1214: Battle of Bouvines·Philip Augustus defeats John of England, the Flanders Count, and Otto IV of Germany. Plantagenet possessions in France reduced to Anjou only. Great victory for the French crown.

1215-1250: Frederick II of Germany and Sicily·Protected at first by Innocent III. Becomes king of Sicily based on mother's inheritance. Rules Germany feudally, Italy centrally, though towns and later Pope oppose him. Goes on Crusade in 1229, but excommunicated for negotiating access to Jerusalem and not conquering it.

1226-1270: St. Louis IX of France·Makes administration of France much more sophisticated. Dies on his second Crusading venture.

1261: Mamluk defeat of Mongols; ·Byzantine return to Constantinople.

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YearEvent
c. 1200
1202
1204
c. 1205
1206
1208
1210
1211
1212
1215
1216

On the death of his father, King John, Henry III becomes king of England

1219
c. 1220
1222
1223
c. 1225
1228
c. 1230
1231
1232
1233
1237
1238
c. 1240

A warlord, Sundiata, conquers Ghana and establishes the kingdom of Mali

1241
1243
1244
1248
c. 1250

The Yoruba people of Ife create extraordinary sculptures in brass

Go to Toledo in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.)

See this event in other timelines:

1252
1253
1254
1255
1256
1257
1258
1259
c. 1260
1262
1263
1264
c. 1265
c. 1266
1267
1268
1269
c. 1270
1271

Marco Polo, aged seventeen, sets off from Venice on his journey to the east

1272
1273
1274
c. 1275
1278
1279
1281
1282
1283
c. 1285
1289
1290
1291
1294
1295

Marco Polo is back in Venice after an absence of 25 years in the east

1296
1297
1298
1299
c. 1300


Page 2

YearEvent
c. 2000 BCE
c. 500 BCE
c. 700

See this event in other timelines:

  • 7th century
  • 8th century
  • Politics
  • Africa

c. 1000

A Muslim dynasty is established at Gao, on the Niger

c. 1050
c. 1200
c. 1240

A warlord, Sundiata, conquers Ghana and establishes the kingdom of Mali

c. 1250

The Yoruba people of Ife create extraordinary sculptures in brass

1446
c. 1450

A warrior king, Ewuare, establishes the forest kingdom of Benin

1466
c. 1480
1492
c. 1500
c. 1550
c. 1570
c. 1600

The Yoruba develop an extensive empire centred on Oyo in southern Nigeria

c. 1625
1638
1661

The British establish Fort James on an island in the Gambia river

c. 1770
1787
1795
1808
1809
1816
1821
1822
1830
1832
c. 1841
1847

Liberia wins independence and international recognition as a republic

1850
1854
1861
1862
1874
1879
1884

Bismarck invites the European powers to a West Africa Conference in Berlin

1889
1892
1893
1897
1900
1904
1913
1914

August - British and French forces invade the German colony of Togoland

1916
1922
1943

William Tubman begins a 28-year spell as president of Liberia

1952
1956
1957
1958
1960
1961
1965
1966
1967
1970
1974
1975
1979
1982
1984
1990
1991
1993
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999

The UN commits 6000 troops to a peace-keeping role in war-torn Sierra Leone

2011