Europe 1444 Map

[corsair91]

May be of interest


Europe 1444 Map (8k x 5k image)
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/nd10ka/oc_europe_1444_map_8k_x_5k_image/

by ratkatavobratka

(left Click on Map to view Larger Size,
then Right Click - Save Image As to download 50.8 MB)

or

1444 Europe Map (8k x 5k big img)
https://www.reddit.com/r/eu4/comments/nk11d3/oc_1444_europe_map_8k_x_5k_big_img/


Europe 1444 Map
Europe "countries" or at least personal domains (duchies, counties, kingdoms)
that used to exist in the year 1444, but that no longer do today.

Examples of such are the Kingdom of Algarve, the Kingdom/Crown of Aragon, the Emirate of Granada, the Duchy of Brittany or the Duchy of Burgundy.
France was not yet unified, neither was Spain, Ireland, Italy, Russia
(then Grand Duchy of Moscow)

The Holy Roman Empire, completely fragmented,
with hundreds of semi-independent domains, such as the
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg which was larger at the time,
or the Kingdom of Bohemia, or Moravia.

Many "countries" back then held more territory than their modern counterparts.
Norway held Iceland, Sweden held Finland, and Denmark held Southern Sweden - all of them temporarily united through the Kalmar Union.

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was also tremendously large, occupying parts of Lithuania, Poland, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine - where an independent Crimean Khanate also existed in the Peninsula and Eastern part of the modern country.


Christopher Columbus 1st Voyage sailed in August 1492,
so Europe of the time was pretty much as shown in the map


Map Source

reddit r/MapPorn Discussion Thread
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/

for interesting High quality images of maps

[FyFeF]

"europe of the time was pretty much as shown in the map" is sadly, not remotely true.

Not trying to be an annoying know-it all, but allow me to infodump regardless

Mostly to save some naive enthusiast from even the attempt to mod a map like this

Not only because even the more detailed map is heavily simplified when it comes to, for instance, the Palatinate owning random hills as exclaves and most of their territory not connecting. But Europe between 1444 and 1492 (or a pirate lifetime afterwards) saw massive changes.

The Habsburg Emperors of Austria, Frederick III and Maximilian I made massive territorial gains, notably the "Burgundian Inheritance", culminating in the treaties of Arras (1482) and Senlis (1493), which would move Burgundy off the map entirely.
In 1506 Charles II of the Netherlands would rule the Habsburg part of Burgundy, and by 1516 rule Spain and by 1519 Austria as Emperor Charles V (Numbered Royals are so damn annoying)

In 1490, the War of Hungarian Succession would start, resulting in Greater Hungary, Croatia and Slavonia also becoming part of the Habsburg Sphere of Austria in 1494.

Not to mention smaller, but not less important territorial gains of Styria, parts of the Clusterf*ck that is the Counts of Celje and Tyrol, including its bits and bobs in todays southern Germany.

Now to the next country consolidating lands: France.
As already discussed, France would get parts of Burgundy, the Hundred Years War would also end in 1453, with England being removed from continental Europe almost entirely.

France would also engage in the "appanage" system, granting some counties to relatives, and re-inheriting them upon extinction (which is why the french lands are split into the royal domain and stuff like nemours, valois etc. in the maps). Most notably breton independence from France would also wax and wane constantly.
This instability is part of the reason, other than simple geography, why France was late to the whole new world craze.

Next up: Spain, or what is soon to be Spain.

The Reconquista would end in 1492, killing of the last remnants of the Umayyad successors in Granada.

Before that, intermarriage between the iberian Kings and Queens would lead to a Succession war in Castile 1475, which had France, Portugal and Aragon fight a proxy war for this crown. France and Portugal won this, and subsequent Marriages between Castile, Aragon, Portugal, their quasi-dependencies, the Habsburgs and other European monarchs would culminate in already mentioned Habsburg Charles V of Spain's ascendancy in 1516.

Now a story of decline rather than expansion: England.
Not only did the English lose the Hundred years war, the war of the Roses destabilized the country for the next decades to come, only when the House of Tudor came out ahead in 1485 this fate would turn, and with Henry VIII ascension in 1509, Englands rapid course to become a footnote in history, ended.
In 1512, he went to war with the French, not changing much in terms of territory. At least for the scope of the scenario, England wouldn't start its colonial speedrun just yet.

Now let's turn to the Muslim World, specifically the Ottomans.
Mehmed II "the Conqueror" would do just that, conquer.
Not only the remnants of Rome in 1453, but would also consolidate the Anatolian beyliks, gain influence over Crimea, expand all the way to Bosnia, and vassalize Wallachia, where Vlad III, "the Impaler" or "Dracula" would reign and revolt from time to time, to much annoyance of the Sultan.
His reign would end in 1481
Followed by Bayezid II, the territorial expansion would slow down, but he would still take some of the Venetian possessions or vassals in the Balkans.
In 1512, Selim I would ascend, which greatly changed Ottoman trajectory.
His expansionist focus was the East, where he would conquer the regions of modern day Iraq, Syria and the surrounding areas in only 8 years and even Algeria would semi-voluntarily vassalize.
In 1517, he would also be the first of a long line of Ottoman caliphs, solidifying not only political, but also spiritual rule over the Muslim world.
His Successor Suleiman I "the Magnificent", would eventually turn the Ottoman Empire into its "signature shape".

Since we are in the Mediterranean, let's discuss its center, modern day Italy.
The Dukes, Kings and Doges of Italy were locked into a series of wars, the boringly named "Italian Wars" from 1494 and 1559.
Mainly a 3 way fight between France, the Habsburgs and the Italian States would see constant border shifts.

Next the East:
Muscovy, being a quasi-vassal of the Golden Horde, would make big leaps to eventually becoming Russia.
Mostly due to Ivan III "the Great", during his reign from 1462 to 1505 he would not only fully annex the Novgorod republic by 1478, but also end the vassalage in 1480, while increasing control over the other Rurikid monarchs.
His Son, Vasilii III would finish the job, and til his death in 1533, annex all the remaining minor nations of what once was the Kievan Rus.

Now the Nordics:
The Danish Realm remained somewhat stable til the end of the Kalmar Union 1521. A welcome break from all the insanity.

The last piece of the puzzle: The German Lands:
I refuse.

Relevant for a Piracy-themed setting:

The Mediterranean was still a hot-spot for galley slave raids. The Christian powers would raid Muslim lands, the Muslims would raid Christians. This was mostly due to the taboo to enslave ones own.
However, the zenith of this would be reached in the 16th century, out of the scope of the setting.

Baltic Piracy was pretty much dead due to the decline of the Hanseatic league and hegemony of the Danish since around 1400.

European Atlantic Piracy was also dead, if it ever was alive.
Due to the harsh sea, and lack of rich targets, piracy wasn't a profitable business.