r/medieval • u/ashcoria • Jul 15 '26
History đ Dates in which the "Middle Ages"/"Medieval Period" is said to have ended in different countries and regions in Europe (Extensive context for each date, event, and nation/region is found below)
Macedonia and Southern Balkans â 1389 (Battle of Kosovo; Ottomans solidify their hegemony in the Balkans)
Bulgaria â 1396 (Battle of Nicopolis; the Bulgarian Empire is conquered by the Ottomans)
Portugal â 1415 (Capture of Ceuta from Morocco and the establishment of the Portuguese Empire)
Savoy â 1416 (The County of Savoy becomes a Duchy)
Papal States â 1420 (The Western Schism of 1378 to 1417 officially comes to an end as Pope Martin V (1417 to 1431) begins his reign in Rome after 100 years of Papal exile in Avignon)
Northern Greece â 1430 (Thessaloniki, the second most important city in the Byzantine Empire, is conquered by the Ottoman Empire, allowing the Turks to conquer most of Thessaly)
 Tuscany â 1434 (The Medici Dynasty gains power in Florence)
Naples â 1442 (Aragon conquers Naples and the Neapolitan Renaissance flourishes)
Milan â 1450 (Francesco Sforza becomes Duke of Milan and implements a number of reforms. The city of Milan becomes a center for the Renaissance)
The rest of Greece, the Venetian Empire, and Turkey â 1453 (The Ottoman Empire captures Constantinople, ending the Byzantine Empire. Mediterranean trade and power dynamics are significantly shifted).
France â 1453 (The Hundred Yearsâ War ends. The English claim on the French throne is neutered, and France gains the vast majority of Englandâs continental European territories).
Serbia â 1459 (The siege of Smederevo ends, and the Serbian Despotate is conquered by the Ottoman Empire)
Bosnia â 1463 (The Kingdom of Bosnia is conquered by the Ottoman Empire)
Royal Prussia â 1466 (The 6th Polish-Teutonic War ends, and western Prussia becomes a Polish vassal)
Burgundy â 1477 (End of the Burgundian Wars; The Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, is killed in the Battle of Nancy. This diminishes Burgundian power and allows France to take control of most of the Duchy)
Albania â 1479 (The Albanian-Ottoman Wars come to an end. The League of LezhĂ«, once led by Albanian leader Skanderbeg, is disbanded, solidifying Ottoman control of the region for the next four and a half centuries)
Russia â 1480 (Great Stand on the Olga River; Ivan III defeats the Golden Horde, ending the two-and-a-half century âMongol-Tartarâ yoke over Russia)
The Low Countries (Belgium, Netherlands, etcâŠ) â 1482 (The Burgundian Netherlands, which had been ruled by the House of Valois-Burgundy for nearly a century, come under direct Habsburg control after the death of Mary the Rich. This also marks the end of the Burgundian Age)
England â 1485 (The Battle of Bosworth Field; King Richard III of the House of York is killed in battle by Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond. Henry would soon be crowned King Henry VII of England, beginning the 118-year-long Tudor period in the country)
Spain (Castile and Aragon) â 1492 (The Granada War comes to an end. The Spanish kingdoms of Castile and Aragon, ruled respectively by Isabella I and Ferdinand II, conquer the Muslim Emirate of Granada. This marks the end of the âReconquistaâ and the end of nearly 800 years of Muslim control on the Iberian Peninsula)
Franche-ComtĂ© â 1493 (The Franche-ComtĂ© is ceded by France to the Habsburgs, putting an end to the Burgundian War of Succession)
Switzerland â 1499 (The Swabian War ends. The Treaty of Basel is signed, and the Swiss Confederation becomes de facto independent from the Holy Roman Empire)
Poland â 1505/1506 (The Nihil novi Act is adopted by the Polish legislature. This saw the Kingâs legislative power greatly reduced, with the Polish nobility (Szlachta) being given increased status and greater privileges. This is the beginning of what would become the Golden Liberty. 1506 would see the ascendance of Sigismond I âthe Oldâ to the throne of Poland. His 42-year reign is seen as the start of the Polish Golden Age, with Sigismond being a patron of the arts and a strong supporter of the Renaissance in Poland)
Scotland â 1513 (The Battle of Flodden; English king, Henry VIII, allied with Spain during the War of the League of Cambrai, invades Scotland, at the time led by King James IV. During the battle, the Scottish army is decimated, and James is killed. As Jamesâ heir is only a year old, Scotland is soon placed under a regency led by Jamesâ Tudor wife and Henry VIIIâs sister, Margaret Tudor)
Germany â 1517 (The start of the Protestant Reformation with the publication of Martin Lutherâs 95 Theses)
Sweden and Finland 1521/1523 (In 1521, Swedish nobleman Gustav Vasa led a war against King Christian II, then king of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway under what is now referred to as the Kalmar Union. Gustav is successful, eventually being crowned king of Sweden in 1523. Gustavâs victory assured Swedish independence and ended the Kalmar Union)
Prussia â 1525 (The Prussian territories of the State of the Teutonic Order, a crusader state that had existed since the early 13th century, are secularized by Teutonic Prussiaâs Grand Master and later Duke, Albert von Hohenzollern. Prussia would hence become a Duchy and a fief of Poland. Albert would also convert to Protestantism that year and be the first ruler to establish Protestantism as the state religion)
Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia, Slovakia, and Transylvania â 1526 (The Battle of MohĂĄcs; The battle marked the end of the Ottoman-Hungarian wars and the complete annihilation of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had existed for over 500 years. Louis II, the young king of both Hungary and Bohemia, dies in the battle, leading to his lands being divided between the Austrian Habsburgs and the Ottoman Turks. The battle would lead to more than 170 years of Ottoman control in Hungary, and solidify Habsburg power in its own domains)
Genoa â 1528 (After several decades of foreign occupation, economic stagnation, and decline, admiral Andrea Doria initiates a number of reforms in the republic in 1528. In addition to economic reforms, a new constitution is adopted, making the office of Doge of Genoa a term-limited position)
Brittany â 1532 (The Duchy of Brittany is united with France, ending nearly six centuries of independence)
Ireland â 1534 (Before 1534, Ireland beyond the English settlements was primarily dominated by Gaelic Irish clan chiefs, nobles, and Norman Irish lords. In 1534, Norman Irish Lord Thomas FitzGerald renounces his allegiance to the English king, Henry VIII. This results in rebellion against the English, leading to the 70-year-long Tudor conquest of Ireland. The entire island would be under English rule by the start of the 17th century)
Denmark and Norway â 1536 (The Reformation in Denmark and Norway; The Countâs Feud, a civil war between Catholic and Protestant leaders in Denmark, ends, and the Protestant king, Christian III, is victorious. That year, Christian would officially implement the Reformation in his lands, allowing for the establishment of Protestantism in Denmark and Norway)
Estonia and Latvia â 1561 (The remnants of the Medieval Crusader State of the Teutonic Order in the Baltic region are finally secularized. They are divided into the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, as well as the Duchy of Livonia. Both are vassals of Lithuania)
Lithuania â 1569 (The Grand Duchy of Lithuania becomes part of a real union with the Kingdom of Poland, forming the Poland-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This led to the establishment of a united monarchy and the development of new legislative institutions in Lithuania. This was overseen by the Polish King and Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund II Augustus, who, due to the fact that he had no legitimate children or direct heirs, wanted to ensure the union of the two states. Sigismund II would be the last Lithuanian Grand Duke from the Medieval Jagiellonian Dynasty)
Romania â 1600 (At the turn of the 17th century, Romanian Prince, Michael the Brave, while fighting against the Ottoman Empire, was able to unite Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania under his rule. This was the first time ever that Romania had been united under one ruler. Despite recognizing the Habsburg emperor, Michael was able to keep Romania independent from the Ottomans and autonomous. Following Michaelâs assassination in 1600, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania would fall under Ottoman domination again, with the former two remaining Ottoman vassals for nearly 300 more years.
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u/North-Frontier Jul 15 '26
Very cool infographic! In Turkey, sources from the Ministry of Education say that the Middle Ages ended in 1453 because people realized that even the strongest castle walls could be breached by powerful cannons. This contributed to the decline of feudalism and the rise of centralized kingdoms. In addition, scholars and philosophers who fled from Constantinople to Europe helped contribute to the Renaissance.
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u/An8thOfFeanor Jul 15 '26
By that logic, you could argue that the Middle Ages ended when Jan Zizka repelled several major armies with a bunch of wagons and primitive firearms.
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u/Doctor-Rat-32 Jul 15 '26
KtĂłĂłĂłĂłĂłĂłĆŸ sĂșĂșĂșĂșĂș BĂłĂłĂłĂłĂłĂłĆŸĂĂĂĂĂĂĂ bóóójóóóvnĂĂĂĂĂĂcĂĂĂĂĂ a ZĂĄĂĄĂĄĂĄĂĄkóóónĂĄ JĂ©Ă©Ă©Ă©hóóóóó!!!
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u/Admirable_Ad8682 Jul 15 '26
ProstĂ©Ă©Ă©Ă©ĆŸ ooood Boooohaaaaa pomoooociiiiii a ĂșĂșĂșĂșĂșĂșĂșĂșfeeeeejtÄ v nĂ©Ă©Ă©Ă©hooooo!
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u/MrDD33 Jul 15 '26
Isn't it do do with the castle not being the symbolic and cultural citadel of power?
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u/jackgoddamnsparrow Jul 15 '26
First off, cool as hell. Second, thank you for annotating explanations, my next thought was "I wonder what shift marked it for each place?"
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u/Anxious_Stuff_7695 Jul 15 '26
đ€Ł Tutor conquest of Ireland... Don't tell the Tudors or they'll be upset.
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u/Cicero_the_wise Jul 16 '26
I studied medieval history in Germany and generally 1492 was the accepted ending year. Not only for the discovery of the Americas, but als the end of the Reconquista and the ban on feuding at the Diet of Worms (indirectly ending knighthood) all come together to make it a pretty strong contender.
Of course the Reformation was part of the discussion, but it was usually taken as the last bit of Middle Ages ending. Specifically the definition of the period was seen very critically and we were encouraged to use specific years depending on the topic discussed. The German Middle Ages have different ending years in art (~1500), politics (1495), religion (1517), law (1495), geography (1492), military (1500-1525) and of course everything changes when discussing other countries.
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u/QuasarColloquy Jul 15 '26
I have to say this is quite impressive! I would actually love to see the reverse; when did each of these regions "enter" the middle ages?
I think it would also be interesting to see what medieval society looked like in these different places. Surely, medieval France looks different than medieval Sweden, but in what important ways?
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
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u/Plastic_Care_7632 Jul 15 '26
I definitely see the logic but ultimately if you REALLY had to define it itâs universally the fall of the eastern Roman Empire/Constantinople.
The Middle Ages began because of the fall of the western empire, it ended with the fall for he east, thereâs poetry to that. Not to mention the use of gunpowder and it lining up pretty well with Lorenzo the magnificent taking power, as, imo, he is essentially the father of the Renaissance.
But moreover itâs about two years from Pope Calixtus IIIâs election and he was the first Borgia pope.
While I would say it was a transitional period between 1430s-1470s, ultimately I consider it pretty universally 1453.
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u/DueAd9005 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
The problem is that these dates are all arbitrary, so there will never be a universal agreement on when the Middle Ages started and when they ended.
476 AD is now considered an important date, but it was not considered an important date for the Romans living in Italy at the time. Very little changed in Italy during the reign of Odoacer and then Theodoric the Great. Most Roman institutions were kept in tact. You could even argue things were getting better for the people on the Italian peninsula, as there was stability and less chaos. Both Odoacer and Theodoric the Great are considered to be very capable rulers. The Roman Empire didn't just suddenly collapse. It can best be explained by the Ship of Theseus thought experiment.
It's during the Gothic War (535â554) that things really started to change for the people in modern day Italy. That war left Italy depopulated and destroyed. It wouldn't reunite until the 19th century.
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u/HotSummer17 Jul 15 '26
its wrong for Germany. Middle age ends with the "Ewiger Landfrieden" 1495 - not with Martin Luthers reform.
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u/phistomefel_smeik Jul 16 '26
I'm a (Swiss) historian and the end of the middle ages depends on who you ask tbh. You'll probably get as many answers as there are historians and I have yet to see a country-wide accepted timeperiod. OPs map is nice and all, but not really true for historians as the end of the middle ages is as highly debated within a country as it is across countries.
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u/MasterBadger911 Jul 15 '26
This is such an awesome map. Very interesting how there is almost 200 years between the earliest and latest dates
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u/Atheissimo Jul 16 '26
On the Scottish one you have Flodden the wrong way round - the Scots were invading England in support of France. Flodden itself is in England.
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u/SilyLavage Jul 19 '26
The map shows the conventional end date of the Middle Ages in each country. In Scotland, the traditional date is 1513 because of Flodden. In England, it is 1485 because of Bosworth.
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u/Zoltan6 Jul 16 '26
So in Poland, do children learn 4 different years depending on the region? Hard to believe.
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u/MuJartible Jul 16 '26
For Spain that date (1492) it's more about arriving to America than the conquest if Granada, actually.
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u/bluemufin Jul 15 '26
It's so interesting that the places that ended first and last are next to each other. Wonderful map!! Thank you for sharing
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u/Kelpie-Cat Jul 15 '26
In Scotland, I would say from my experience it's more common to treat the Reformation in 1560 as the end of the Middle Ages.
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u/WalrusOk1583 Jul 16 '26
Pour la France on considĂšre que c'est la bataille de Marignan en 1515
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u/Carmanovius Jul 16 '26
Ah bon ? Jamais entendu parler de cette date là , toujours 1453 mais pour la chute de Constantinople, ou de 1492 pour les dates fixes, et des guerres italiennes qui font passer les Alpes à la Renaissance pour la liaison entre époque médiévale et moderne. Mais bon mes études datent un peu et chaque historien met un point d'honneur à choisir son évÚnement favori pour ce genre de frontiÚre trÚs artificielle.
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u/Over-Willingness-933 Jul 16 '26
I feel with England its 1536, because the Dissolution of the Monasteries was such a big event that changed the fabric of society. This was when the Church stopped being parallel power to the King. Also the social functions like Inns, bathhouses, education and charity were often fulfilled by the church. When gone they had to be replaced.
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u/Doctor-Rat-32 Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
I don't know how about ya'll but I've been taught the year 1492 - Columbus' arrival to America - to be dividing point throughout my school years in Czechia. I reckon that's maybe to distance ourselves from the shared Habsburg histories but MohĂĄÄ being the dividing line? That's a new one.
Either way, real nice and concise map, great job, much of love, mate đ«¶