Jacob van Artevelde rules Ghent
1339
The wealthy Ghent brewer emerged as de facto dictator of the Flemish cities, negotiating with Edward III to keep English wool flowing and Flemish looms humming. His alliance with England crystallized Flanders's role in the opening of the Hundred Years' War, turning the cloth trade into a geopolitical lever. He was murdered by rival weavers in 1345.
In context
Also in 1339 (4 other events on record)
- Hundred Years' War opens with raids in Picardy · Europe · War
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Before and after in Europe
Before and after in Politics
Era
Late Middle Ages (1301–1500), one of 874 events from that era on Saeculum.