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.