Constantinople and the Palaiologos Dynasty in the 1430s

Name: Constantinople and the Palaiologos Dynasty in the 1430s
Start: 1430
End: 1439

Type Event Region Europe Time 1430–1439

In the 1430s, Constantinople under the Palaiologos dynasty was the rump core of the Byzantine Empire;…

Timeline

1430–1434Constantinople · ByzantineAfter the fall of Thessaloniki, John VIII hastened to fortify the Theodosian Walls, reorganize the fleet, and raise military funds, while seeking through marriage alliances and diplomacy the support of Hungary, Venice, and other Western powers for Byzantine survival.
1435–1438Constantinople · ByzantineIn exchange for Western military aid, the court discussed in Constantinople the possibility of union with the Roman papacy, dispatched envoys, and prepared for the emperor to travel in person to Italy for the Council of Ferrara-Florence, sparking fierce debate within the Church.
1438–1439Constantinople · ByzantineWhile John VIII was in Italy, Constantinople was governed by a regency council. After the decree of union was signed in Florence, the city still hoped for Western crusader aid, but divisions among clergy and laity and continued Ottoman pressure left the empire's situation fundamentally unchanged.