News/Events around the area, 1429 A.D:

Siege of Thessalonica:

In early March 1429, an Ottoman fleet even appeared before Thessalonica and captured two Venetian vessels. According to the Venetian senator Andrea Suriano, Venice spent on average fifty thousands ducats per year in this seemingly fruitless conflict, but the Venetians themselves were hesitant to commit their resources fully to Thessalonica; its proximity to the center of Ottoman power made their ability to retain it doubtful in the long term, while at the same time, closer to home, Venice was pursuing a conflict with the Duchy of Milan over control of northern Italy. The Republic had long tried to avoid declaring war on the Ottomans. Still, now it had little choice: Dandolo's imprisonment, the increasing Ottoman naval threat (with the open assistance of the Genoese colonies at Chios and Lesbos, in conjunction with the end of their war with Hungary, made clear to the Venetians that the Sultan was preparing to settle the question of Thessalonica by force. As a result, on March 29, 1429, the Great Council voted an official declaration of war against the Sultan and ordered more ships to be activated to join the fleet.

On May 11, the pretender Mustafa appeared before the Great Council and was given 150 ducats for his services. On June 4, a new duke and captain were elected for Thessalonica. Paolo Contarini, and Andrea Donato, after the first three pairs, were chosen all declined the post, despite the fine attached to refusal; a clear indication of the unwillingness of the Venetian nobles to undertake this unprofitable and dangerous task. On July 1, Mocenigo attacked the Ottoman ships at Gallipoli. Although he led his flagship to break through the barrier protecting the Ottoman anchorage, the other Venetian vessels did not follow, forcing Mocenigo to withdraw with heavy casualties. Even at this point, Venice would not commit its full force to the conflict. When Suriano, as a proponent of the hawkish faction, proposed to arm a fleet of 14 ships and engaged in a more decisive policy against the Ottomans in January 1430, the proposal was voted down, even though it was rather modest and inadequate to force the Sultan to come to terms. Instead, the Great Council instructed the new captain-general, Silvestro Morosini, to seek the Byzantine Emperor's mediation for a settlement on the previous agreements' lines.

Aware of their weakness, the Venetians tried to form alliances with other regional rulers who feared Ottoman expansionism. Taking advantage of the Ottomans' preoccupation with the Siege of Golubac, Ibrahim II of Karaman (r. 1424–1464) had managed to gain control of the area of Hamid, and in August 1429, through the mediation of King Janus of Cyprus (r. 1398–1432), the Venetians approached Ibrahim for an alliance against Murad. The Venetians also tried to influence Murad towards peace with the threat posed by the ambitions of Timur's son Shahrukh, especially after the latter's defeat of the Kara Koyunlu in September 1429 brought him within striking distance of the Ottomans' Anatolian domains: contemporary rumor ascribed to him not only a desire to restore his father's dominance over the region, but to cross the Ottoman territories into Rumelia and return to Azerbaijan via the northern shore of the Black Sea. In the event, Shahrukh retired to winter in Azerbaijan. At that point, Murad ordered his general Hamza Bey to lead his forces from Anatolia back to Europe in February 1430 and sent him against Thessalonica.

Morea:

In 1429, Thomas Palaiologos of the Morea besieged Centurione in Chalandritsa and extracted a treaty from him. His daughter, Catherine, would marry the Despot and thus make him Centurione's heir in Achaea.

Epirus:

In July 1429, Carlo II succeeded his uncle Carlo I in all his jurisdictions. His succession was opposed, however, by Carlo I's illegitimate sons, led by Memnone opposed this.

Kara Koyunlu:

Shah Rukh commanded a one hundred thousands-strong army in 1429 and arrived in Salmas. Qara Iskander's half brother Abu Said withdrew during the battle and submitted to Shah Rukh on September 18, 1429. This severe blow to Iskander forced the Kara Koyunlu to retreat to the Diyar Bakr. Shah Rukh then occupied Tabriz and installed Abu Said as the ruling prince of the Kara Koyunlu. The plans for marching to AK Koyunlu canceled at the last moment.