John II of France
A king whose catastrophic capture at Poitiers bankrupted France and forced a nation to confront its deepest crisis.
1319–1364 (age 45)·King of France from 1350 to 1364·Birthday: April 26
Biography
John II inherited a France already reeling from the Black Death, but his reign would become synonymous with military disaster. Earnestly chivalric but politically clumsy, he earned the nickname 'John the Good' for his personal bravery, a quality that proved disastrous on the battlefield at Poitiers in 1356. There, his feudal army was shattered by English longbows, and the king himself was taken prisoner to London. His captivity created a power vacuum that sparked peasant revolts and urban unrest, while the French government scrambled to raise an impossible ransom. The resulting treaty, which ceded vast territories and sovereignty, was so harsh that his son and regent refused to ratify it. John returned to France only to find his kingdom in tatters; when a hostage held for his ransom escaped, he honorably returned to English custody, where he died. His rule was less about governance and more about a medieval king becoming the stark symbol of a nation's collapse.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1319
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1319Born
1324Started school
1332Became a teenager
1335Could drive
1337Could vote
1340Turned 21
1349Turned 30
1359Turned 40
1364Died at 45
Key Achievements
- Founded the Order of the Star, a chivalric order intended to rival England's Order of the Garter.
- Was the central figure captured during the decisive French defeat at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356.
- His capture led to the signing of the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, which temporarily paused the Hundred Years' War at great cost to France.
- Established the franc as a stable gold coin to try and manage the kingdom's financial crisis.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'the Good' (le Bon) referred to his sense of chivalric honor, not his effectiveness as a ruler.
He voluntarily returned to captivity in England when his son, held as a hostage, broke parole and escaped.
He died in the Savoy Palace in London, still a prisoner of the English.
His ransom was set at three million gold écus, a sum equivalent to twice France's annual income at the time.
“A king's honor is his bond, even to his captor.”
