The Battle of Poitiers was fought on 19 September 1356 between a French army commanded by King John II and an Anglo-Gascon force under Edward, the Black Prince, during the Hundred Years' War. It took place in western France, 5 miles (8 km) south of Poitiers, when approximately 14,000 to 16,000 French attacked a strong defensive position held by 6,000 Anglo-Gascons.
The Battle of Poitiers, by Eugène Delacroix, 1830
Edward, the Black Prince
Contemporary image of John II
A town being sacked
John II, called John the Good, was King of France from 1350 until his death in 1364. When he came to power, France faced several disasters: the Black Death, which killed nearly one-third to one-half of its population; popular revolts known as Jacqueries; free companies of routiers who plundered the country; and English aggression that resulted in catastrophic military losses, including the Battle of Poitiers of 1356, in which John was captured.
Portrait [fr] on wood panel around 1350, Louvre Museum
John and his first wife Bonne
A denier d'or aux fleurs de lys from John's reign (1351)
John being crowned King of France with his second wife Joan