Battle of Poitiers

Setting the scene

By 1356, the Hundred Years' War had resumed after the Black Death's interruption. Edward the Black Prince, son of Edward III, led a chevauchée—a large-scale mounted raid—from English-held Aquitaine through central France in summer 1356, burning and looting to undermine French King John II's authority. John, with a larger army of perhaps 15,000-20,000, intercepted the English near Poitiers on September 17. The English, numbering 6,000-8,000, were burdened with plunder and sought to retreat to Bordeaux.

What happened

On September 19, the armies met near Nouaillé, south of Poitiers. The Black Prince positioned his forces defensively behind hedges and marshy ground, with dismounted men-at-arms in center and longbowmen on flanks. John II, confident in numbers, attacked in three divisions. The first two French assaults were shattered by English longbow fire and defensive positions. John led the third division personally, fighting on foot. After hours of combat, a hidden English reserve under the Captal de Buch flanked the French, causing their line to collapse.

Why it still matters

The battle was a catastrophe for France. King John II, his son Philip, and 17 counts were captured, along with 2,000 knights. French casualties exceeded 2,500 dead; English losses were minimal. John was taken to London and held for four years, his ransom set at 3 million écus. The defeat led to the Treaty of Brétigny (1360), which ceded vast territories to England. Poitiers, like Crécy (1346), demonstrated the longbow's dominance and English tactical superiority. John died in captivity in 1364. The battle left France leaderless and financially ruined, triggering the Jacquerie peasant revolt in 1358.【8432736896976345751†L5-L7】

Background

The disaster deepened French political crisis. Even centuries later, this episode remains a reference point for how empires rise, fracture, and transform.