September 19, 1356: Battle of Poitiers (Nouaillé‑Maupertuis)

In 1356, the war resumes in the form of great raids. The Black Prince devastates the country and seeks to avoid pitched battle: English strategy is to oblige the opponent to attack a chosen position, under fire from the longbow, then counter-attack.

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🐎 The 1356 Campaign: Plundering and Pursuit

In the summer of 1356, the Black Prince sets out from Guyenne for a new campaign. He fails before Bourges, but takes Vierzon and its garrison is slaughtered. Laden with plunder, the English army attempts to return to Bordeaux.

John II launches in pursuit with a larger army, dominated by heavy-armed cavalry. The stakes are not merely military: the nobility wants to restore its prestige after Crécy and respond to the implicit accusation of impotence to protect the country.

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⛪ Mediation and English Preparation

Before the confrontation, a mediation attempts to obtain a short truce. This delay profits the English: they entrench and prepare defensive positions. The longbow, through its rate of fire, plays a central role in this “stopping war” where the assailant pays dearly for the assault.

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⚔️ French Disorder and Clash of Vanguards

On the morning of September 19, 1356, an English movement is interpreted contradictorily by French commanders. Two marshals disagree on how to proceed and engage action without full coordination.

Combats open in poor conditions: attacks on sunken roads, misaligned lines, and heavy losses under archer fire. Battles are engaged then disorderly, which amplifies English advantage.

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👑 The King on Foot, the Capture, and the Image of the “Knight-King”

To reduce the vulnerability of horses, the king orders dismounting and fights at close range. He sets his sons to safety, keeping only the youngest, Philip, who then earns his nickname “the Bold.”

John II is finally taken prisoner with his son. The defeat is a political disaster, but the king’s resistance until the end nourishes a lasting image: that of a sovereign who is chivalric and heroic despite failure.

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🧠 To Remember

• Poitiers is both a military defeat and a crisis of sovereignty.
• The battle reveals divisions of command and French tactical fragility.
• The king’s capture triggers a chain of crises (finances, Estates, Paris).