Ransom of John II of France
The ransom of John II of France was an event during the
Background
From his ascent to the throne in 1350 to the time of his capture in 1356, King John II's reign had been marked by tensions both within and outside of his kingdom. John's
The French defeat at
Capture
After straining financial trouble for both kingdoms and incidence of the
The
"Sire," Morbecque is said to have announced, "I am a knight of Artois. Yield yourself to me and I will lead you to the Prince of Wales."
King John is said to have surrendered by handing him his glove. That night King John dined in the red silk tent of his enemy, where the Black Prince attended to him personally. He was then taken to Bordeaux, and ultimately from there to England, where he was at first held in the
Ransom
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Now in English captivity, King John began the challenging task of negotiating a peace treaty, which would likely require the payment of a large ransom and territorial concessions. Meanwhile, in Paris, the
Political strife ensued. In an attempt to raise money, Charles tried to devalue the currency; Marcel ordered strikes, and the Dauphin was forced to cancel his plans and recall the Estates in February 1357. The Third Estate (the commoners), with support from many nobles, presented the Dauphin with a Grand Ordinance, a list of 61 articles that would have severely restricted royal powers. Under pressure from the mob, Charles eventually signed the ordinance as Regent. But when news of the document reached King John, still at this point imprisoned in Bordeaux, he immediately repudiated the ordinance. During the summer, Charles began to enlist support from the provinces against Marcel and the Parisian mob, and successfully re-entering Paris. The final act of violence was the murder by the mob of key royal officials. Charles again fled the capital, but the attack broke the temporary alliance between the Parisian commons and the nobility. By August 1358, Marcel was dead and Charles was, once more, able to return to Paris.
At the influence of the Pope, a truce was called in March 1357 and negotiations were opened for King John's release. Once in London, King John signed the Treaty of London (1358), which set his ransom at 4 million écus. After the French could not raise the first installment of ransom, this treaty was replaced with the Treaty of London (1359), which additionally ceded most of western France to England. The Estates General rejected this second treaty, and King Edward reinvaded France later that year, landing in Calais in October 1359. Edward reached Reims in December and Paris in March, but his advances were unsuccessful in drawing out the French army to a decisive battle. King Edward reduced his terms to a third of western France (mostly in Aquitaine and Gascony), and a ransom of 3 million crowns, which was agreed to in the Treaty of Brétigny (1360).
John's return
This section possibly contains original research. (January 2015) |
The
King John had returned to a difficult situation in 1360. France was still divided, had lost considerable territories, and was heavily indebted to England. The
The royal administration continued to perform poorly. When John was informed that Louis had escaped, he voluntarily returned to captivity in England. John's council tried to dissuade him from doing so, but he persisted, citing "good faith and honor." He sailed to England that winter, where he was met by Sir
It is not certain why John returned to captivity, even though chivalry was perhaps at its height at that time. Acts of mercy and clemency were looked upon positively in medieval times, but behaviour that violated the chivalric code was usually forgotten if it was clearly in the interests of the state. Escaping from captivity was unchivalrous, and carried consequences, but was still common nonetheless. John's critics alleged that he returned to London for "causa joci" (reasons of pleasure), citing his unmartial lifestyle.[citation needed] Historians have speculated that John simply could not face the difficulties of ruling France. John may have seen his failures and Charles' misfortunes as a sign from God, and consequently sought religious redemption. John may also have hoped to negotiate with Edward III directly.
Over time, the ransom of King John had a considerable impact. The money paid to England contributed to the royal treasury until the reign of
References
- ^ Françoise Autrand, Charles V, Fayard 1994[page needed]
- ^ Holmes, Richard 'War Walks from Agincourt to Normandy', p.17.
- homosexual attachment to Charles de la Cerda.
- ^ "Hundred Years' War". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ Hibbert, Christopher, Agincourt, 1964, p.13.
- ^ Ford, David Nash. "Britannia: History of Windsor (Archived)". Archived from the original on 15 May 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
- ISBN 0-345-34957-1.
- ISBN 978-0-19-965170-2.
- ^ Green, David S. (November 1998). The Household and Military Retinue of Edward the Black Prince: Appendix (PDF). DPhil Thesis. p. 287. Retrieved 9 July 2023.