John II of France

Reign: 1350 – 1364
Life: 1319–1364

When he came to power, France faced several disasters: the Black Death, which killed between a third and a half of its population; popular revolts known as Jacqueries; free companies (Grandes Compagnies) of routiers who plundered the country; and English aggression during the Hundred Years' War that resulted in catastrophic military losses, including the Battle of Poitiers of 1356, in which John was captured. While John was a prisoner in London, his son Charles became regent and faced several rebellions, which he overcame. To liberate his father, he concluded the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, by which France lost many territories and paid an enormous ransom. Upon his return to France, he created the franc to stabilise the currency and tried to get rid of the free companies by sending them to a crusade, but Pope Innocent VI died shortly before their meeting in Avignon.

During John II of France's reign, Edward III of England ruled England, Orhan ruled Ottoman Empire, and Ashikaga Takauji ruled Japan (Shogunate).

Want to learn more? Further reading

The Cambridge Illustrated History of France by Colin Jones

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