Battle of Poitiers

Timeline

1. 1356southwestern France · FranceThe Black Prince raided northward from Gascony while King John II personally led a large army in pursuit. The English were highly mobile but short on supplies; a standoff formed south of the Loire, with the French outnumbering but poorly coordinated.
2. 1356battlefield southeast of Poitiers · Vienne DepartmentEnglish longbowmen and infantry held their position while French heavy cavalry charges were repeatedly repulsed. The king personally led his guard into the melee; the line collapsed and the English won a decisive field victory against the odds.
3. 1356Poitiers · AquitaineMany French nobles were killed or captured; John II was taken in the melee and the Dauphin Charles was forced to serve as regent. England gained a major political bargaining chip, while French royal authority and the nobility suffered a heavy blow.