John II: Chivalry and Catastrophe

John II "the Good" (r. 1350-1364) embodied chivalric ideals in an age when such values proved increasingly dysfunctional. His sobriquet reflected not benevolent rule but adherence to aristocratic codes of honor that privileged personal reputation over political calculation. His reign witnessed the nadir of French royal fortunes, yet his very failures contributed to institutional changes that would strengthen his successors.

John's creation of the Order of the Star (1351) exemplified his chivalric obsessions. Modeled on Edward III's Order of the Garter, it aimed to create an elite brotherhood of knights dedicated to royal service. Members swore never to retreat in battle, an oath that proved catastrophic when enforced. The order's elaborate ceremonies and expensive festivities drained resources while contributing nothing to military effectiveness.

The Battle of Poitiers (September 19, 1356) exceeded even Crécy as a military catastrophe. John personally led the French army against the Black Prince's smaller English force. Despite numerical superiority, French attacks again failed against English defensive positions. The king's determination to demonstrate personal valor led to his capture along with numerous great nobles. The sight of the French king taken prisoner to England devastated royal prestige while enabling enormous ransom demands.

The king's captivity (1356-1360) created unprecedented constitutional crisis. The dauphin Charles, physically weak and only eighteen, faced aristocratic conspiracies, bourgeois rebellions, and English invasions. The Estates General, convoked to approve taxes for the king's ransom, demanded governmental reforms that would have transformed France into a limited monarchy. Étienne Marcel's bourgeois revolution in Paris challenged royal authority in the capital itself. The dauphin's successful navigation of these crises, aided by Marcel's assassination and aristocratic fear of social revolution, demonstrated that monarchy could survive even a captive king.