Battle of Poitiers
1356 CE · France
The Battle of Poitiers was fought in 1356 CE in France between Kingdom of England and Gascony vs the Kingdom of France; decisive English victory; King John II was captured.
Battle of Poitiers: quick facts
- Date
- 1356 CE
- Location
- France
- Belligerents
- Kingdom of England and Gascony vs the Kingdom of France
- Commanders
- Edward the Black Prince vs John II of France
- Result
- decisive English victory; King John II was captured.
- Era
- 🏰 Medieval Europe
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Poitiers?
Edward the Black Prince's Anglo-Gascon army defeated a much larger French force and captured King John II of France on the battlefield. The English used hedgerows and vineyards to channel the French attacks, while longbowmen devastated the advancing knights. The capture of the French king led to an enormous ransom and the Treaty of Bretigny, temporarily giving England vast territories in France.
Did you know?
The ransom for King John II of France after Poitiers was set at 3 million gold ecus, roughly twice the annual revenue of the entire French crown, devastating France's economy for decades.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Poitiers on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.