For centuries, Poitiers has been the scene of bloody battles. Medieval Europe does not surprise with frequent wars, but the fact that it was the battles under this city that changed the fate of states, rulers, and the course of history is curious. The first significant battle of Poitiers took place in 486, when the Franks defeated the Roman ruler of Gaul and created their own state. In 732, local residents managed to defend the onslaught of the Arabs and save the southwestern regions. But the most epic battle took place during the Hundred Years War between King John II of France and the Black Prince, the son of the English ruler.
Prerequisites for a bloody battle
The British needed one thing - complete control over southwestern Aquitaine, but the king of France did not want to cede these lands to the enemy, because under such conditions the state could not become strong and independent. Edward III decided to put John II in his place and planned an offensive in three directions. The governor in Aquitaine was the Black Prince, the son of Edward III, he was remembered by his contemporaries as a fearless warrior, an intelligent strategist. It was distinguished by completely black decoration: black shield, helmet, armor,the same color feathers, black horse.
In the year of the Battle of Poitiers, the Black Prince walked through Aquitaine with fire and sword, pacifying the recalcitrant inhabitants. Those who resisted, he captured and killed. At the end of the summer, John II decided to try his luck and defeat the British army. He gathered a huge army, twice the number of warriors of the enemy, and went to the southwest. The Black Prince began to hastily retreat, but unexpectedly fell into a trap. The battle of Poitiers was inevitable, because the British army was surrounded by the French on all sides.
An attempt to resolve the conflict peacefully
The Black Prince immediately realized that his army was doomed, so he tried to resolve the conflict peacefully. On his behalf, the papal cardinal spoke with John II, negotiating a truce. The prince offered 100,000 gold florins, the return of all the fortresses and castles he had captured in three years. In addition, the son of Edward III offered himself as a hostage, provided that his troops could go home unhindered. But John II, foreseeing a brilliant victory over the enemy, refused all conditions.
The most brutal battle of the Hundred Years' War
The Battle of Poitiers in 1356 is considered one of the bloodiest and most unpredictable. The Black Prince realized that he would have to fight to the last, so he carefully thought out everything, personally walked around all the fighters and cheered them up with a parting speech. The English were stationed in a hilly field with vineyards surrounded by a fence. On the left flank they were protected by a stream andswamp, archers were stationed along the hedge, heavy horsemen behind the hedge.
Everything indicated that the battle of Poitiers would be a failure for the British, but the French made a fatal mistake. They built their army in four detachments, moving one after the other. In addition, the king refused the help of the townspeople, fearing that this would diminish the glory of his victory. As a result, the marshals were the first to attack, but they were so detached from the main army that they were instantly defeated and taken prisoner. Then the Duke of Normandy went, but his fighters were in a cloud of arrows.
The French fled in all directions, some troops did not even warn the king about the retreat, so John II lost his cavalry under the control of the Duke of Orleans. The Battle of Poitiers was a real shame for the French. The king fought to the last, his detachment suffered the most from the English archers. When the whole army fled, John II surrendered.
