Jean II of France

Personality

Jean the Good is of health fragile It is little sportsman, tournament little but practical hunting. Its image of king knight comes from his heroic control to the battle of Poitiers and the creation of the Ordre of the Star, both guided by the political need.

The reign of Jean the Good reign is marked, after that of his/her father, by the dispute of the legitimacy of Valois by Charles de Navarre and Edouard III. It must fight as of its more young age (he is Duc of Normandy at 13 years) against the centrifugal forces which affect the city and the nobility attracted by the English economic influence or the reforming party. It evolves/moves in a context of intrigues and treasons and it is logical that even is to him being wary and controls with a circle very closed of familiar.

Biography

First heir to a new dynasty

See also: Succession of Charles IV Beautiful the

The future Jean II the Good, is born on April 26th, 1319, it is the groin of Philippe de Valois the future Philippe VI. His/her father goes up on the throne of France in 1328. The legitimacy of Valois do not go from is, it rises from an policy option made with died of Louis X Hutin in 1316 then that of Charles IV into 1328 which is to make sure that the crown does not leave to a foreigner. Edouard III however small son of Philippe the Beautiful one was thus évincé with the profit of Philippe de Valois who is only the nephews. He is thus imperative for this last to sit the legitimacy of his dynasty. With its advent, in spring 1328, Jean is his only alive son, he is nine years old. In 1332, is born Charles de Navarre which is an applicant even more direct with the crown than Edouard III; also, it decides to quickly marry his thirteen year old son to tie the matrimonial alliance most prestigious possible and to entrust to him a prerogative (Normandy). It considers a time to link it in Aliénor, sister of king d' Angleterre. Since Saint Louis, the modernization of the legal system attracts in the French cultural sphere of many areas bordering: in particular out of grounds of Empire, the cities of the Dauphine or the county of Burgundy (future Franche-Comté) take out from Saint Louis the royal legal proceedings to regulate litigations: the king sends for example the Baillif de Mâcon who intervenes in Lyon to regulate the different ones, as the seneshal of Beaucaire intervenes in Vivier or Valence. Thus, the court of the king Philippe VI is largely cosmopolitan: many lords the such constable of Brienne have possessions with horse on several kingdoms. The kings of France widen the cultural influence of the kingdom by attracting at their court the nobility of these areas by allocating revenues to him and while devoting themselves to a skilful matrimonial policy. Thus, the counts de Savoie lend homage to king de France against the granting of pensions. Jean of Luxembourg, known as the Blind man , king de Bohème, one is thus accustomed of the course of France just like his/her son Venceslas, the future emperor Charles IV. Philippe VI invites it to Fontainebleau to propose a treaty of alliance to him which would be cemented by the marriage of one of his/her daughters with the Jean future the Good. The king of Bohemia, which has aimings on Lombardy and needs well supports diplomatic French accepts this agreement. The military clauses of the treaty of Fontainebleau stipulate that in the event of war, the king of Bohemia would join the army of king de France with four hundred men-at-arms if the conflict proceeds out of Champagne or in Amiénois; with three hundred men, if the theater of the operations is more distant. The political clauses provide that the Crown lombarde will not be disputed to king de Bohême if he manages to conquer it; and that if it can have the kingdom of Arles, this one would return to France. In addition, the treaty ratifies the statu-quo concerning the French ground projections of Empire. The choice is left to the king of France between the two girls of king de Bohème. The selected king Good as marries for his son because it is in age to procreate (it has 16 years and its sister Anne 9). The dowry is fixed at 120.000 guilders.

Marriage with Good of Luxembourg

Jean is declared major and émancipé by his father on April 26th, 1332. He receives in prerogative the duchy of Normandy, as well as the counties of Anjou and of Maine. N the other hand from these grounds belonging to her field, the Jeanne queen of Burgundy receives the seigniories of Montargis, Lorris, Vitry with the Cabins, Boiscommun, Châteauneuf on the Loire, Corbeil, Fontainebleau, Melun and Montreuil. The weddings are celebrated on July 28th with the church of Notre Dame of Melun in the presence of six thousand guests.

The festivities are prolonged two months later by the dubbing of the young groom, with the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. The duke Jean of Normandy is solemnly armed knight in front of a prestigious assistance bringing together the kings with Luxembourg and Navarre, the dukes of Burgundy, of Lorraine and the Brabant. Its establishment is followed by that of four hundred new knights belonging to the big families of the kingdom.

In 1332, Jean the Good receives in prerogative Normandy and must note that most of the Normande nobility is attracted by the English camps. Indeed, economically Normandy depends on the maritime exchanges through the sleeve as much as exchanges by the river transport via the Seine. The Norman rebels would wish to see their chief Geoffroy Harcourt to become Duc of Normandy, which would guarantee the respect of the charters which give to the duchy a broad autonomy. Its castle of Saint-Saver-the-Saver is occupied by the royal troops and Geoffroy d' Harcourt must leave Cotentin to join the Brabant, country of his/her mother. Three of his/her companions are decapitated in Paris on April 3rd, 1344 and their heads sent to Saint-Lo to be exposed there on a wheel in full market. At the beginning of 1345, it crosses the step and goes to England where Edouard III takes it under his protection. The possible homage of the Norman lords to Edouard III constitutes a major threat for the legitimacy of Valois: the disaster of Crécy and the rendering of Calais made break down all their prestige and they must fight against the many disaffections which are likely to affect the nobility of the northern and western frontage of the Kingdom (of which the grounds are in the economic sphere of influence of England). Consequently Valois decide to treat. Jean the Good meeting Geoffroy de Harcourt to which the king returns all his goods. Philippe VI appoints it even sovereign captain in Normandy. It is consequently logical that Jean the Good approaches Tancarville to be able to ensure his authority on Normandy. However, Jean Viscount of Melun married Jeanne only heiress of the county of Tancarville which is with the head of the one of the two great Norman parties. Thereafter they are Melun-Tancarville which forms the framework of the party of Jean the Good, whereas Godefroy de Harcourt is the historical defender of freedoms Norman and thus of the reforming party. The bringing together between this last and Charles de Navarre which is posed as a champion reformers is thus logical and occupy of the stations raised in the administration. The political attraction of France makes it possible to extend the Kingdom towards the east in dépis of the military defeats. Thus, the count Humbert II ruined because of his incapacity to raise the tax and without heir after death to his only son, sells the Dauphiné with Philippe VI. Jean the Good take share directly with the negotiations and finalizes the agreement.

Good of Luxembourg having died of the plague in 1349, Philippe VI carries out a new diplomatic blow which increases its possessions towards the east: Jean, wife in second weddings, on February 19th, 1350 in Nanterre, the countess Jeanne of Boulogne and Auvergne, girl of Guillaume of Auvergne and Marguerite d' Evreux, twenty four years old widow: she is heiress of the duchy of Burgundy, which, after its death, will be attached to the Crown. Already countess of Boulogne and Auvergne, since the death of her father, it found herself with the head of the duchy and the county of Burgundy as well as Artois, with the disappearance of her husband, Philippe of Burgundy, in 1346, and of her father-in-law.

Takeover

The Guerre One hundred Year old knows one period of truce since the Grande plague of 1349. The first part of the war was largely with the advantage of the English, Edouard III gaining victories crushing with the battles of the Lock and Crécy then by taking Calais. The capacity of Valois is largely disputed: Edouard III and Charles II of Navarre, both descendants of Philippe Beautiful the by the women, assert the crown. Jean the Good takes them of runs by its very fast crowning (on September 26th, 1350) after the death of Philippe VI (on August 22nd, 1350). August 29th, with broad of Winchelsea, a squadron led by Charles of Cerda intercepts Edouard III suspecté to want to go to Rheims to be made crown king de France. The battles naval turns to the advantage of the English, at the price of heavy losses and this last cannot be opposed to the sacring Jean any more the Good .

Charles II of Navarre, whose mother Jeanne has given up in 1328 the crown of France against that of Navarre, is the elder one of a powerful line and can gather around him the dissatisfied ones with the reigns of first Valois. It is supported by its close relations and their allies: the family of the counts de Boulogne (the count, the cardinal, their two brothers and their relationship of Auvergne who in 1350 are seen évincés of the management of Burgundy by the marriage of their sister with the Jean the Good.

Execution of the count de Guînes

November 19th, 1350, Jean the Good makes carry out the constable Raoul de Brienne. This one returns just of captivity to England. The causes of its execution remained secret but he would have been convinced of high treason. Indeed, it is about a gentleman whose field is shared between several kingdoms ((France, England and Ireland). As all the lords whose possessions have a maritime frontage in the west (except those whose fields are in the basin of the the Seine and who can easily trade with Paris), it may find it beneficial to support England for economic reasons (the maritime transport being at the time more powerful than the surface transport, the Manche constitutes an intense zone of exchange). It would have negotiated its release against the commitment to recognize Edouard III as king de France and Jean the Good would have been informed of it by the interception of mails bound for the English sovereign. The king does not wish that spread because that would give ahead the question of the rights of Edouard to the crown of France. The emotion is sharp, Raoul de Brienne has many supports which line up then in the Navarrese camp: Norman lords and the nobility of the North-West (Picardy, Artois, Vermandois, Beauvaisis and Flandres whose economy depends on the English wool imports) likely to line up at the side of the English, feel threatened and line up behind Charles de Navarre or the combined faithful brothers of Picquigny of the constable. The shortly after the murder of the constable, Charles Bad writing with the duke of Lancaster: All the Noble ones of Normandy passed with me to died to life . The ordinance prohibits also the begging because the inactivity worsens the shortage of labor and the vagrants can beings recruited in the bands of not balanced mercenaries who already prevail in the country.

Reorganization of the army

The king has the concern of reorganizing the army which was overcome in Crécy. It is necessary to avoid the defections on the battle fields and plunderings once returned peace. In addition, the taxes being difficult to make return the wastings should be avoided: it is current that men present themselves in several companies by mutually lending themselves their equipment to receive several balances. He thus institutes the watch where the troops reviewed and its paid at sight if their equipment is correct. chrisagde.free.fr

Creation about Star

The Order of the Garter created by Edouard III, risk to collect many knights because, at the time, after generations of matrimonial alliances, the seigneuriaux fields are frequently scattered and dependant on several kingdoms. The lords of the west of France could follow the economic logic which makes the English Channel a great zone of exchange and rock in the English camp. Jean the Good thus creates the Ordre of the Star. The Féodalité is in crisis with the XIVe century and the nobility is confronted with an important fall of its land incomes following the many devaluations whereas the Cens is with fixed amount. However, the membership even of the nobility is defined by a honourable and expensive control: living country labor, the Master must express his generosity by maintaining the mass his hanging. Desilvered members of the nobility could thus change camp if Edouard III proposed a revenue to them. This is why a pay is versed to the knights members about Star. Its rules flatter the chivalrous ideal, the seat is placed at Saint-Ouen close to Saint-Denis the abbey where the tombs of the kings and the badges of the royalty are preserved. The members recognize themselves with a collar and a white star on red enamel with this currency: Monstrant regibus astra viam .

It is also a question of exchanging values of military discipline to the spirit of prowess which is on the whole with the origin of the disaster of Crécy. One substitutes for the simple pride, even valorous, the feeling of the honor. The personal merit represents there, before the birth and fortune, the first condition to be allowed. Successes in the tournaments do not count, but the value and fidelity on the battle field. It is a knighthood of State where the knight promises “honest council with the prince either of weapons, or of another thing”, the horses are marked to prevent that same mountings can be shown in two unit different. The pays are thus versed at the conclusion of the watch.

This ordinance creates a true royal army instead of the troops seigneuriales, little disciplined. The Barons, vassal and back-vassal are placed with the same sign and are integrated in companies. The captains of these units are responsible for the behavior and the availability of their troop and must return accounts to the constable and to the marshals.

Suspension of the debt of the king

With died of Philippe VI, the truce signed in 1347 is not valid any more. The French take Saint-Jean-with Angély on August 11th, 1351. These creditors being thus extremely unpopular, measurement is very well accommodated. On the other hand, it clarifies the need to reform the tax and one brings out from the treasure of the charters the Large ordinance of reform of 1303.

Conflict with king de Navarre

Close relations of Jean the Good

The close relations of the kings have the reality of the capacity between the hands with the detriment of left Navarrese. The royal party is structured around Melun-Tancarville: Jean Viscount of Melun married Jeanne only heiress of the county of Tancarville which is with the head of the one of the two great Norman parties, his/her Guillaume brothers the archbishop of Direction and Adam which recovers the load of Chambellan of Normandy usually given to Tancarville. Jean the Good brings back in this party wire of Robert d' Artois while giving in 1350 to Jean of Artois, the Comté of Have (It was private paternal grounds following the treason of his father and imprisoned with Castle-Strapping man with its two brothers and its mother) which it has just recovered while making carry out the Connétable Raoul de Brienne. Artois enter of full foot the clan of Meulun-Tancarville when he marries Isabelle of Melun, girl of Jean of Melun. It is supported by his Bourbons cousins. But the incarnation of its party is its favorite Charles of Cerda. In 1352, this last marries Marguerite of Blois, girl of Charles of Blois, (the candidate with the succession of Brittany supported by the king of France) what is worth to him the support of Breton lords such as Bertrand of Guesclin. It also receives the support of its family: the Viscount Jean of Melun, his father-in-law, and the countess of Alençon, Marie of Cerda, her cousin, widow of the counts Charles of Stamps and Charles II of Alençon. It has its faithful in the royal army, like the marshal Arnoul d' Audrehem. He plays a skilful game, attracts with him members of families related since years to Évreux-Navarre to weaken the influence of the powerful Navarrese party which threatens the king.

In 1352, the king gives him his daughter Jeanne in marriage with a dowry of: 100000 ecus (it must resort to a monetary Mutation to join together it!

Charles de Navarre is carefully kept away of the council of the king and Charles of Cerda activates with détricoter his network of faithful. Obviously, all that can only make of it the mortal enemy of the Navarrese party, which spreads libelous rumors of Homosexualité to explain its bonds with the king. To spring 1353, a quarrel opposes the count de Longueville - and brother of Charles the Bad one -, Philippe de Navarre, with the constable, in the apartments of the king. This one shows the Navarrese to be a counterfeiter and a licensed liar. This last, exceeded, car its Scraping-knife and threatens the Favori of the king. Jean the Good brings back Philippe de Navarre to the reason. The constable leaves the scene under the insults of the insult which shouts revenge.

Peace negotiations

Under the pressure of the Innocent pope VI, English, French and Breton negotiate peace in the Guerre One hundred Year old and in the War of succession of Brittany. The Breton conflict is indeed in a phase of status quo: Jean de Montfort supported by the English died and his/her son is only 4 years old; Charles of Blois, supported by the French, is prisoner with London and negotiates its ransom. Edouard III obtains, by the treaty of Westminster of March 1st, 1353, that n the other hand of the recognition of Charles of Blois like duke of Brittany, this last begins to pour a ransom of: 300000 ecus and so that Brittany signs a treaty of perpetual alliance with England. This alliance must be sealed by the marriage of Jean (the son of Jean de Montfort) with the girl of Edouard III, Marie. The husbands being cousins, the marriage requires letters of canonical exemption that the pope would grant only with the approval of king de France. However Charles of Cerda married in March 1352 with Marguerite of Blois (the girl of Charles of Blois). Very near to king de France, it has its word to say in this negotiation and fact part of the plenipotentiary ones. Consequently, Charles the Bad one decides to make hood the negotiations and to seize itself of the person of Charles of Cerda, with an aim of influencing the course of the negociations. He passes to the action and made assassinate Charles of Cerda the January 8th 1354, with the Eagle.

Treaty of Mantes

Charles de Navarre wished the capture of the constable and not its assassination but endorses the responsibility for it to cover its ombrageux and impulsive brother Philippe de Navarre who was the executant. Whereas Jean the Good remains prostrate 4 days with the advertisement of died of Charles of Cerda, showing that it cannot control his emotion, it is posed as a Head of State and fully asserts the murder which it justifies as being a question of honor. Combined with the English, it has the means of forcing the king of France to accept the assassination of its favorite. The February 22nd 1354, Jean the Good must accept concessions with the Traité of Mantes to avoid a resumption of the Guerre One hundred Year old. By this treaty, Charles II the Bad one, gives up claiming the châtellenies Asnières-on-Oise, Pontoise and Beaumont that the king had still not given to him. N the other hand, it receives the county of Beaumont-the-Roger, the castles of Breteuil, Conches and of Pont-Audemer, the field of the Cotentin with the town of Cherbourg, the Viscounts of Carentan, Coutances and Valognes in Normandy. It can receive the homage of the Norman lords who supported it. This treaty also gave him the permission to hold each year a chess-board, it will be able to return justice there without calls being able to be sent to the Parliament of Paris. On the whole, it receives all the prerogatives of the duke of Normandy without having the title of it. In addition, the assassination of Charles of Cerda compromised the Franco-English peace agreements: neither the War One hundred Year old, nor the War of succession of Brittany are regulated. Charles the Bad one is in strong position, it forever be also powerful.

Negotiations in Avignon

In November 1354, Charles the Bad one is invited to the peace negotiations of Avignon by the Pope. For him a peace treaty English Franco would be a catastrophe especially if Edouard III agreed to give up the crown. He thus concludes with the duke from Lancaster a pact which envisages the dismemberment of France: Edouard will receive the crown of France but will leave with his cousin Charles de Navarre Normandy, Champagne, the Brie, Languedoc and some other strongholds. An English unloading is planned for the end of the truce which expires on June 24th, 1355. But the English scalded by the ceaseless reversals of the Navarrese are wary and the promised unloading will never take place.

General states of 1355 and 1356

The creation of a balanced army is expensive and must be financed. The king resorts to the General states which he convenes on May 8th, 1355. One tries to simplify the calculation of the tax to make it more effective. But the taxes do not return and the king has recourse once again to the manipulators of the currency honnis: he points out Jean Poilevillain and Nicolas Braque that he names respectively with the Accounts and the Currencies. The States are extremely being wary as for management of public finances (scalded by the Dévaluation S pulled by the monetary changes which made lose with the royal currency 82% of its value in one year). The nobility whose devaluations decrease the incomes (royalties due on their grounds are of fixed amount) has an imperative need for a hard currency. The tradesmen need especially a stable currency. After the ride of the black Prince in Languedoc and the duke of Lancaster in Artois, the states are aware of the need for raising an army, but still for more financing garrisons to defend the cities.

The taxes returning badly and the new currency devaluating itself quickly, the States are again joined together in March 1356 and decide to widen the tax base by also taxing the land incomes. What appears difficult because one would need an administration able to quantify the incomes of the taxpayers.

The running away of the dolphin

The emperor Charles IV, undergoing a diplomatic offensive on behalf of the English and worried by the growing influence of the French on the west of the empire (the Burgundy, the Dauphine and of many fortified towns are controlled by the French) threat to renegotiate its alliance with his/her beautiful brother Jean the Good and émancipe the fourth wire of Jean II, Philippe, whose duchy of Burgundy is managed by the king of France because of his young age. The king makes watch of intransigence and the tension goes up. The dolphin Charles, very near to his uncle, fears to lose the Dauphiné there and is opposed the made-to-order to proceed of his/her father. Gone up against him by Robert Cock (one of more enthusiastic Navarrese playing double game near Jean Good ) which does not cease entrusting to him that his/her father seeks with the évincer capacity, it organizes with the assistance of the Navarrese a running away aiming at meeting the emperor, to lend the homage to him and to alleviate the tensions. It must take place in December 1355. The king, informed of the plot by Robert de Lorris, convenes his son and Normandy in Apanage entrusts to him to reassure it on its feelings towards him.

Arrest of Charles de Navarre

Jean the Good is informed plot of division of the country, is warped by Charles the Bad one and the English in Avignon, as on a project of assassination relating to it (this objection is acknowledged later by the close relations of Charles de Navarre subjected to the Question what makes the consents not very reliable) and is decided to put it out of state to harm. The April 5th 1356, the dolphin and duke of Normandy invited in its castle of Rouen all the nobility of the province, to start with the count d' Évreux, Charles the Bad one. The festival beats full sound when Jean II emerges the Good, capped of a small basin and the sword with the hand, which comes to seize of Charles the Bad one while howling: How no one does not move if he does not want to be dead of this sword! . At his sides, his/her brother Philippe of Orleans, his son junior Louis by Anjou and his cousins of Artois form a threatening escort. Outside, a hundred riders out of weapons hold the castle. Imprisoned, Navarre gains in popularity; its partisans feel sorry for it and claim his freedom. Normandy thunders and many are the barons who disavow the homage lent to king de France and turn to Edouard III of England. For them, Jean the Good exceeded its rights by stopping a prince with whom it however signed peace. Worse still, this gesture is perceived by the Navarreses like the fact of a king who knows himself illegitimate and hopes to eliminate an adversary whose only wrong is to defend its rights to the crown of France. Philippe de Navarre the brother of Charles the Bad one, sends his challenge to King de France on May 28th, 1356.

War against the English

The battle of Poitiers

The summer of the following year, the Prince Noir reconsiders the French soil for a new plundering campaign. It fails in front of Bourges, but takes Vierzon whose garrison is massacred. Obstructed by the weight of the spoils, its troop obliques then towards the west, then towards Bordeaux while passing by Poitiers. Jean the Good continues it with an army twice more, made up heavy knights, and catches up with it in the surroundings of Poitiers. The battles takes place the September 19th 1356. The stake is more than soldier: it is necessary to regild the blazon of the nobility, largely tarnished since the disaster of Crécy and which moreover is unable to protect the people from English plundering what is however its role in the feudal company. It is in this spirit that it returns the troops sent by the cities to support it: it is to the king and with the nobility to overcome to prove their legitimacy.

Jean II is taken speed by his avant-garde which attacks without any coordination and is made massacre by the English archers cut off safe from hedges. The English cavalry charges the dismounted French knights and secures the victory. The king fights heroically; the cries of its young person wire remained famous: Father, you keep on the right! You keep on the left! . Wounded with the head, it is finally made prisoner with his son. Edouard III has all the charts in hand to negotiate important territorial and financial concessions.

Captivity

The sacrifice of the king saves his crown because it is perceived like heroic in all the kingdom and even by Edouard III or his son Prince Noir. Jean the Good is imprisoned in Bordeaux with all the honors; it can organize a court freely there. In January 1358, Charles de Navarre released is able to seize the power (he is regarded by much as ready to fight the enemy English and more legitimate than the weak dolphin). Seeing the situation evolving to a monarchy controlled with Charles de Navarre at his head, Jean the Good decides précépiter the negotiations even if it means to yield much ground to Edouard III. The negotiations must take place of king with king: he is thus transferred from Bordeaux in London. Its conditions of imprisonment are royal: he is placed with his court of several hundreds of people (close captured with him in Poitiers and others come from their full liking), freedom of circulation in England, lodging with the Hotel of Savoy. He accepts the first treated of London which provides that England recovers the whole of its old possessions of Aquitaine and a ransom of 4 million ecu S without renunciation of the crown of France.

This agreement causes an outcry from which Etienne Marcel, the Prévôt of Paris, will profit to seize the power in Paris. on February 22nd, 1358 it starts a riot and they is 3000 men-at-arms which invades the Palais of the City to face the Dolphin which made assemble an army of a thousand of man to make pressure on the Parisian ones and to prevent its ousting in favor of Charles the Bad. Etienne Marcel makes assassinate under his eyes the chiefs of this army: the Champagne marshal Jean de Conflans and the marshal of Normandy Robert de Clermont. Believer to control the Dolphin which it terrorized it makes appoint Régent and keeps Charles the Bad one away of Paris. But, the Dolphin can assemble the nobility horrified by the murder at the marshals against Etienne Marcel and organizes the seat of the capital. Etienne Marcel against attack by using the jacquerie to make sure of the northern access to the capital which enables him to keep contact with the cities of Flandres and the north to which it is allied. Charles de feeling Navarre évincé by the provost of Paris take again the hand by taking the head of the nobility and by crushing the Jacques. Etienne Marcel has of another choice to only compose with him: He opens to him the doors of Paris and the capacity. But, most of the Nobility does not follow the Navarrese and rejoins the camp of the Dolphin which besieges Paris: an alliance with Etienne Marcel is impossible since the murder of the marshals. Charles de Navarre compensates for these defections by enrôlement of English mercenaries whose presence in Paris déclanche of the riots antianglaises, the news of the arrival of other English troops definitively makes rock the Parisian ones: Etienne Marcel is assassinated and Paris opens its doors with the Regent on August 2nd, 1358. In March 1359, profiting that the capacity seems to escape Jean completely the Good, Edouard III increases his claims and imposes detention conditions less reconciling to him and obtains a second treaty even more constraining:

With the old possessions of Aquitaine of the Plantagenêt, is added all the grounds which have one day belonged to England: the Maine, the Touraine, the Anjou and the Normandy.
the king of England receives the Hommage of the duke of Brittany, thus regulating the war of succession of Brittany in favor of Jean de Montfort, combined of the English.
the ransom of 4 million ecus with a shorter bill book.

That represents more half of the territory and several years of revenues from taxes. To accept these conditions would discredit Valois definitively and would be likely to make sink the Kingdom in a new civil war which would offer to Edouard III the crown on a plate.

The Charles dolphin convenes the General states which scandalized declare the treaty neither passable, nor feasible . This operation makes it possible to clear his/her father and to resolder the country against the English. Edouard III unloads in October 1359 to take Rheims, the city of the Sacre, and to impose on the French knighthood a new defeat which would complete to discredit the capacity. But in agreement with the king and his London entourage (who do not want that the possible death of Edouard III on the battle fields déclanche of the reprisals in their opposition), Charles opposes the tactics of the deserted Ground to him and carries out a war of Escarmouche S refusing any arranged battle. This Chevauchée turns to the fiasco for the English, badgered, famished, deprived with mountings (for lack of fodder). During this time, Norman sailors carry out a raid on the port of Winchelsea (March 1360), starting a panic in England. Insane of rage Edouard III goes up towards Paris, its army making many exactions then: it does not act any more a simple extortion aiming at supplying its men but systematic destruction of all the resources (the vines are torn off, the shot down cattle and any heart which lives massacred). The mercenaries balancing itself on plundering part of the troops remains on Burgundy to plunder there on its account forming the embryo of the Grande company. These exactions involve a sharp resentment against the English. Many these massacres take place during the Lent and the Holy Week and when the English army is decimated by a violent one storm of hail on Monday, April 13, many chroniclers see the hand of God there. Edouard III then decides to negotiate.

Treaty of Brétigny

After the refusal of the second treaty of London, the detention conditions of Jean the Good become gradually less and less less comfortable. In January 1359, Jean the Good is assigned with residence, under the guard of sixty-nine men of guard. Six months later, the king is transferred to the disaster fortress from Somerton then, spring 1360, the Tower of London. The royal party negotiates with goes-quickly on the basis of first treaty of London, whereas the English army is in rout, preventing that this success profits only with the only dolphin. Compared to the first treaty of London, the ransom is brought back from 4 to 3 million ecus, but the conditions are very heavy and the treaty perceived like ashamed.

The treaty puts a term at the four years of captivity to London of Jean the Good , but of the hostages are delivered to guarantee the payment of the ransom, of which most important is undoubtedly its ambassador and adviser: Bonabes IV of Red and Derval.

Edouard III obtains the Guyenne and the Gascogne in all sovereignty, like Calais, the Ponthieu and the Comté of Guînes. He also obtains the Poitou - of which one of wire of the king, Jean, is however count -, the Périgord, the the Limousin, the Angoumois and the Saintonge. Lastly, it becomes sovereign of all the grounds of the count of Armagnac by receiving the Agenais, the Quercy, the Rouergue, the Bigorre and the Comté of Gaure.

On the other hand, Edouard III gives up the duchies of Normandy and Touraine, with the counties of the Maine and of Anjou, and with suzerainty on the Brittany and the Flandres. He especially gives up asserting the crown of France. This treaty aims at defusing all the objections which led to the release of the conflict.

The ransom will be only partially versed and the treated of Brétigny-Calais will not be durable, but it allows a nine years truce during the Guerre One hundred Year old.

Return of Jean the Good

Monetary and tax reforms

Prisoners in London, Jean the Good and his advisers note the benefits of a hard currency. They thus prepare the reforms necessary and Jean the Good frankly creates the , on December 5th, 1360, on the way of the return to Paris. It is about a currency with very strong gold content (3,88 grams of fine gold), being worth a delivers and whose name indicates that it is not a question of a currency to the devaluated title. It shows the king charging with horse in the line line with the chivalrous ideal: the objective is to restore the royal authority by putting an end to the monetary changes which involved many devaluations during all first half of XIVe century. A hard currency constitutes the principal request of the General states, illustrated by the theory worked out by Nicolas Oresme.

Beside the purely economic elements which lead to the decision of the creation of a new currency for the kingdom, the choice of its name, the frankly , is before a whole political gesture, of interior use, to meet the need for national assertion incipient during war the One hundred year old. It is clearly about an evocation of the ascent (partial) franque of French people - this term of Francs in addition also employed to designate the Christian knights left in crusade - and legitimacy of its king (the Rex Francorum ), legitimacy of which defense consitue one of principal the concern of the Valois.

King, even if it must spare the General states which controlled in 1358, does not intend to leave the reins of the capacity and the council is held by the royal party, Guillaume of Melun at the head. It thus applies a policy close to that preached by the General states without however returning accounts to them, nor at the Parliament. After the creation of the Franc, it reduces the number of civils servant, purifies and pressurizes the financial personnel which is very unpopular. The majority of the close relations of the dolphin are évincés and this one turns over to manage its duchy of Normandy.

The kingdom is bled to pay the first payment of the ransom as organized by the dolphin and the General states before the return of Jean the Good . The abandonment of the monetary changes, deprives the State of an important source of incomes. To pay the ransom, the council of the king hopes on the indirect taxation: the ordinance of Compiegne of December 5th, 1360 institutes a tax of 5%, taken on all the exchanges. This choice supports the nobility which is not touched by this tax and more generally the landowners whose incomes are calculated in money of account. On the other hand, the trade, agriculture and industry are penalized hard and the economy is slowed down by this measurement.

Prerogatives

The surface of the royal field posing of the problems of governorship, Jean the Good divides it into principalities which he entrusts to his sons in Apanage. Charles is already agent of the Duché of Normandy, Louis receives the Anjou, Jean the Berry and Philippe the Burgundy. In December 1360, it revokes all royal alienations of the field made since Philippe Beautiful the except those carried out for the benefit of its sons, which makes it possible to bring closer the prerogatives to the family close to the king.

Companies

The economy of the kingdom then is very started by the dealing of the companies, composed of Mercenaire S demobilized by the truce put the kingdom out of regulated cut. Often English or Gascon, they are claimed of king d' Angleterre or Navarre, contributing to anchor a true feeling of anglophobia and to discredit Charles the Bad one. It is true that English and Navarrese often have recourse to their services in the cold war which opposes them to the king de France (Edouard III, in particular, does not hesitate to make work its mercenaries under the Navarrese colors). Thus, Jean Jouël seizes, in his proper name, of the Keep of Rolleboise for the account of Edouard III. Everywhere, they occupy of the fortified towns and hold to ransom the campaigns. Blocking the transportation routes, of which they draw from many profits, they weigh on the exchanges. Many holds to ransom on the valleys of the the Saone and the the Rhone, commercial main axe North-South since the installation of Papacy in Avignon. One tries to buy them, they empochent the tribute without leaving. One tries to take them along to fight outside but they return. One tries to use them the ones against the others. But this strategy turns to the disaster: the royal troops are crushed with Brignais on April 6th, 1362, part of the engaged companies having left the battle field. It is still necessary to pay them the ransom for Guillaume of Melun taken during the battle.

The king moves away from the capacity

Energy of disaster in disaster in a ruined country and to fire and blood, the king seeks an exit door. It plans to reconquer its honor in crusade against the Turks, it receives the cross of Outremer hands of the new pope Urbain V in Avignon on March 30th 1363. But the new pope who has just replaced Innocent VI is very concerned finances of the church and imposes that the ten-per-cent taxes are taken by the bishops them even what removes any hope of appreciation in Jean the Good. Its voyage has another objective: to marry his/her son Philippe Bold the with Jeanne de Naple. It is still a failure that Ci wishing to marry the king Jacques III of Majorque. Finally, it sets out again for London on January 3rd, 1364 to renegotiate the Traité of Brétigny for which it has evil to pay the ransom and the release of the hostages (his/her son Louis of Anjou, wearied to await its release, already fled of London). Before leaving, it at the end of December 1363 joins together the General states with Amiens and their fact share of his decision

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