Browse stories

History glossary

Poitiers

the 1356 English victory where Edward the Black Prince captured King John II of France.

Category
Battle
Region
France
Date range
1356

What it means

Poitiers was the battle in 1356 where Edward the Black Prince defeated a larger French army and captured King John II of France. The victory gave England enormous diplomatic leverage and helped lead to the Treaty of Bretigny.

Related terms

Stories using this term

A weekly route through history

Find out first about the latest published stories, feature notes and occasional Premium offers in one weekly email.