England won the Battle of Poitiers on 19 September 1356, one of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War. Edward the Black Prince, badly outnumbered, held a strong position and let his longbowmen break wave after wave of French attacks.
The king taken prisoner
King John II of France and his young son Philip were taken prisoner on the field and held in England. France paid a huge price under the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360.1
Our article on the Battle of Poitiers covers the battle and its aftermath. › Battle of Poitiers, 1356
Also on this day
1870: Siege of Paris. After the French defeat at Sedan, Prussian-led German armies surrounded Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was the Battle of Poitiers?
It was fought on 19 September 1356 at Nouaillé-Maupertuis, near Poitiers in west-central France, during the Hundred Years' War.
Who won the Battle of Poitiers in 1356?
England. Edward the Black Prince's outnumbered Anglo-Gascon army routed the French and captured their king, John II.
Was the French king really captured at Poitiers?
Yes. King John II of France and his young son Philip were taken prisoner on the field and held in England.
Notes
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