John II of France

John II, called John the Good, was King of France from 1350 until his death in 1364. When he came to power, France faced several disasters: the Black Death, which killed between a third and a half of its population; popular revolts known as the Jacqueries; free companies of routiers who plundered the country; and English aggression during the Hundred Years' War that resulted in catastrophic military losses, including the Battle of Poitiers of 1356, in which John was captured. While John was a prisoner in London, his son Charles became regent and faced several rebellions, which he overcame. To liberate his father, he concluded the Treaty of Bretigny in 1360, by which France lost many territories and paid an enormous ransom. John was released from captivity to raise funds for his ransom, and when he was informed that a hostage in his place had escaped, he voluntarily returned to captivity in England, where he died in 1364.