ORDER OF BATTLE // September 19, 1356
Battle of Poitiers
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 20,000–22,000 estimated
England
6,000
Medium-confidence figure
France
14,000–16,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Poitiers, fought near Poitiers in western France on 19 September 1356, was a significant English victory during the Hundred Years' War. A French force of 14,000 to 16,000 men under King John II attacked an Anglo-Gascon army of roughly 6,000 under Edward, the Black Prince, and suffered approximately 4,500 casualties. The engagement stands alongside other major Anglo-French battles of the period as an instance in which a substantially larger French force was defeated by a smaller English-led army holding a prepared defensive position. The capture or death of French commanders and the scale of French losses imposed both military and political costs on the French crown at a critical phase of the war.
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