John the Fearless

John I the Fearless (French: Jean sans Peur; Dutch: Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 1371 — 10 September 1419) was a inheritor of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until he was killed. He played a key role in French national affairs during the early 15th century, particularly in his struggle to remove the mentally-ill King Charles VI and during the Hundred Years' War against the England.

A rash, ruthless and unrespective politician, John murdered Charles's brother, the Duke of Orléans, in an attempt to gain control of the government, which led to the eruption of the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War in France and in turn resulted in his own assassination in 1419.

The involvement of Charles, the heir to the French throne, in his assassination prompted John's son and heir Philip to seek an alliance with the English. That resulted bringing the Hundred Years' War to its final phase.

John was a son of Philip II "the Bold", the Duke of Burgundy and son of John II of France. In 1404, he became the Duke himself after his father died, and when he got assassinated in 1419, he was succeeded by his third child and first son, Philip.

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Category:1371 births
Category:1419 deaths
Category:Monarchs in Europe
Category:House of Valois
Category:14th century in France