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- When he came to the throne, England controlled large amounts of territory in France. However John gradually lost this, including Normandy in 1204. This failure damaged John’s reputation. He was nicknamed ‘softsword’ due to the perception that his military leadership was so weak.
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Sep 20, 2018 · King John’s nickname, “Softsword”, entered circulation at the height of his reign, around 1200, and isn’t often regarded as complimentary. Interestingly, however, the monk who reported it, Gervais of Canterbury, implied that the moniker was given to John because he made peace with France.
- 10 Facts About King John
Facing a rebellion in 1202, John launched a surprise...
- 10 Facts About King John
Feb 17, 2011 · The crisis of 1204. John can be credited with both winning and losing his inheritance at least twice over. In both cases, the key lay with the family of Lusignan in Poitou. John's energetic...
Feb 19, 2012 · At the Treaty of Le Goulet in May 1200 he acquired the name Softsword – people couldn't understand why he'd signed away Gisors, parts of Berry, £20,000 and bent his knee to Phillip. On the other hand, John probably felt he'd had a good deal.
John's attempt to defeat Philip in 1214 failed because of the French victory over John's allies at the Battle of Bouvines. When he returned to England, John faced a rebellion by many of his barons, who were unhappy with his fiscal policies and his treatment of many of England's most powerful nobles.
- Early Life
- Rebellion Against Henry II
- Rebellion Against Richard & Succession
- Philip II of France
- Pope Innocent II
- Magna Carta
- Robin Hood
- Barons' War & Death
John was born on 24 December 1167 CE at Oxford, the youngest of four sons born to King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Given no particular inheritance of note, he was nicknamed 'LackLand' meaning he had no lands, although his father did pack him off to Irelandin 1185 CE with the title Lord of Ireland. John, acting as viceroy, managed ...
Richard and his younger brother John challenged their father Henry II in 1188-9 CE. The rebel sons formed an alliance with Philip II, the new King of France (r. 1180-1223 CE). The rebellion was supported by Eleanor of Aquitaine. Losing control of both Maine and Touraine, Henry eventually agreed to peace terms which recognised Richard as his sole he...
While Richard was fighting abroad during the Third Crusade (1189-1192 CE) and then held in captivity by the Holy Roman Emperor, John took the opportunity to try and usurp the throne. The help of Philip II of France did not prove decisive, though, and Richard's able ministers Hubert Walter organised enough resistance to thwart the rebellion. When Ri...
John had married Isabella of Gloucester on 29 August 1189 CE and, obviously partial to the name, married Isabella of Angouleme (a county in Aquitaine) after his first marriage was annulled on 24 August 1200 CE. This second attachment proved troublesome for the English king since the second Isabella had been previously promised to a French count, Hu...
Back in England, King John may not have been talentless but he was certainly managing to make himself one of the most unpopular kings in English history. The next group he upset was officials of the Church after his refusal to endorse Stephen Langton for the post of Archbishop of Canterbury. As Langton was the papal candidate, Pope Innocent III (r....
Upsetting foreigners and the Church was par for the course for most medieval rulers but things really started to go badly for John when he began to upset the powerful barons. The king's heavy taxation to pay for his French campaigns was crippling, even worse, there was no military gain to show for it. Another policy that irked the barons was the ki...
One name that is frequently associated with King John is Robin Hood, the 13th-century legendary outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor in the area of Sherwood Forest, Nottingham. Robin represented the common man, hence his weapon was the bow and not the sword of a medieval knight. Unfortunately for romantics, there probably was no such...
Back to the actual history of John's reign. The king had still not quite grasped the principles of statehood, as shown when he went back on his word and ignored what he had signed in the Magna Carta. Inevitably, the barons sought to rid themselves of their sovereign, they refused to give up their occupation of London, and they invited another candi...
- Mark Cartwright
This failure damaged John’s reputation. He was nicknamed ‘softsword’ due to the perception that his military leadership was so weak. To try and win Normandy back, John needed to raise money.
Oct 23, 2024 · John (born c. 1166—died October 18/19, 1216, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England) was the king of England from 1199 to 1216. In a war with the French king Philip II, he lost Normandy and almost all his other possessions in France. In England, after a revolt of the barons, he was forced to seal the Magna Carta (1215).
