John the Fearless

John the Fearless
Copy of an original from c. 1415 by Rogier van der Weyden
Duke of Burgundy
Reign	27 April 1404 – 10 September 1419
Predecessor	Philip II
Successor	Philip III
Born	28 May 1371 Ducal palace, Dijon, Burgundy
Died	10 September 1419 (aged 48) Montereau, France
Burial	Champmol, Dijon
Spouse	Margaret of Bavaria ​ (m. 1385)​
Issue more...	Margaret, Dauphine of France Mary, Duchess of Cleves Philip III, Duke of Burgundy Anne, Duchess of Bedford Agnes, Duchess of Bourbon
House	Valois-Burgundy
Father	Philip the Bold
Mother	Margaret III, Countess of Flanders
Signature

John I (French: Jean sans Peur ; Dutch: Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 1371 – 10 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his assassination in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs during the early 15th century,^[1] particularly in the struggles to rule the country for the mentally ill King Charles VI, his cousin, and the Hundred Years' War with England. A rash, ruthless and unscrupulous politician,^[1] John murdered the King'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 culminated in his own assassination in 1419.

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

John played an important role in the development of gunpowder artillery in European warfare, making extensive and successful use of it in his military campaigns.^[2]