John II of France (The Kalmar Union)

John II was King of France for 24 years in the late 14th century. France spent his reign in a blur of wars.

Hugh II died suddenly in 1364 and the six-year old John was proclaimed king. Whilst officially he was Louis XI's second son, it was a widely believed rumour that he was actually the love-child of Catherine of Vienne and her presumed lover, Nicole de Mézières. And not only that but rumours that the legitimate Hugh II was murdered to place the illegitimate John on the throne gained traction too. This played into the hands of France's enemies; Henry II of Anglia, who's wife Jeanne was John's elder half-sister, and had a decent claim to the throne; and also Emperor Olaf, eager to fold Francia back into the Holy Roman Empire.

Presumed invasion from Anglia's continental properties would never materialise; Henry II was soon fighting for his own throne at home but the preparations John's loyal nobles made served them well when Olaf III sent an army in 1366. Meant as a show of force to peacefully get John's fealty the German imperial army was in reality overawed by the well-rested French. Olaf would revisit the situation in time but for now he concentrated on Italian affairs.

Outwardly safe France could indulge in a civil war between those nobles supporting John's legitimacy and those who didn't, those who didn't soon found support from Champagne and Bar too.

A marriage to the Castilian infanta Joanna was arranged to shore up John's royal pedigree and, (hopefully) produce an heir as soon as possible. Whilst this helped John's standing it was not a diplomatic masterstroke. An alliance between France and Castile irked Aragon *and* France's nominal ally within Francia, Aquitaine. Plus Castile was fairly insular, it didn't appear to be interested in anything going on outside the Iberian peninsula and in fact was about to descend into civil war

Despite a unceasing litany of conflict he left France in a good state on his death in 1388. He was succeeded by his son Philip IV.