Charles V the Wise (apr 10, 1364 – apr 16, 1380)

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son of Jean II and Bonne of Bohemia. Charles became regent of France when his father John II was captured by the English at Poitiers in 1356. Charles overcame several problems and rebellions, but in order to liberate his father, he had to conclude the Treaty of Brétigny in 1360, in which he abandoned large portions of south-western France to Edward III and agreed to pay a huge ransom. With the help of talented advisers known as the Marmousets, his skillful management of the kingdom allowed him to replenish the royal treasury and to restore the prestige of the House of Valois. He established the first permanent army paid with regular wages. The army helped turn the tide of the war to Charles' advantage, and by the end of Charles' reign, they had reconquered almost all the territories ceded to the English in 1360.
He also began the transformation of the Louvre from Philippe II Auguste's fortress to a royal residence.
He was succeeded by his 11-year-old son, Charles VI. Charles' brothers (Louis of Anjou, John of Berry, and Philippe the Bold of Burgundy), who dominated the regency council that ruled in the king's name until 1388, quarrelled among themselves, and divided the government. Charles VI, meanwhile, preferred tournaments to the duties of kingship, and his descent into madness in 1392 put his uncles back in power. By 1419, the country was divided between Armagnac and Burgundian factions and Henry V was conquering the northern part of France.

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