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John III

Seal of John III

John III the Pitiless, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing (1374–1425), of the House of Wittelsbach, was first bishop of Liège 1389–1418 and then duke of Bavaria-Straubing and count of Holland and Hainaut 1418–1425.

Biography [edit]

John was the youngest son of Duke Albert I and Margaret of Brieg.
His elder brother was William II of Bavaria, who succeeded their father as Count of Holland, Zeeland and Hainault in 1404.
as the youngest son of three, John was destined for a career in the church. At the age of 15, he became Prince-Bishop of Liège, with the support of Pope Boniface IX. John's rule was a disaster. His authoritarian style clashed with the nobles and burghers of the Prince-Bishopric. He was expelled several times and saw even a counter-bishop being elected. John turned for help to his brother and brother-in-law.

In 1408 a Burgundian army led by his brother-in-law John the Fearless of Burgundy went to the aid of John III against the citizens of Liège, who were in open revolt. On the field of Othée, on 12 September 1408, the men of Liège were decisively defeated, and Burgundian influence was extended over the city and over the bishopric of Liège. The ensuing executions of leading insurgents led to John's nickname "the Pitiless".

When his brother died in 1417 and was succeeded by his daughter Jacqueline as countess of Holland and Hainaut and duchess of Bavaria-Straubing, John the Pitiless, rejected holy orders and surrendered his bishopric. With the aid of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor John III immediately started a civil war against his niece Jacqueline and her husband duke John IV of Brabant. John the Pitiless supported the city of Dordrecht and duke Philip the Good of Burgundy. A siege of Dordrecht was no success in 1419, so John IV of Brabant agreed to start a joint administration with John III. Jacqueline herself as a woman, did not get a share in the political responsibility. John IV of Brabant finally gave up Holland and Hainaut and left the rule to John the Pitiless. John the Pitiless was poisoned in 1425.

His niece Jacqueline went to England in 1421 and married the king's brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester.^[1] She was unable to retain control over Holland and Hainaut much longer after John's death. Bavaria-Straubing was divided between the dukes of Bavaria, the major portion of which went to Bavaria-Munich.

John the Pitiless was known for the rich culture of his court; among the artists he engaged was also Jan van Eyck, from at least 1422 until 1424.

In 1418, John III married Elisabeth, Duchess of Luxembourg, who was then the widow of Antoine, Duke of Brabant. No children came from this marriage.

Ancestors [edit]

See also [edit]

• Counts of Hainaut family tree

v t e Monarchs of Luxembourg   Counts of Luxembourg (963–1354) Elder House of Luxembourg (963–1136) Siegfried (963–998) Henry I (998–1026) Henry II (1026–1047) Giselbert (1047–1059) Conrad I (1059–1086) Henry III (1086–1096) William I (1096–1131) Conrad II (1131–1136) House of Namur (1136–1189) Henry IV (1136–1189) House of Hohenstaufen (1196–1197) Otto (1196–1197) House of Namur (1197–1247) Ermesinde (1197–1247), with Theobald (1197–1214), and then Waleran (1214–1226) House of Limburg (1247–1354) Henry V (1247–1281) Henry VI (1281–1288) Henry VII (1288–1313) John I (1313–1346) Charles I (1346–1353) Wenceslaus I (1353–1354)   Dukes of Luxembourg (1354–1794) House of Limburg (1354–1443) Wenceslaus I (1354–1383) Wenceslaus II (1383–1388) Jobst (1388–1411) Elisabeth (1411–1443) with Anthony (1411–1415), and then John II (1418–1425) House of Valois-Burgundy (1443–1482) Philip I (1443–1467) Charles II (1467–1477) Mary I (1477–1482) and Maximilian I (1477–1482) House of Habsburg (1482–1700) Philip II (1482–1506) Charles III (1506–1556) Philip III (1556–1598) Isabella Clara Eugenia (1598–1621) and Albert (1598–1621) Philip IV (1621–1665) Charles IV (1665–1700) House of Bourbon (1700–1712) Philip V (1700–1712) House of Wittelsbach (1712–1713) Maximilian II (1712–1713) House of Habsburg (1713–1780) Charles V (1713–1740) Mary II (1740–1780) House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1780–1794) Joseph (1780–1790) Leopold (1790–1792) Francis (1792–1794)   Grand Dukes of Luxembourg (since 1815) House of Orange-Nassau (1815–1890) William I (1815–1840) William II (1840–1849) William III (1849–1890) House of Nassau-Weilburg (since 1890) Adolphe (1890–1905) William IV (1905–1912) Marie-Adélaïde (1912–1919) Charlotte (1919–1964) Jean (1964–2000) Henri (since 2000)

References [edit]

1. ^ Alfred H.Burne, "The Hundred Years War" (1st ed., 1955; Folio Society 2005), 371-2

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