John III, Duke of Bavaria

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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

Holland, gold florin or 'Beiersgulden' with St John the Baptist, struck 1421-1422 by John of Bavaria.

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. His sister was Margaret of Bavaria, who married in 1385 with John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy.

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 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. 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.

With the aid of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, who was his wife's uncle, 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 in 1419 was unsuccessful, 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.

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; Jan van Eyck was among the artists he engaged, from at least 1422 until 1424.

John the Pitiless was poisoned in 1425.

Ancestors

Family of John III, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
16. Otto II, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
17. Agnes of the Palatinate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
18. Rudolph I of Germany
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9. Matilda of Habsburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Gertrude of Hohenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Albert I, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
20. John II, Count of Hainaut
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10. William I, Count of Hainaut
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
21. Philippa of Luxembourg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Margaret II, Countess of Hainault
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
22. Charles of Valois
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
11. Joan of Valois
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
23. Margaret, Countess of Anjou
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. John III, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
24. Casimir I of Poland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Bolesław III the Generous
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
25. Maria Dobroniega of Kiev
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. Ludwik I the Fair
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
26. Wenceslaus II of Bohemia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
13. Margaret of Bohemia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27. Judith of Habsburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Margaret of Brieg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28. Henry III, Duke of Głogów
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14. Henry IV the Faithful
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29. Matilda of Brunswick-Lüneburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. Agnes of Głogów
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30. Herman, Margrave of Brandenburg-Salzwedel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
15. Matilda of Brandenburg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
31. Anne of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also

John of Bavaria-Hainaut
Born: 1374 in Le Quesnoy Died: 6 January 1425 in The Hague
Regnal titles
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Prince-Bishop of Liège
as John VI

1389–1418
Succeeded by
John of Wallenrode
Regnal titles
Preceded by Duke of Bavaria-Straubing
as John III

1417–1425
Succeeded by
Ernest
Count of Hainaut, Holland and Zeeland
as John III

1417–1425
Succeeded by
Jacqueline

References

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