French military commander and diplomat who played a great part in his country´s final victory over the English in the Hundred Years War.
Jean was the natural son of Louis, duc d`Orléans by his liaison with Mariette d´Enghien.
He entered the service of his cousin the dauphin, the future Charles VII inn 1420 and became his trusted adviser; he was later appointed grand chamberlain.
His first notable success was the defeat of the English at Montargis (1427) and during 1428-29 he defended Orléans until Joan of Arc arrived to raise the siege. He then took part in the Battle of Patay and accompanied Charles to Reims for his coronation. He captured Chartres and Lagny in 1432 and engaged in a series of campaigns culminating in a triumphal entry into Paris in 1436.
He shared in the negotiations with the English at Gravelines (1439) and worked with Charles on the reorganization of the military.
He received the countship of Dunois from his half brother Charles duc d`Orléans and later received the countship of Longueville (1443) from Charles VII.
He helped negotiate the truce of 1444 with the English and in 1447-49 was a member of the embassy sent to persuade the antipope Felix V to abdicate. At the end of the truce he served in the reconquest of Normandy (1449-50) and Guyenne (1451).
Charles VII later entrusted him with the arrest of the duc d`Alençon (Jean II) in 1456 and with measures against the intrigues of the dauphin the future Louis XI. When Louis acceded to the throne Dunois joined the League of the Public Weal against him but he made his peace with him and returned to royal service.
The future ducs de Longueville descended from his marriage to Marie d´Harcourt.
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