The 12th and 13th centuries are the stage for several conflicts between Capetians and Plantagenets. And so the rivalry between the French king, Philippe Auguste, and the English king, John Lackland, was particularly intense. At the beginning of the 13th century, John Lackland is emerging from a series of military setbacks in France. He now controls no more than a tiny portion of the country around Aquitaine. So he gathers together a vast coalition, including notably the Germanic Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV, with the objective of annexing the kingdom of France. Subsequently, the king of France, Philippe Auguste, is surrounded at Bouvines. Otto IV knows that the death of Philippe would signal the end of the young kingdom of France, so he orders his troops to kill him at any price. Thanks to the bravery of his knights, however, the king of France preserves his life and leads the decisive charge. The results? Philippe Auguste carries off a resounding victory at Bouvines. Otto IV flees and loses his crown. John Lackland ceases hostilities and returns to England to save his. The Capetian dynasty emerges strengthened by the event and holds celebrations throughout Paris—the first demonstrations of French national unity. Philippe Auguste’s survival at Bouvines meant the survival of France itself.