John I, Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark (16 February 1419 – 5 September 1481) was Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark.
He was the son of Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and Mary of Burgundy. He was raised in Brussels at the Burgundian court of his uncle Philip the Good He ruled Cleves from 1448 from 1481, and Mark since 1461 after the death of his uncle Gerhard, who had waged war on his own brother.
He fought 3 wars with the Electorate of Cologne and finally defeated Ruprecht of the Palatinate, conquering the cities of Xanten and Soest. In these wars, he was supported by his uncle Philip the Good, bringing Cleves-Mark into the Burgundian sphere of influence.
His marriage with Elisabeth of Nevers, from a sideline of the House of Burgundy, only strengthened this influence.
John was also made in 1451 a Knight in the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece, with which he was depicted by Rogier van der Weyden.
In 1473 he helped the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold conquer the Duchy of Guelders.
On 22 April 1455 he married Elizabeth of Nevers, daughter of John II, Count of Nevers. They had:
| Preceded by Adolph I, Duke of Cleves |
Duke of Cleves 1448 – 1481 |
Succeeded by John II, Duke of Cleves |
| Preceded by Gerhard, Count of Mark |
Count of Mark 1448/de facto 1461 – 1481 |