Saint Joan of Arc (Jeanne la Pucelle): Difference between revisions

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The standard historical explanation that we encounter is that La Trémoïlle and the Archbishop of Reims, Regnault de Chartres, came to resent Joan out of jealousy, or sexist resentment, or something, and so worked against her, whether that be to French advantage or not. I don't see it.

The Bishop sponsored the inquiry into Joan at Poitiers that recommended to the king that she be sent with an army to Orléans. There she proved herself real, and the entire country was awed and amazed, including one rather complicated figure, ~~Artur~~ III de Richemont, of Brittany<ref>De Richemont, Artur III, was from Brittany, which had an identity distinct from England and France, although it was geographically and thereby more largely tied to France. The name "Richemont" was a francophone version of the English "Richmond," so even in the name we can see the crossed identities.</ref>, who had fought for the French at Agincourt, subsequently switched to the English side, and then got kicked out from the French court;

The Bishop sponsored the inquiry into Joan at Poitiers that recommended to the king that she be sent with an army to Orléans. There she proved herself real, and the entire country was awed and amazed, including one rather complicated figure, Arthur III de Richemont, of Brittany<ref>De Richemont, Artur III, was from Brittany, which had an identity distinct from England and France, although it was geographically and thereby more largely tied to France. The name "Richemont" was a francophone version of the English "Richmond," so even in the name we can see the crossed identities.</ref>, who had fought for the French at Agincourt, subsequently switched to the English side, and then got kicked out from the French court. Making it even more complicated, after his father died his mother married Henry IV of England, becoming Queen Dowager at Henry V's court. And, de Richemont was married to a daughter of John the Feearless, Duke of Burgundy. Both inspired by Joan's miracle at Orléans, and recognizing the opportunity, de Richemont raised an army of a thousand and marched to the Loire to fight alongside her. After Joan cleared out that river valley, the King and all his ministers marched with her to Reims without hesitation or doubt.

. inspired by Joan's miracle at Orléans, or recognizing an opportunity ~~-- or both~~, de Richemont raised an army of a thousand and marched to the Loire to fight alongside her. After Joan cleared out that river valley, the King and all his ministers marched with her to Reims without hesitation or doubt.

We must recall that the Burgundian state was in part a fief of France and part of the Holy Roman Empire. And, Burgundian Flanders was technically a French fief but in practice was ruled outright by the Duke.<ref>We can think of Flanders as a French "fief" -- land granted to a lord, but whose "vassal," its feudal ruler, was not obligated to serve the French King. By distinction, the Duchy of Burgundy itself and its Duke were both fief and vassal. Flanders was in the 9th century originally part of West Francia (a divided portion of Charlemagne's empire), which became the Kingdom of France.</ref> As they extended their holdings, the dukes of Burgundy, though French themselves, saw themselves more and more lords of an autonomous state. Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy of Joan's time, had greatly expanded Burgundian Flanders, which neither the English nor the French could claim. It really didn't matter to Philip whether the King of France was English or French; what mattered was the given advantage. By 1429, the assassination of the Duke's father ten years before had become as much an opportunity as a rationale for his war against the Armagnacs for which the alliance with the English proved most useful.<ref>Certainly the Duke held on to his resentment over the assassination of his father, but it served as an effective instrument of point of negotiation. Burgundy's recognition of Charles VII in the 1435 Treaty of Arras came in exchange for Charles VII's disavowal of participation in and prosecution of those who perpetrated it. More importantly, he got significant land and vassalage concessions, and had to give up very little land himself.</ref>

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As soon as I knew that my Voices were for the King of France, I loved the Burgundians no more. The Burgundians will have war unless they do what they ought; I know it by my Voice. </blockquote>

Having welcomed de Richemont to the fight, Joan struck at the heart of La Trémoïlle's -- and Charles VII's -- feudal designs. De Richemont's entry meant war, not compromise. Joan knew it so. She was sent to save "France" and not "feudal France," and so rejected a diplomatic settlement with the Burgundians, which we see in her recollection of a conversation with the reputed mystic Catherine de la Rochelle, who wanted to meet the Duke of Burgundy to "make peace":<ref>From the Trial of Rehabilitation, Murray, p. 53</ref> <blockquote>I told her it seemed to me that peace would be found only at the end of the lance. </blockquote>While undermined by the French court in her continued war against the English and the Burgundians, Joan was right. After her death in 1431, her compatriot warriors, the Duc d'Alençon, La Hire<ref>He was captured by the Burgundians in 1430 but escaped or was ransomed soon after.</ref>, Jean Dunois and, of course, Artur de Richemont, carried on the fight, raiding northern France, liberating towns, raising alarms, and menacing English and Burgundian holds. The raids challenged the alliance and opened the opportunity for the Congress of Arras that realigned the Burgundians to the French, and which was engineered by de Richemont himself. Absent the pressure of warfare that Joan brought on, there was no need for the English and the Burgundians to enter into the Congress of Arras in the first place.

Having welcomed de Richemont to the fight, Joan struck at the heart of La Trémoïlle's -- and Charles VII's -- feudal designs. De Richemont's entry meant war, not compromise. Joan knew it so. She was sent to save "France" and not "feudal France," and so rejected a diplomatic settlement with the Burgundians, which we see in her recollection of a conversation with the reputed mystic Catherine de la Rochelle, who wanted to meet the Duke of Burgundy to "make peace":<ref>From the Trial of Rehabilitation, Murray, p. 53</ref> <blockquote>I told her it seemed to me that peace would be found only at the end of the lance. </blockquote>While undermined by the French court in her continued war against the English and the Burgundians, Joan was right. After her death in 1431, her compatriot warriors, the Duc d'Alençon, La Hire<ref>He was captured by the Burgundians in 1430 but escaped or was ransomed soon after.</ref>, Jean Dunois and, of course, Artur de Richemont,<ref>His efforts were complicated by alliances of his brother, the Duke of Brittany, that at one point in the 1430s required de Richemont to fight briefly alongside the English.</ref> carried on the fight, raiding northern France, liberating towns, raising alarms, and menacing English and Burgundian holds. The raids challenged the alliance and opened the opportunity for the Congress of Arras that realigned the Burgundians to the French, and which was engineered by de Richemont himself. Absent the pressure of warfare that Joan brought on, there was no need for the English and the Burgundians to enter into the Congress of Arras in the first place.

Historians have recognized this aspect of Joan's influence upon events, especially in the re-militarization of France under de Richemont after he expelled La Trémoïlle from the French court. Arriving with his soldiers to Jargeau was his first ploy to regain power as Constable of France. By welcoming him, and forcing the general, d'Alençons, to accept his presence, it was Joan who put into place the dynamics that would lead to the reconciliation of Burgundy with France four years after her death. Yet long before the final defeat of the English, it was a key turning point, if not as important as Orléans and the crowning of Charles at Reims, the contingent events that allowed all the rest to happen.

La Trémoïlle and de Richemont's mutual history and animosities were large. Both ~~were a piece of work. Both sided with the Armagnac cause, and both~~ fought at Agincourt were captured there by the English. La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was held for five years, after which he joined the English cause. He convinced his brother, the Duke of Brittany, to join the Burgundians in support of the English at the 1420 Treaty of Troyes. The English rewarded de Richemont, but with a title and not a command, so, frustrated at the sidelining, he returned to the French court, where he brought his brother back into the Armagnac fold in a treaty with Charles VII. At the French court, de Richemont worked with Trémoïlle to oust the top court minister, Pierre de Giac,<ref>See [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-de-La-Tremoille?utm_source=chatgpt.com Georges de La Trémoille | Military Commander, Courtier, Diplomat | Britannica] which states that after kidnapping and drowning Giac, La Trémoïlle married the guy's widow.</ref> but things fell apart in 1427 when La Trémoïlle, having taken over from Giac, turned on de Richemont, in part because of his volatile personality, and part because de Richemont's brother had been forced into signing a truce with the English, which was seen as a betrayal by the French, and thus the the severe ~~animosities between~~ them. In 1433, de Richemont took revenge upon La Trémoïlle, and had him kidnapped and ransomed ~~with the~~ pledge to stay out of the French Court. But there's more: turns out that La Trémoïlle had previously spent a couple years serving the Burgundians before rejoining the Armagnacs and Dauphin Charles in 1413, and de Richemont was married to a daughter of John the Fearless. Amidst the oscillating alliances and defections stood John the Fearless, the Duke of Burgundy, who had an informal understanding of mutual support with de Richemont's brother, the Duke of Brittany. Burgundy knew these characters well, and so after Joan's death, the Duke offered de Richemont lands that belonged to La Trémoïlle , in exchange for his loyalty,

La Trémoïlle and de Richemont's mutual history and animosities were large. Both fought at Agincourt and were captured there by the English. La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was held for five years, after which he joined the English cause, indicating either a conversion or, more likely, a deal. He convinced his brother, the Duke of Brittany, to join the Burgundians in support of the English at the 1420 Treaty of Troyes. The English rewarded de Richemont, but with a title and not a high command, so, frustrated at the sidelining, he returned to the French court, where he brought his brother back into the Armagnac fold in a treaty with Charles VII. De Richemont was married to a daughter of John the Fearless.

At the French court, de Richemont worked with La Trémoïlle to oust the top court minister, Pierre de Giac,<ref>See [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-de-La-Tremoille?utm_source=chatgpt.com Georges de La Trémoille | Military Commander, Courtier, Diplomat | Britannica] which states that after kidnapping and drowning Giac, La Trémoïlle married the guy's widow.</ref> but things fell apart in 1427 when La Trémoïlle, having taken over from Giac, turned on de Richemont, in part because of his volatile personality, and part because de Richemont's brother had been forced into signing a truce with the English, which was seen as a betrayal by the French, and thus the the severe animosity against them. In 1433, de Richemont took revenge upon La Trémoïlle, and had him kidnapped and ransomed for money and a pledge to stay out of the French Court. Amidst the oscillating alliances and defections stood John the Fearless, the Duke of Burgundy, who had an informal understanding of mutual support with de Richemont's brother, the Duke of Brittany. Burgundy knew these characters well, and so after Joan's death, the Duke offered de Richemont lands that belonged to La Trémoïlle , in exchange for his loyalty,

>>here

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 The standard historical explanation that we encounter is that La Trémoïlle and the Archbishop of Reims, Regnault de Chartres, came to resent Joan out of jealousy, or sexist resentment, or something, and so worked against her, whether that be to French advantage or not. I don't see it.
-The Bishop sponsored the inquiry into Joan at Poitiers that recommended to the king that she be sent with an army to Orléans. There she proved herself real, and the entire country was awed and amazed, including one rather complicated figure, Artur III de Richemont, of Brittany<ref>De Richemont, Artur III, was from Brittany, which had an identity distinct from England and France, although it was geographically and thereby more largely tied to France. The name "Richemont" was a francophone version of the English "Richmond," so even in the name we can see the crossed identities.</ref>, who had fought for the French at Agincourt, subsequently switched to the English side, and then got kicked out from the French court;
+The Bishop sponsored the inquiry into Joan at Poitiers that recommended to the king that she be sent with an army to Orléans. There she proved herself real, and the entire country was awed and amazed, including one rather complicated figure, Arthur III de Richemont, of Brittany<ref>De Richemont, Artur III, was from Brittany, which had an identity distinct from England and France, although it was geographically and thereby more largely tied to France. The name "Richemont" was a francophone version of the English "Richmond," so even in the name we can see the crossed identities.</ref>, who had fought for the French at Agincourt, subsequently switched to the English side, and then got kicked out from the French court. Making it even more complicated, after his father died his mother married Henry IV of England, becoming Queen Dowager at Henry V's court. And, de Richemont was married to a daughter of John the Feearless, Duke of Burgundy.  Both inspired by Joan's miracle at Orléans, and recognizing the opportunity, de Richemont raised an army of a thousand and marched to the Loire to fight alongside her. After Joan cleared out that river valley, the King and all his ministers marched with her to Reims without hesitation or doubt.
-. inspired by Joan's miracle at Orléans, or recognizing an opportunity -- or both, de Richemont raised an army of a thousand and marched to the Loire to fight alongside her. After Joan cleared out that river valley, the King and all his ministers marched with her to Reims without hesitation or doubt.
 We must recall that the Burgundian state was in part a fief of France and part of the Holy Roman Empire. And, Burgundian Flanders was technically a French fief but in practice was ruled outright by the Duke.<ref>We can think of Flanders as a French "fief" -- land granted to a lord, but whose "vassal," its feudal ruler, was not obligated to serve the French King. By distinction, the Duchy of Burgundy itself and its Duke were both fief and vassal. Flanders was in the 9th century originally part of West Francia (a divided portion of Charlemagne's empire), which became the Kingdom of France.</ref> As they extended their holdings, the dukes of Burgundy, though French themselves, saw themselves more and more lords of an autonomous state. Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy of Joan's time, had greatly expanded Burgundian Flanders, which neither the English nor the French could claim. It really didn't matter to Philip whether the King of France was English or French; what mattered was the given advantage. By 1429, the assassination of the Duke's father ten years before had become as much an opportunity as a rationale for his war against the Armagnacs for which the alliance with the English proved most useful.<ref>Certainly the Duke held on to his resentment over the assassination of his father, but it served as an effective instrument of point of negotiation. Burgundy's recognition of Charles VII in the 1435 Treaty of Arras came in exchange for Charles VII's disavowal of participation in and prosecution of those who perpetrated it. More importantly, he got significant land and vassalage concessions, and had to give up very little land himself.</ref>
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 As soon as I knew that my Voices were for the King of France, I loved the Burgundians no more. The Burgundians will have war unless they do what they ought; I know it by my Voice.    </blockquote>
-Having welcomed de Richemont to the fight, Joan struck at the heart of La Trémoïlle's -- and Charles VII's -- feudal designs. De Richemont's entry meant war, not compromise. Joan knew it so. She was sent to save "France" and not "feudal France," and so rejected a diplomatic settlement with the Burgundians, which we see in her recollection of a conversation with the reputed mystic Catherine de la Rochelle, who wanted to meet the Duke of Burgundy to "make peace":<ref>From the Trial of Rehabilitation, Murray, p. 53</ref>    <blockquote>I told her it seemed to me that peace would be found only at the end of the lance.   </blockquote>While undermined by the French court in her continued war against the English and the Burgundians, Joan was right. After her death in 1431, her compatriot warriors, the Duc d'Alençon, La Hire<ref>He was captured by the Burgundians in 1430 but escaped or was ransomed soon after.</ref>, Jean Dunois and, of course, Artur de Richemont, carried on the fight, raiding northern France, liberating towns, raising alarms, and menacing English and Burgundian holds. The raids challenged the alliance and opened the opportunity for the Congress of Arras that realigned the Burgundians to the French, and which was engineered by de Richemont himself. Absent the pressure of warfare that Joan brought on, there was no need for the English and the Burgundians to enter into the Congress of Arras in the first place.
+Having welcomed de Richemont to the fight, Joan struck at the heart of La Trémoïlle's -- and Charles VII's -- feudal designs. De Richemont's entry meant war, not compromise. Joan knew it so. She was sent to save "France" and not "feudal France," and so rejected a diplomatic settlement with the Burgundians, which we see in her recollection of a conversation with the reputed mystic Catherine de la Rochelle, who wanted to meet the Duke of Burgundy to "make peace":<ref>From the Trial of Rehabilitation, Murray, p. 53</ref>    <blockquote>I told her it seemed to me that peace would be found only at the end of the lance.   </blockquote>While undermined by the French court in her continued war against the English and the Burgundians, Joan was right. After her death in 1431, her compatriot warriors, the Duc d'Alençon, La Hire<ref>He was captured by the Burgundians in 1430 but escaped or was ransomed soon after.</ref>, Jean Dunois and, of course, Artur de Richemont,<ref>His efforts were complicated by alliances of his brother, the Duke of Brittany, that at one point in the 1430s required de Richemont to fight briefly alongside the English.</ref> carried on the fight, raiding northern France, liberating towns, raising alarms, and menacing English and Burgundian holds. The raids challenged the alliance and opened the opportunity for the Congress of Arras that realigned the Burgundians to the French, and which was engineered by de Richemont himself. Absent the pressure of warfare that Joan brought on, there was no need for the English and the Burgundians to enter into the Congress of Arras in the first place.
 Historians have recognized this aspect of Joan's influence upon events, especially in the re-militarization of France under de Richemont after he expelled La Trémoïlle from the French court. Arriving with his soldiers to Jargeau was his first ploy to regain power as Constable of France. By welcoming him, and forcing the general, d'Alençons, to accept his presence, it was Joan who put into place the dynamics that would lead to the reconciliation of Burgundy with France four years after her death. Yet long before the final defeat of the English, it was a key turning point, if not as important as Orléans and the crowning of Charles at Reims, the contingent events that allowed all the rest to happen.
-La Trémoïlle and de Richemont's mutual history and animosities were large. Both were a piece of work. Both sided with the Armagnac cause, and both fought at Agincourt were captured there by the English. La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was held for five years, after which he joined the English cause. He convinced his brother, the Duke of Brittany, to join the Burgundians in support of the English at the 1420 Treaty of Troyes. The English rewarded de Richemont, but with a title and not a command, so, frustrated at the sidelining, he returned to the French court, where he brought his brother back into the Armagnac fold in a treaty with Charles VII. At the French court, de Richemont worked with Trémoïlle to oust the top court minister, Pierre de Giac,<ref>See [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-de-La-Tremoille?utm_source=chatgpt.com Georges de La Trémoille | Military Commander, Courtier, Diplomat | Britannica] which states that after kidnapping and drowning Giac, La Trémoïlle married the guy's widow.</ref> but things fell apart in 1427 when La Trémoïlle, having taken over from Giac, turned on de Richemont, in part because of his volatile personality, and part because de Richemont's brother had been forced into signing a truce with the English, which was seen as a betrayal by the French, and thus the the severe animosities between them. In 1433, de Richemont took revenge upon La Trémoïlle, and had him kidnapped and ransomed with the pledge to stay out of the French Court. But there's more: turns out that La Trémoïlle had previously spent a couple years serving the Burgundians before rejoining the Armagnacs and Dauphin Charles in 1413, and de Richemont was married to a daughter of John the Fearless. Amidst the oscillating alliances and defections stood John the Fearless, the Duke of Burgundy, who had an informal understanding of mutual support with de Richemont's brother, the Duke of Brittany. Burgundy knew these characters well, and so after Joan's death, the Duke offered de Richemont lands that belonged to La Trémoïlle , in exchange for his loyalty,
+La Trémoïlle and de Richemont's mutual history and animosities were large. Both fought at Agincourt and were captured there by the English. La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was held for five years, after which he joined the English cause, indicating either a conversion or, more likely, a deal. He convinced his brother, the Duke of Brittany, to join the Burgundians in support of the English at the 1420 Treaty of Troyes. The English rewarded de Richemont, but with a title and not a high command, so, frustrated at the sidelining, he returned to the French court, where he brought his brother back into the Armagnac fold in a treaty with Charles VII. De Richemont was married to a daughter of John the Fearless.
+At the French court, de Richemont worked with La Trémoïlle to oust the top court minister, Pierre de Giac,<ref>See [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-de-La-Tremoille?utm_source=chatgpt.com Georges de La Trémoille | Military Commander, Courtier, Diplomat | Britannica] which states that after kidnapping and drowning Giac, La Trémoïlle married the guy's widow.</ref> but things fell apart in 1427 when La Trémoïlle, having taken over from Giac, turned on de Richemont, in part because of his volatile personality, and part because de Richemont's brother had been forced into signing a truce with the English, which was seen as a betrayal by the French, and thus the the severe animosity against them. In 1433, de Richemont took revenge upon La Trémoïlle, and had him kidnapped and ransomed for money and a pledge to stay out of the French Court. Amidst the oscillating alliances and defections stood John the Fearless, the Duke of Burgundy, who had an informal understanding of mutual support with de Richemont's brother, the Duke of Brittany. Burgundy knew these characters well, and so after Joan's death, the Duke offered de Richemont lands that belonged to La Trémoïlle , in exchange for his loyalty,
 >>here