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

The haste, then, was perhaps that of inaction, which surrendered the immediate opportunity for the larger, more glorious crown.<ref>>> Pernoud here on Charles' equivocations</ref>

== Road to Rouen ==

Even as Joan led the French army and its King towards Reims for the sacramental coronation of Charles VII, the French minister Georges de La Trémoïlle commenced negotiations with the Burgundian court. The talks advanced enough so that the day after the coronation a formal, fifteen day truce was begun.<ref>See Pernoud, Her Story, p. 72</ref>     

How do we even make sense of this? The English were reeling from Joan's onslaught, and as the French army marched triumphantly to and from the sacred coronation of the French King, the Burgundians faced the logic of an English alliance that was losing its authority among the people. And the French minister proposes Burgundian neutrality? It's hard to see to what advantage de La Trémoïlle was leveraging, much less what was the actual situation being leveraged.

Joan, the chronicler reported, was angry at de Richemont's exclusion. She also wanted the Burgundian Philip the Good himself at the coronation, reminding the Duke in her letter sent the day of the coronation,<ref>Letter of Joan of Arc to the Duke of Burgundy, July 17, 1431 (translation from Pernoud, Her Story, p. 68)</ref>

Joan didn't care about palace back stories and generational resentments. She just wanted to win the war.   

During a lull in the lulls, and at Joan's insistence -- indicative of the authority she yet held -- the Duke of Alençon was finally allowed to organize an attack on Paris, coming on September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God. Joan was at the front. After an all-day assault that induced both panic and expectant enthusiasm within the city, as sundown fell and after she "reached the walls of Paris,<ref>Testimony of Louis de Contes, Murray p. 259.  Historians like to point to witnesses that Joan was in a ditch when she was shot, unable to get over a ditch or a moat. For example, see Barker writes of a description of the event, "The citizen of Paris, who was probably a priest, gave a graphic description in his journal of this ‘creature in the form of a woman, whom they called the Maid – what it was, God only knows’ standing on the edge of the moat with her standard. ‘Surrender to us quickly, in Jesus’ name!’ she shouted to the Parisians: ‘if you don’t surrender before nightfall we shall come in by force whether you like it or not and you will all be killed.’ ‘Shall we, you bloody tart?’ a crossbowman responded and shot her through the leg. Another crossbowman shot her standard-bearer through the foot and, when he lifted his visor so that he could see to take the bolt out, he was shot between the eyes and killed. (Barker, Juliet. Conquest, Kindle Edition) Barker uses this quotation without Joan's own answer to it. During the Rouen Trial, she was asked, "Did you not say before Paris, 'Surrender this town by order of Jesus'?" to which she clarified, "No, but I said, 'Surrender it to the King of France.'" (Murray, p. 73)</ref>" as her page testified, Joan was struck in the thigh by a crossbow bolt.<ref>There is much to be said for Divine protection of Joan in her injuries, here at Paris and at Orléans. While missing vital organs, Joan's wounds were serious and susceptible to infection, etc. She recovered from them all. </ref> Joan told the Rouen court,<ref>Murray, p. 14</ref><blockquote>

Joan was certain about taking Paris. She had warned the English King and his regent, Bedford, in her "[[Joan of Arc letter to the English|Letter to the English]],

<blockquote>After we had arrived at Selles, I went to her lodging to see her, and she called for wine for me and said she would soon have me drink it in Paris.</blockquote>

<blockquote>This thing I cannot tell you truly at present, until I am at rest in Paris or elsewhere ; for I am now too much hindered by affairs of war; '''but when you hear that I am in Paris''', send a message to me and I will inform you in truth whom you should believe, and what I shall know by the counsel of my Righteous and Sovereign Lord, the King of all the World, and of what you should do to the extent of my power.</blockquote>

<blockquote>When you came before Paris, had you revelations from your Voices to go there?</blockquote>

Before leaving St. Denis, where Charles VII had resided during the Paris campaign, Joan presented her complete set of white armor and a seized sword to the altar at the church of Saint Denis, a traditional act of thanks giving by a wounded soldier.<ref>See [https://ia800200.us.archive.org/6/items/joanofarc00moon/joanofarc00moon.pdf Joan of Arc] p. 49</ref> After the King left Saint Denis to the English, they took Joan's armor and likely destroyed it. From there, the usual story is the the King abandoned Joan, while allowing her limited, unsupported military campaigns, which is true. For her part, Joan "feared nothing but treason."<ref>See Joan: Her Story p. 78</ref>  

The French Court ordered her to attack another town in the region, La Charité, which was also fortified, but she was denied additional artillery or funds. Joan was forced to raise her own army for the attack, which was unsuccessful, her first defeat after Paris. It gave the Court further excuse to ignore her and to adhere to the supposed truce with the Duke of Burgundy. Joan's next action was to move north to defend areas that Burgundy had attacked, despite the truce. That Joan knew it was going on means the Court knew it, but the Court deliberately ignored it under the guise of the truce. Whether or not Joan acted with the Court's authority, over which historians have argued uselessly, doesn't matter: they knew, she knew, they all knew the Duke of Burgundy was in violation of the truce. That Joan acted on her own authority or the Kings doesn't matter. What matters is that she went to defend Compiègne, which was under Burgundian and English attack, with few resources and a small force. There Joan was captured, but, as always, standing fast amidst battle, only this time there was no rallying the troops, as they had gone into the city and the gate was closed on her as the Burgundians surrounded her and pulled her from her horse.   

The deception of the examiners shows here, as Joan's assault on Paris preceded the others. In the truce agreed upon just after the July 17 coronation, the Duke of Burgundy agreed to surrender Paris to Armagnac control. He lied, of course, so Charles had to make a show of force. But that's all he wanted.  

As to Joan's<ref>March 13, (Murray p. 74-75)</ref>

<blockquote>After I had had, in the trenches of Melun, revelation that I should be taken, I consulted more often with the Captains of the army ; but I did not tell them I had had any revelation that I should be taken.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Was it well to attack the town of Paris on the day of the Festival of the Nativity of Our Lady?</blockquote>

What matters is that for whatever means, under whatever influence or motive, Charles VII never received the angelic crown Joan had prophesized. He rushed into agreements and truces of no substance, prolonging the war and abandoning Joan to her martyrdom. But what Joan had launched was unstoppable.