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

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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 coronation, the French ~~Minister,~~ Georges La Trémoïlle commenced negotiations with the Burgundian court. The talks advanced enough so that the day after the coronation ~~of Charles VII~~ a formal, fifteen day truce was begun. ~~The country~~ was Charles' for the taking, ~~including~~ Paris~~, but only~~ now, not later. Instead, The newly crowned Charles VII preferred the adulation of villages along a march towards but not into Paris to actually entering Paris. ~~Charles VII and his ministers had ceded authority over the war to their enemies.~~

Even as Joan led the French army and its King towards Reims for the formal coronation of Charles VII, the French minister Georges 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. France was Charles' for the taking, if not immediately the English-held Normandy, certainly Paris. But now, not later. Instead, The newly crowned Charles VII preferred the adulation of villages along a slow march towards but not into Paris to actually entering Paris.

~~How do we even make sense of this? The English were reeling, the Burgundians were facing the logic of an English alliance that was about to fall apart,~~ and ~~the French army~~ had ~~marched triumphantly towards~~ the ~~sacred coronation of the French King. And the French minister proposes peace? At best, La Trémoïlle was leveraging the situation for French advantage~~. ~~But for what?~~

Charles VII and his ministers had ceded authority over the war to their enemies.

The simple rationale is that he ~~hated~~ Joan and so worked against her, whether that be to French advantage or not. ~~Rather~~, ~~it seems that~~ La Trémoïlle hated Arthur de Richemont more than he loved France, and was willing to sacrifice France so long as de Richemont was fighting ~~alongside~~ the ~~Maid --~~ who had welcomed him to the fight at Jargeau. ~~Their~~ mutual history was long. Both de Richemont and La Trémoïlle were captured at Agincourt, so who knows what went on there. All we know is that La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was not ~~released for~~ five years. ~~When~~ de Richemont ~~returned~~ to the French court, La Trémoïlle engineered his dismissal, whereupon de Richemont turned to the English. But there's more: turns out that La Trémoïlle had previously spent a couple years serving the Burgundians before rejoining the Armagnac court of the Dauphin Charles.

How do we even make sense of this? The English were reeling from Joan's onslaught, the Burgundians were facing the logic of an English alliance that was about to fall apart, and the French army had marched triumphantly towards the sacred coronation of the French King. And the French minister proposes Burgundian neutrality? It's hard to see to what advantage La Trémoïlle was leveraging the situation.

The simple, usual rationale is that he and the Bishop of Reims came, through jealousy or whatever, to resent Joan and so worked against her, whether that be to French advantage or not. More logically, La Trémoïlle hated Arthur de Richemont more than he loved France, and he was willing to sacrifice France so long as de Richemont was fighting for the French, which implicated Joan who had welcomed him to the fight at Jargeau.

The mutual history was long. Both de Richemont and La Trémoïlle were captured at Agincourt, so who knows what went on there. All we know is that La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was not, having to wait five years. And when de Richemont did return to the French court, La Trémoïlle engineered his dismissal, whereupon de Richemont turned to the English.<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> But there's more: turns out that La Trémoïlle had previously spent a couple years serving the Burgundians before rejoining the Armagnac court of the Dauphin Charles.

Worse, Charles VII himself hated de Richemont and refused to allow his presence, which was by custom his due, saying, according to a Chronicler, that<ref>Pernoud, Her Story, p. 67, quoting from the Chronicle of Guillaume Gruel.</ref> <blockquote>he would rather never be crowned than have my lord [de Richemont] in attendance. </blockquote>Joan, the chronicler reported, was angry at de Richemont's exclusion. La Trémoïlle succeeded in isolating de Richemont not only from Reims but from involvement in the war. De Richemont would avenge it all in 1432, when he succeeded in

@@ Line 991: / Line 991: @@
 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 coronation, the French Minister, Georges La Trémoïlle commenced negotiations with the Burgundian court. The talks advanced enough so that the day after the coronation of Charles VII a formal, fifteen day truce was begun. The country was Charles' for the taking, including Paris, but only now, not later. Instead, The newly crowned Charles VII preferred the adulation of villages along a march towards but not into Paris to actually entering Paris. Charles VII and his ministers had ceded authority over the war to their enemies.
+Even as Joan led the French army and its King towards Reims for the formal coronation of Charles VII, the French minister Georges 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. France was Charles' for the taking, if not immediately the English-held Normandy, certainly Paris. But now, not later. Instead, The newly crowned Charles VII preferred the adulation of villages along a slow march towards but not into Paris to actually entering Paris.
-How do we even make sense of this? The English were reeling, the Burgundians were facing the logic of an English alliance that was about to fall apart, and the French army had marched triumphantly towards the sacred coronation of the French King. And the French minister proposes peace? At best, La Trémoïlle was leveraging the situation for French advantage. But for what?
+Charles VII and his ministers had ceded authority over the war to their enemies.
-The simple rationale is that he hated Joan and so worked against her, whether that be to French advantage or not. Rather, it seems that La Trémoïlle hated Arthur de Richemont more than he loved France, and was willing to sacrifice France so long as de Richemont was fighting alongside the Maid -- who had welcomed him to the fight at Jargeau. Their mutual history was long. Both de Richemont and La Trémoïlle were captured at Agincourt, so who knows what went on there. All we know is that La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was not released for five years. When de Richemont returned to the French court, La Trémoïlle engineered his dismissal, whereupon de Richemont turned to the English. But there's more: turns out that La Trémoïlle had previously spent a couple years serving the Burgundians before rejoining the Armagnac court of the Dauphin Charles.
+How do we even make sense of this? The English were reeling from Joan's onslaught, the Burgundians were facing the logic of an English alliance that was about to fall apart, and the French army had marched triumphantly towards the sacred coronation of the French King. And the French minister proposes Burgundian neutrality? It's hard to see to what advantage La Trémoïlle was leveraging the situation.
+The simple, usual rationale is that he and the Bishop of Reims came, through jealousy or whatever, to resent Joan and so worked against her, whether that be to French advantage or not. More logically, La Trémoïlle hated Arthur de Richemont more than he loved France, and he was willing to sacrifice France so long as de Richemont was fighting for the French, which implicated Joan who had welcomed him to the fight at Jargeau.
+The mutual history was long. Both de Richemont and La Trémoïlle were captured at Agincourt, so who knows what went on there. All we know is that La Trémoïlle was released right away, while de Richemont, who was injured in the battle, was not, having to wait five years. And when de Richemont did return to the French court, La Trémoïlle engineered his dismissal, whereupon de Richemont turned to the English.<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> But there's more: turns out that La Trémoïlle had previously spent a couple years serving the Burgundians before rejoining the Armagnac court of the Dauphin Charles.
 Worse, Charles VII himself hated de Richemont and refused to allow his presence, which was by custom his due, saying, according to a Chronicler, that<ref>Pernoud, Her Story, p. 67, quoting from the Chronicle of Guillaume Gruel.</ref>  <blockquote>he would rather never be crowned than have my lord [de Richemont] in attendance.  </blockquote>Joan, the chronicler reported, was angry at de Richemont's exclusion. La Trémoïlle succeeded in isolating de Richemont not only from Reims but from involvement in the war. De Richemont would avenge it all in 1432, when he succeeded in