John the Fearless
John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs during ...
, Duke of
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
, was assassinated on the bridge at
Montereau on 10 September 1419 during a
parley
A parley (from french: link=no, parler – "to speak") refers to a discussion or conference, especially one designed to end an argument or hostilities between two groups of people. The term can be used in both past and present tense; in prese ...
with the French
dauphin (the future
Charles VII of France
Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious (french: le Victorieux) or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461.
In the midst of the Hundred Years' War, Charles VII inherited the throne of F ...
), by
Tanneguy du Chastel and Jean Louvet, the dauphin's close counsellors.
Context
The assassination took place during the
Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
. Two rival factions, the
Armagnacs
The Armagnac faction was prominent in French politics and warfare during the Hundred Years' War. It was allied with the supporters of Charles, Duke of Orléans against John the Fearless after Charles' father Louis of Orléans was killed on a ...
and the
Burgundians
The Burgundians ( la, Burgundes, Burgundiōnes, Burgundī; on, Burgundar; ang, Burgendas; grc-gre, Βούργουνδοι) were an early Germanic tribe or group of tribes. They appeared in the middle Rhine region, near the Roman Empire, and ...
, vied for power within the regency council headed by the queen
Isabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria (or Isabelle; also Elisabeth of Bavaria-Ingolstadt; c. 1370 – September 1435) was Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. She was born into the House of Wittelsbach as the only daughter of Duke Stephen III of Bavaria-Ingol ...
. The duke of Orléans and leader of the Armagnacs,
Louis I of Orléans Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ( ...
, is said to have gained an advantage by becoming the queen's lover, with the subsequent allegation that Charles VII was the duke of Orléans' illegitimate son. John the Fearless, sensing that he was losing power, had Louis of Orléans assassinated in Paris in 1407. This event led to a
civil war between the Armagnacs and the Burgundians. When the English invaded Normandy, John the Fearless maneuvered to deal with them carefully, because the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
, which belonged to him, were dependent on the supply of English wool for the production of draperies. Therefore, he only sent a few troops to fight them. He profited from the war by taking power in Paris, supported by the academics and artisans. However, since the English crushed the French knights at
Agincourt in 1415, putting an end to the civil war was urgent.
John the Fearless
John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs during ...
and the
dauphin Charles met on July 8, 1419, at Pouilly-le-Fort, then again on July 11. On July 19, their forthcoming reconciliation was celebrated in Paris with a
Te Deum
The "Te Deum" (, ; from its incipit, , ) is a Latin Christian hymn traditionally ascribed to AD 387 authorship, but with antecedents that place it much earlier. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Chur ...
. That, however, was delayed by an English attack which, progressing along the course of the Seine, seized
Poissy
Poissy () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Pisciacais'' in French.
Poissy is one of ...
on July 31 and threatened Paris. The Duke of Burgundy had the royal family evacuated to Troyes, in the East.
Finally, John and Charles agreed to seal their alliance on the bridge across the Seine at
Montereau on September 10, 1419.
Motives
* The Armagnacs couldn't tolerate a rapprochement between the dauphin and the Burgundians, which would diminish their influence.
* They wanted to avenge the
assassination of Louis of Orléans (1407), their former leader.
* It was suspected but not proven that John the Fearless was also behind the deaths of two of Charles' brothers, Louis and John.
Course
![Assassinat du duc de Bourgogne](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Assassinat_du_duc_de_Bourgogne.png)
On September 10, 1419, the dauphin and John the Fearless, with their men-at-arms, arrived on the two banks of the Seine, on either side of the bridge of Montereau. John the Fearless was informed that his life was in danger, and his entourage increased its watch in order to protect the duke. The same was done for the Dauphin. In the middle of the bridge, carpenters had put up two barriers with a door on each side, creating an enclosure for the meeting. It had been agreed that the two rivals would enter the enclosure, each with an escort of ten people, and that the doors would be closed during the meeting. Each of the ten men had taken an oath. Despite the arrangements that had been made, the Duke of Burgundy had second thoughts about the meeting.
The atmosphere was tense. The Duke knelt with respect before the Dauphin, who feigned indifference. Rising, John looked for support by putting his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"You put your hand on your épée in the presence of His Highness the Dauphin?" one of the Dauphin's companions, Lord Robert of Loire, asked him.
Tanneguy du Chastel didn't wait for this pretext to deliver an axe blow to the Duke's face, crying "Kill, kill!" There was then a scramble, according to a narrative given afterwards by
John Séguinat
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
, the Duke's secretary, to the commission of inquiry appointed by the Burgundians. Men-at-arms rushed into the enclosure through the door on the Dauphin's side, which had been kept open. The Duke was stabbed repeatedly, while the Dauphin, at a distance, remained impassive.
According to some accounts, the corpse of the Duke of Burgundy had the right hand cut off as the Duke himself had done several years earlier to his cousin, the Dauphin's uncle
Louis I of Orléans Louis may refer to:
* Louis (coin)
* Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name
* Louis (surname)
* Louis (singer), Serbian singer
* HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy
See also
Derived or associated terms
* Lewis ( ...
(November 23, 1407). The Dauphin was pointed out as the principal instigator of the assassination of the Duke of Burgundy. Despite his refutations and excuses, he could not clear himself.
Consequences
![Virgin with Chancellor Rolin-Detail](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Virgin_with_Chancellor_Rolin-Detail.jpg)
This act would have catastrophic consequences for France, already greatly weakened by struggles for power and the
French defeat at Agincourt. The new Duke of Burgundy,
Philip the Good
Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonge ...
, made an alliance with the English; John the Fearless had always avoided this, though he had observed a benevolent neutrality towards them and promptly benefited from their aid, e.g., in order to gain power in Paris. This led to the
Treaty of Troyes
The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that King Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the French throne upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was formally signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of ...
a year later, which gave the crown of France temporarily to
Henry V of England
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
. The
Armagnacs
The Armagnac faction was prominent in French politics and warfare during the Hundred Years' War. It was allied with the supporters of Charles, Duke of Orléans against John the Fearless after Charles' father Louis of Orléans was killed on a ...
contested this treaty, but at the time controlled only the south-east of the country.
John's skull seen by Francis I
In 1521, during a visit by
Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
to the Burgundian capital, a monk presented the skull of John the Fearless to the King of France, saying to him, "Sire, this is the hole through which the English entered France."
Notes
Bibliography
*Françoise Autrand ''Charles VI '', Fayard, 1986.
*Paul Bonenfant, ''Du meurtre de Montereau au traité de Troyes'', Coll. Mémoires de la classe des Lettres et Sciences morales et politiques, tome LII, fasc. 4, Bruxelles, Académie Royale de Belgique, 1958.
Sources
* ''Le Meurtre de Jean Sans Peur sur le pont de Monterau'' (Chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, 15th century, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, Paris)
*
Philippe de Commines
Philippe de Commines (or de Commynes or "Philippe de Comines"; Latin: ''Philippus Cominaeus''; 1447 – 18 October 1511) was a writer and diplomat in the courts of Burgundy and France. He has been called "the first truly modern writer" (Charles ...
br>
The assassination of John the Fearless(15th century)
{{Coord, 48.3872, 2.9590, display=title
15th-century murder
Hundred Years' War
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
1419 in Europe
1410s in France