Page 73 - All About History - Issue 19-14

The Duke of

Bedford was She wasn’t

an evil man
The third son of King Henry IV, intelligent

John Lancaster served as regent of
Joan said herself that she “did not know ‘a’ from ‘b’,”
France for King Henry VI, his nephew.
but this does not mean she was stupid. It is especially
Because his actions led to the capture
obvious when examining the court transcripts from
and eventual execution of Joan of Arc, her trial that she possessed a quick mind. For example,
history has placed a black blot against when asked by a man with a thick accent what
his name, and an unfair one. Not only language the voices in her head spoke in, she replied
that they spoke better than he did. Her responses
was John a skilled military tactician,
show that she was a woman with good mental
but he also displayed great bravery reasoning and intelligence. It is important to remember
in battle and acted as a thoughtful that she was able not only to convince Charles VII, but
and merciful governor among reckless also a legion of high-ranking military officials that she
deserved a place leading their army.
leaders. Considering the era of his
life, Bedford was restrained and
sympathetic, with unrelenting loyalty
to his cause and family.
“FEAR NO MULTITUDE WHATSOEVER.
THE ENGLISH. GOD CONDUCTS
DO NOT HESITATE TO ASSAULT

The allegations OUR WORK. IF I HAD NOT THIS
that Joan sold her
ASSURANCE, I WOULD RATHER
bodytomenwere
disprovedwhenshewas GUARD SHEEP THAN EXPOSE
examined during her
MYSELF TO SO GREAT PERILS.”
capture and proved
John led the English army to to be a virgin.
several victories, for example at “IT IS TRUE THAT I
the Battle of Verneuil, described
WISHED AND STILL
as a second Agincourt

It was unusual WISH TO ESCAPE,

for women AS IS LAWFUL FOR

to lead armies ANY CAPTIVE OR

TheonlyunusualthingaboutJoan’scommandof
an army is not her gender, but her social standing. PRISONER.”
Itwascommonduringtheeraforaristocratic
womentocommandtheirfamily’sforcesinthe
absenceofabrotherorhusband.Andratherthan “TRULY, IF YOU WERE TO TEAR ME
going against the grain and breaking social
norms, this was actually adhering to LIMB FROM LIMB AND SEPARATE
the feudal society in France at the Joanna of MY SOUL FROM MY BODY, I
time. Joan was granted command Flanders WOULD NOT SAY ANYTHING
because of the religious society Joanna of Flanders was married to
John de Montfort and served as consort
that believed anyone could
duchess of Brittany from 1341 to 1345. She
receive a divine calling, and played an active part in the War of Breton MORE. IF I DID SAY ANYTHING,
it should be listened to. It is Succession, where she led the Montfortist AFTERWARD I WOULD ALWAYS
highly unlikely that a legion armies after her husband was captured. Joanna
of male soldiers would have managed to capture the commune of Redon DECLARE THAT YOU MADE ME SAY
and at the siege of Hennebont she encouraged
followed her word if the
the women to “cut their skirts and take their IT BY FORCE”
inclusion of women in battle safety in their own hands.” Joanna was
had not already been widely described as entering the fray with
accepted at the time. her sword and fighting “with
the heart of a lion.”

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