Assassination of Jean without Fear

The September 10th 1419, Jean without Fear, duke of Burgundy is assassinated at the time of an interview with the dolphin (the future Charles VII), on the bridge of Montereau by Tanguy of Châtel and Jean Louvet, close advisers of the dolphin.

Context

The event takes seat during the Guerre One hundred Year old. The king Charles VI is insane and two parties (the Armagnacs and the Bourguignons) dispute the capacity within the council of regency chaired by the queen Isabeau of Bavaria. The duke of Orleans, leader of the Armagnacs (Louis Ier of Orleans), becoming the lover of the queen, takes the advantage (Charles VII would be the illegitimate son of the duke of Orleans). Jean without Fear, feeling the capacity to escape to him, makes assassinate Louis from Orleans to Paris in 1407. This event involves true a Civil war between Armagnacs and Burgundian. The English having begun again the hostilities, Jean without Peur waver to spare them because Flandres (which belong to him) are dependant on the supply English wool to provide draperies. It will thus send only few troops to fight them. On the contrary, it benefits from the disorders to seize the power in Paris, supported by the academics and the craftsmen. However, the English crushed the French knighthood with Azincourt in 1415, it is urgent to put an end to this civil war.

Jean without Fear and the dolphin Charles (which are cousins) meets first once on July 8th, 1419 with Pouilly-the-Face, then again on July 11th. 19, a Te Deum celebrates in Paris their next reconciliation. But this one is differed by an attack from the English who, progressing along the Seine, seize Poissy on July 31st and threaten Paris. The duke of Burgundy makes evacuate the royal family on Troyes, in the East.

Lastly, Jean and Charles agree to seal their alliance on the bridge which crosses the Seine to Montereau, on September 10th, 1419.

Mobiles

the Armagnacs cannot tolerate a bringing together of the dolphin with the Burgundian sights, which would decrease their influence.
They wish to avenge the Assassinat for Louis of Orleans (1407), their former leader.
Louis of Orleans being probably the true father of the dolphin Charles, it is not excluded that this last financed itself the assassination. However, Charles VII will prove a cold calculator which will be able to use Jeanne d' Arc to legitimate its sacring (it could not claim it, being bastard, the king of France being legally Henri VI of England under the terms of the Traité of Troyes), to let it liquidate when it needs to approach the ecclesiastics favorable to the Roman pope (at the end of the great schism of occident because the Armagnacs supported the Antipape of Avignon). In the same way, he will not hesitate to grant independence to Burgundy by the Traité of Arras in 1435 for better fighting against the English. Charles VII proved to be a very fine policy and it would be surprising that it knowingly could make such a coarse fault. The thesis of the plot of the Armagnacs aiming at thwarting an alliance with the Burgundian ones seems most probable.

Facts

September 10th, 1419, the two armies arrive around 3 p.m. out of the two banks of the Seine, on both sides of the bridge of Montereau. Jean without Peur is informed that one wants to make an attempt on his life, his entourage accentuates his monitoring in order to protect the duke. He is the same for the regent. In the middle of the bridge, carpenters raised an enclosure with a door on each side. It is agreed that the two rivals will enter the enclosure with each one an escort of ten people and that the doors will be closed throughout all interview. Each of the ten men lent oath. In spite of the provisions taken, the duke of Burgundy still reflects on the cogency of this dangerous meeting. On each side of the Seine, the two princes épient themselves.

Lastly, at 5 p.m., the duke of Burgundy decides: he advances towards the bridge of Montereau. When the advisers of the Charles regent see appearing on the bridge the duke of Burgundy, they advance towards the duke and say to him: “Come towards, Monseigneur, it awaits you”. Being wary of the intentions of Burgundian, of a gesture, Tanneguy of Châtel encourages the regent to leave the gallery.

Jean without Peur goes without armed protection to go bridge (perhaps wanted he to put the Dolphin in confidence?).

The atmosphere is tended. The duke kneels with respect in front of the dolphin, which pretends the indifference. Being raised, Jean seeks a support by posing the hand on the pommel of his sword.

“Do you Put the hand at your sword in the presence of Monseigneur the Dolphin?” question one of the companions of this one, lord Robert of the Loire, as in the fable of the Wolf and the Lamb.

Tanguy of Châtel does not wait until this pretext to carry a blow of axe to the face of the duke while shouting “Kill, kill!”. It is then the quarry, according to the account that will make Jean Séguinat later of it, secretary of the duke, at the board of inquiry named by the Burgundian ones.

By the door on the side of the dolphin, which was maintained opened, of the men-at-arms engulf themselves in the enclosure. The duke is larded blows however that the dolphin, conduit with the variation, remain impassive.

According to some dires, the duke of Burgundy had the divided right hand as did it before Jean without Peur a few years with his cousin Louis Ier of Orleans (November 23rd 1407).

The dolphin was designated as the principal instigator of the assassination of the duke of Burgundy. In spite of its denials, in spite of its excuses, it could not be justified.

Consequences

This act will have catastrophic consequences for France, already very weakened by the power struggles and the demolished of Azincourt. The new duke of Burgundy (Philippe the Good) made alliance with the English: what Jean without Peur had always avoided, even if it had observed a benevolent neutrality in their connection and punctually profited from their assistance (to seize the power in Paris for example). That succeeds, one year later, with the Traité of Troyes which gives the crown of France to Henri V of England. The Armagnacs will dispute this treaty, but will control nothing any more but the south-east of the Country.

The cranium of Jean without Fear seen by François Ier

In 1521, at the time of a visit of François Ier de France in the Burgundian capital, a monk presented cranium of Jean without Peur to king de France while saying to him: “Lord, it is the hole through where the English passed to France”.

Sources

the Murder of Jean Without Fear on the bridge of Monterau (chronicles of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, 15th century, library of the Arsenal, Paris)
the assassination of Jean without Fear told by Philippe de Commines (15th century)
Charles VI the insane king of Francoise Autrand

See too

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