After reading this I can say that I probably would have made the same decision to raise the bridge and close the gates in the face of hundreds or thousands of men running at the town. I have been thinking however, would Guillaume de Flavy have made the same decision to raise the gates if he could actually see Joan retreating back to the town? What could he have done differently to change the outcome of history?
Gorges Chastellain's account of Joan's capture tells us that she was on her horse when she was retreating back to the town. The sources don't tell us how far behind the Burgundian/ English forces were behind Joan when she was fleeing. If Joan had a far enough lead, maybe the bridge could have been raised after she crossed it, thus escaping capture. This brings into question how long it would have taken to raise the bridge to the town. If Guillaume de Flavy knew the English/ Burgundians could have gotten across the bridge before it could be raised, he may not have had a choice.
It is also hotly debated whether or not de Flavy betrayed Joan trapping her outside the gates. Some such as author Kelley DeVries, believes that Joan may have been betrayed by de Flavy when he raised the gates. I have thought about this same question a lot. What do you all think? Did Guillaume de Flavy betray Joan or was Joan's capture inevitable? Could the outcome have been any different than what we know happened?
Work Cited:
Pernoud, Re. Joan of Arc, by Herself and Her Witness. London: Macdonald, 1964. 150-151.
DeVries, Kelly. "Joan of Arc." Google Books. January 1, 1999. Accessed October 27, 2014.
I believe there was an option de Flavy overlooked. If he could have possibly raised the drawbridge just enough for a horse to jump Joan may have been able to get to safety. The drawbridge would only have to be in that position until Joan's horse's hooves were over the end of the bridge, then they could have continued raising the bridge.
ReplyDeleteI agree personally. I think that de Flavy panicked and wanted to raise the bridge when he saw the Burgundians/ English were getting a little too close for comfort. Also even if the bridge was raised in time and lets say a couple guys were holding onto the bridge as it was raised, they would probably be killed easily by the men defending the castle even if they somehow made it across the bridge.
ReplyDeleteI think perhaps an equally interesting question is whether or not Joan's capture was inevitable regardless of de Flavy. Joan herself certainly seemed to believe she would not live much longer, as she often told the men of her camp. In light of her military failings in and around Paris, it is perhaps interesting to consider whether or not we too believe Joan "would scarcely last another year." Just thinking out loud!
ReplyDelete-Rachel
Something I often wonder about is what could have been. If Joan could have escaped capture, could she have taken shelter in a nearby town loyal to the french king and received a new army? Could Joan have been a comeback?
ReplyDeleteChris
Chris, nIce images to help further the debate! Rachel, I like your question because it helps put less responsibility on Joan for her "failure"--at least, that's how it's been viewed. It's surprising something earlier did not occur.
ReplyDelete