Dan Jones (3:05)

It's a crisp evening when the message finally arrives. It's September 10, 14, 19, and everyone gathered at the confluence of the Seine and Yon rivers knows this isn't going to be an ordinary day. In the middle of this confluence lies the island castle of Montereau. Two bridges spanning both rivers connect it to the surrounding town as if the castle has its arms outstretched. But nobody's making a big deal out of that symbolism. In France, outstretched arms have been hard to come by lately. A gate revealing a bridge to the surrounding town is unlocked. John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, steps onto the bridge, followed by a small group of advisors. The gate is locked behind them. At the other end of the bridge, John can see a young man. It's Charles, the 16 year old French Dauphin, heir to his father, the mad king Charles vi. Like John, Charles has just a few men with him. John the Fearless takes a deep breath. Despite his nickname, he knows this is a hairy situation. His supporters, known as the Burgundians and the Dauphins, the Armagnacs, are deadly enemies fighting a civil war that's torn France apart. But now they have bigger problems. Henry V, Lancastrian King of England, is rampaging through France, and unless John and the Dauphin make peace, the kingdom is going to be destroyed. Their meeting here on the bridge at Montereau is the first step to making peace and joining forces against Henry. John walks slowly across the bridge and stops before the Dauphin. Out of respect for the kid's royal status, he drops to his knees. The Dauphin smiles graciously and lifts John to his feet. He greets him like an old friend. Then something changes in his face. The Dauphin steps back and from behind him, an older man lunges forward. The Dauphin agreed that no one would bring weapons to this meeting. He lied. The older guy pulls an axe from under his cloak, raises it above his head and screams the word traitor. John the Fearless turns to run, but he has no chance. The man brings the axe down with tremendous force into John's back. A second man rushes forward and slashes John with a sword. The first guy hits him with the axe again, this time in the head. Then someone else comes forward and plunges a dagger into John's belly. A melee breaks out on the bridge. But it's too late to do anything for John the Fearless. As he lies bleeding to death, his body is robbed of its jewelry. Tomorrow his corpse will be slung in a shallow grave. The Dauphin and his men have just killed France's most feared nobleman. To them, Montero has become a symbol for sweet revenge, or quite possibly, victory in the civil war. They don't have the first idea what they've done. When Henry V hears what happened to John the Fearless, he can hardly believe his luck. He says, I shall now surpass all my ambitions. A century later, this violent episode will evolve into another symbol. But this time it's in the form of John the Fearless skull. It winds up in the hands of a monk, who shows it to the future French king, Francois Premier. As he holds the warlord's shattered cranium, the monk points to a big, gaping hole. That hole, he tells the King, was the opening through which the English entered the Kingdom of France. I'm dan jones and from sony music entertainment, this is history. Season 8 of a dynasty to die for. Episode 11 winner takes all. What's the biggest stroke of luck you've ever had? Maybe you found 20 quid in the street when you're out walking the dog. Maybe you won the lottery. Maybe you were upgraded to first class on a 13 hour flight. Or maybe you found out that what you thought was Granny's rather ugly painting of some long haired hippie gazing at a crystal ball was in fact a long lost work of Leonardo da Vinci. Our royal favourites are going to be discussing their luckiest moments over on our Patreon this week. Visit patreon.com thisishistory to try your chances. I'll save my luckiest anecdote to share with producer Al on this week's bonus episode. For now, let's stick in the 15th century and talk about Henry V's biggest stroke of luck. Because arguably, the murder on the bridge at Montereau in 1419 might just be it. Now, I know that with Henry, we're spoiled for choice when it comes to lucky breaks. After all, this is a guy who managed not to die from an arrow in the face at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. He called it divine providence. Others might call it dumb luck, but Henry sure made everyone know that it was the former when he somehow snatched victory against dreadful odds at Agincourt in 1415. But there's a strong argument to say that when the dofan Charles has John the Fearless assassinated, he gives Henry V a freebie very few men have ever known before. The moment that ax strikes John the Fearless's shoulder blades, it's fair to say a golden path lights up from Henry's feet all the way to the French throne. Let me explain. Last episode we were with Henry at the horrendous siege of Normandy's capital, Rouen. Henry starved and bombarded the citizens into submission, then made them clear up their own streets so he could parade through them in triumph. It wasn't Henry's most touchy feely move, but it has the intended effect. By seizing Rouen, he makes himself effectively the master of all Normandy and puts the fear of bejesus into the next town up the River Seine, the French capital, Paris. If you're Henry, that's obviously great. But as 1419 ticks on, Henry starts to find that all his victories are coming at a cost. Literally. After the siege with Rouen is done, Charles vi, or rather John the Fearless, opens negotiations for a settlement with Henry and his ministers. Henry demands Normandy and a load of other territory held completely free of French oversight, as well as a big cash payment and the hand in marriage of the French king's daughter, Catherine de Valois. John Fearless hums and whores and makes positive sounding noises, but strings out negotiations for weeks, then months. He does this because he knows that by now Henry has had his army in the field for more than two years. He's burning through money just to keep the troops fed and watered. Every town he conquers makes his job more complex and expensive because he has to garrison it and organise its repair. His supply lines are 50 miles long, his men are starting to grumble and wonder when they're going home. So throughout the summer of 1419, John the Fearless keeps Henry kicking his heels, knowing that delay tactics are going to drain the English war effort until it falls apart under the weight of its own demands. That also buys John time to explore a peace deal with the Dauphin. Not many people get the better of Henry V, but John the Fearless is one of them. In June 1419, when the two of them meet for a pow wow, John subtly dances rings around Henry. Henry tries to whip his diplomatic dick out and put it on the table. And he tells John sternly, we wish you to know that we will have the daughter of your king, that's Catherine de Valois and all that we have demanded, or we will drive your king out of the kingdom and you as well. But John the Fearless sees that diplomatic dick and doesn't bat an eyelid. He just says, before you drive my lord and I out of the realm, you will have grown very tired. And of that I have no doubt. There's a distinct shriveling on Henry's side of the diplomatic table because frankly, he knows that John the Fearless is absolutely right. So when September comes, Henry is teetering on the edge of of a bit of a crisis. He hasn't got the numbers to besiege Paris. His pressure tactics haven't forced John the Fearless hand or any other part of his anatomy. And the clock is ticking. But then, like manna from heaven, Henry hears that on the bridge at Montereau, the Dauphin has wrecked the entire French strategy by murdering John the Fearless. All the hopes of settling the Burgundian Armagnac dispute are ruined. They will never be reconciled. The blood feud that started a generation ago is now more venomous than ever. The French crown has lost its canniest negotiator. And the only person who seems to have the better of Henry and panic is running through the veins of pretty much everyone in the kingdom. All Henry has to do now is reach out his hand and take whatever it is he decides he wants. The money, the land, Catherine de Valois. Wild as it sounds, even the French crown could now be within his grasp. When French negotiators come to Henry and try to continue strong arming him John the Fearless style, he swats them away. He tells them he's just upped his demands to include everything he asked for previously. And yes, he'll have the French crown too. When they protest and say this wasn't what he was asking for a month ago. And Henry just laughs in their faces and says things are different now. When I was a little boy in.

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Dan Jones (15:38)

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Dan Jones (17:09)

Jisor Castle is a thick wall stone stronghold on top of an artificial mound known as a motte, where it has stood for more than 300 years. It was built to defend the region known as the Vexin, which back in the day was constantly being warred over by French kings and Plantagenet rulers like Henry II and Richard the Lionheart. Today, in the autumn of 1419, it's being warred over once again, and it's Henry V doing all the warring. His cannons are lined up against the walls, which is a sight that's been familiar all over Normandy for the last four years. The walls of the castle are being systematically blown to smithereens. Henry is micromanaging the whole thing. A group of French ambassadors move through the smoke of of the war camp to come and see him and try to pick up the negotiations that the late John the Fearless started. They find the king more relaxed than he's ever been. Henry's siege headquarters are in a series of grand tents, fully staffed with a chapel of priests always nearby and musicians on hand for entertainment. Henry composes music himself and he's a dab hand with a harp. Playing a good harp solo is one of his favorite ways to chill out. The ambassadors are invited into Henry's tent and seated for a grand feast. They can't help but be impressed by what they see. The tents are hung with tapestries showing Arthurian kings and Roman emperors. Henry wears jewels that are engraved with slopes slogans like Without Fail and To love and Serve. When he gives the ambassadors a tour of the camp, they find him businesslike and cheery with his men. They note that he treats everyone equally and has no time for blowhards. He's incredibly direct when he talks and uses phrases like it's impossible and it will have to be like this. And he has an almost Zen philosophy of warfare. If Things aren't going well if a gun blows up or someone gets injured or a castle isn't surrendering at the pace he wants. He says, as you know, the chances of war are variable, but if you want to secure the favors of fortune, always maintain the same courage. It's a potent combination. And the ambassadors go back to Paris, both impressed and depressed. Henry's like the Terminator, but with better jewellery. It's amazing to see, but it's also hard to figure out how anyone can stand up to him. What's more, Henry also now has an incredibly useful ally. It's John the Fearless Son, the new Duke of Burgundy, who's known as Philip the Good. These two couldn't be less alike in person. Philip the Good is a practical joker who fills his palaces with prank rooms. And he's a womanizer who will father several dozen bastard kids during his life. But in 1419, Henry and Philip are made for each other. Philip is mad keen to take revenge for his father's brutal murder, which means slaughtering the Dauphin if he can. He's prepared to go into business with the devil if that's what it takes. He lets Henry know that if he wants to try and bludgeon his way to the French throne, then he'll have the backing of the Burgundians all the way. The deal between Henry and Philip is formally struck in November 1419, and Henry enjoys a pretty happy Christmas in Rouen. He has a good book on the go, a 600 page Arthurian romance, which tells the stories of the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur. Arthur is generally thought of as the greatest king who ever ruled in Britain. Henry knows that if he plays his cards right in the new year, Arthur might be getting relegated to the second greatest. The negotiations with the French court are tough and they drag on for most of the spring of 1420. But by May, the beleaguered court of Charles VI finally bows to the inevitable. The Dauphin is a political outcast, hiding out down in the south of France. The new Duke of Burgundy is lined up behind the English. They have to cut a deal and they have to take whatever terms Henry has to offer them. Which is why, in May, Henry travels to the town of Troyes to meet King Charles VI and his immediate family in person. They're going to agree a treaty whose terms are nothing short of disaster for the French. Henry is going to have his big cash payment. He's going to have Normandy to rule. For now. He's going to marry the King's youngest daughter, Catherine de Valois. But all of this is just kiddie stuff. There's a bombshell clause which states that once the treaty is ratified and Henry's marriage complete, he will become heir and regent of the crown of France. That means the Dauphin is disinherited. Henry will immediately become the de facto ruler of the kingdom. Then when Charles VI dies, which really can't be too long, he'll formally take over as king. Not even Edward III in his heyday managed to squeeze a treaty of such magnitude out of the French. Not even Henry II or Richard I bullied the French kings into such a humiliating corner. When Henry meets Charles at the king's lodgings In Troyes on May 20, 1420, the shambolic old geezer barely knows who he is or what's going on. He just mumbles, it's you. You're very welcome. Now you're here. Say hello to the ladies. To learn more about this scene and the pitiful state of Charles vi, listen to episode six of our last miniseries, the Glass King. The next day, the terms of the treaty are read out in the cathedral at Troyes, sealed and agreed to by sworn oaths. Then Henry goes back to his rooms in a local inn and writes home to England saying that his war at last has been brought to a good conclusion. He's right and he's wrong. The consequences of the Treaty of Troyes are going to be far reaching and world changing. But for now, all that lies in the future. Henry has something more immediate on the horizon. He's got a wedding to plan.

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Dan Jones (25:27)

The carriage drawn by eight white horses trots towards the church in of front. It's a soaring church built in the fashionable gothic style with sheets of stained glass windows set in walls held up by huge flying buttresses. At a glance it looks like the famous Sainte Chapelle in Paris. The chapel built to house the holy relic of Christ's crown of thorns. And as 18 year old Catherine de Valois looks out of her carriage and is greeted by royal musicians, she could well be thinking of that Place. That chapel was a sign of French magnificence, built by a King Louis ix, so famous and pious he was made a saint. Waiting inside this church is the next King of France. He's famous and pious too, but he somehow doesn't seem very saintly. Henry V, King of England, is the future Henri ledouxiem, King of France. And in about an hour from now, he'll be young Catherine's husband. As the fanfare marking Catherine's arrival dies down, she steps from the carriage and walks slowly inside the church, accompanied by a group that includes Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. He's dressed all in black, and for good reason. Catherine's brother Charles was responsible for murdering Philip's dad last year, and he's still mega salty. The marriage service that unfolds is as stripped back and sombre as the Duke of Burgundy's clobber. The shindig a couple of weeks ago in the local cathedral to certify the treaty was far grander. This is a soldier's wedding more than a king's. Still, the music's good and Henry is sort of dashing, if you like long noses, dark eyes and pudding bowl haircuts. On the other hand, he really doesn't seem like he's having much of a laugh. He seems to have quite a lot on his mind. An English ambassador who writes home to celebrate the Treaty of Troyes trumpets to his countrymen that the deal was mighty and virtuous, fair and gracious, sweet and amorous. What he doesn't say is that it leaves Henry grappling with a new state of political and military affairs far more challenging than than anything he's faced to date. Invading Normandy, winning at Agincourt, reinvading Normandy, capturing Rouen, surviving John the Fearless, politicking, persuading Philip the Good to back him. And railroading through the Treaty of Troyes was not exactly easy. Right now ought to feel like a long awaited win. Yet that treaty and Henry's marriage to Catherine have opened up a new phase of operations. Henry and Philip the Good together control about half of France. The other half is held by their enemies. It has a capital about 150 miles southwest of Troyes in Bourges. That's where the Dauphin has based himself. And he isn't going to let his birthright go without a fight. The Treaty of Troyes has cut young Charles out of the French succession and he's been declared a traitor and an outlaw. But honestly, the guy could give a shit about that. Young Charles's take on things Is that if Henry wants to be heir and regent to France, that's all well and good, but he'll have to prize power out of Charles's coal dead hands. Henry knows this full well, and it means that once his wedding is done, he can't hang around catching back slaps and doing celebratory shots and sizing up the French royal palace for new curtains. He is now, by definition, the leading player on one side of a French civil war. What's more, Henry has to go back to England at some point soon and explain all this to an English parliament whose members may not be as thrilled to fund his foreign adventures now that they've just taken an exponential leap in scale and difficulty. Funding English wars is one thing. Funding French civil wars is a whole other kettle of poisson. So Catherine's assessment of her husband's state of mind is pretty much bang on. He's got more on his plate than a fat friar at an all you can eat banquet. The tradition after an English society wedding is that once the nuptials have been celebrated, everyone enjoys two days off to hold a tournament and do some jousting. But the confetti is still settling when Henry announces to his wedding guests that, yeah, that's not happening. There'll be no tournaments, he says. Instead, they're going to the town of Sens, which is held by the Dauphin's allies, and surprise, surprise, they're going to lay a massive siege there. We may all joust and tourney and demonstrate our prowess and toughness, says Henry, with nothing the faintest whiff of a LOL or a JK about him. For there is no finer deed than to serve justice on evildoers so that poor people may live. In that one line, Catherine gets the full measure of her new husband. He's all business. And that business is war on the unrighteous. So far, God has smiled on his cause, which means he's got to keep going. But what none of them know is just how quickly the wheel of fortune is going to turn. Find out how when we return next time for the season finale of this is History. Well, Henry's really on a roll, isn't he? And that's what I'd like to ask you about over on our Patreon. I want to know if you've ever struck it lucky. Like really lucky. Perhaps not to the same level as an assassination giving you the keys to the kingdom. But I'm sure you've got a story to share. Look out for producer Al's discussion post on patreon@patreon.com thisishistory. There you'll find plenty of other fun perks like our thriving chat rooms on medieval themed travel book recommendations and well, you might even strike it lucky with a fellow medieval history nerd. So go on, make a dynasty to die for at patreon.com forward/thisishistory.

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