Transcript
Danielle Cybylski (0:00)
Hey friends. Welcome back to another episode of this Is History. The Glass King before you get acquainted with a squelchy French battlefield, I thought I'd give you a gentle reminder about the royal favorites. Over on Patreon. There are extra special fans and subscribers to this Is History who I'm happy to say have given me a very warm welcome back to the show. These faves have created a wonderful community of medieval buffs who chime in with excellent analysis about the history behind each episode. If you have any questions about the season so far, I'd love to hear from you. I'm doing a special Ask Me Anything for the Favorites on Thursday, August 28th. To join us, head to patreon.com thisishistory now on with the show.
Sponsor Voice - Indeed and Shopify (0:48)
It's really hard finding the right person for the job. It's not like the medieval world I bang on about back then. Monarchs could rely on a steady supply of peasants, prisoners of war and some dashing squires to get things done. Thankfully, labour rights are now a thing. And what's even better, websites like Indeed. It's a one stop shop for the best hirers and candidates to find each other. I wish I had Indeed when I first started out in the Middle Ages. It's super quick, super easy, and you only ever pay for results. Plus, Indeed has no monthly subscription fees, so there's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this Is History will get a £100 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com dynasty. Just go to Indeed.com dynasty right now and support this Is History by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com dynasty terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need.
Narrator - True Crime Segment (1:49)
Detectives arrive at Juliana Redding's house in Santa Monica, California.
True Crime Character/Voice Actor (1:53)
There was no pulse. We knew that it wasn't an accident.
Narrator - True Crime Segment (1:57)
An alleged murder for higher fraud to the tune of $150 million.
True Crime Character/Voice Actor (2:03)
I need to see the doctor and I need to see the doctor right freaking now.
Narrator - True Crime Segment (2:06)
Do what he says or else. From Sony Music Entertainment and Western Sound, this is Doctor's Orders available now on the binge. Search for Doctor's Orders wherever you get your podcast to start listening.
Danielle Cybylski (2:29)
A chilly October rain pours down steadily on the canvas tents of the French army, pooling on roofs and gathering in puddles as men scurry to take shelter in the twilight. The Marshal of France strides purposefully through the camp, mud squelching under his scarred leather boots. His name is Jean Le Mangre, but ever since he was a child. He's a been called Boucico. It's a name that has become legendary everywhere from Scotland to the Holy Land, coupled with a reputation for both chivalry and fierce courage. As he passes by the tents of his soldiers, the Marshal hears muted conversation mixed with the sounds of armor being polished, swords sharpened and chainmail being rolled in barrels of sand to knock off the rust. The sounds are comforting, familiar to him as his own heartbeat. But as he approaches a blue tent patterned with fleur de lis, an altogether different sound drifts out towards him. One that is far less reassuring inside. 19 year old Charles of Orleans, the son of the King's murdered brother, has gathered with his Armagnac friends to toast to victory over the English tomorrow. A victory that Boucicault has warned the Duke repeatedly is not guaranteed. Ignoring the raucous laughter, the marshal aims for the paddock where his horse is saddled and waiting for him. If he's going to fight tomorrow, he wants to see the battlefield for himself. For weeks the Marshal has been shadowing the English King Henry V's army as it marches east from the coastal city of Harfle. Now they've run the enemy to ground near a little town called Agincourt. The English are sick and low on supplies. Boucicault has pressed them hard to make sure of it. But the young King Henry learned strategy at his father's knee. And the Marshal knows from personal experience just how formidable old Henry had been. Boucico reins in his horse at the edge of a tree lined field and stands up in his stirrups to find out what he can of the English preparations. What he sees fills him with dread. Henry has chosen the perfect spot. Dense forest hems the field, creating a natural V shape. And at the point of the V, Henry's men are cutting down young trees. After 30 years of battle, Boucico knows what he's looking at. The trees the English are felling are are just the right size to make long, sharp stakes. Their plan is to funnel the French into the center and onto a narrow forest of spikes. There'll be fish in a barrel. The Marshal spurs his horse and gallops back through the rain to the French camp. There's still time to stop this madness. Because if the French take to this field tomorrow without a solid plan is going to be a bloodbath. And they'll have only themselves to blame. I'm Danielle Cybylski and from Sony Music Entertainment, this Is History presents the Glass King Episode 4 A New Hope the Years since the Kaboschean revolt of 1413 have been tumultuous for the French. In the aftermath, the rebellious butchers and flayers of Paris had scurried east to the Duchy of Burgundy to find refuge with John the Fearless. The disappointed duke had returned to his own lands with his cheeks still stinging from the embarrassment of being caught trying to sneak King Charles out of Paris. Absolutely no one had believed his cock and bull story about taking the befuddled King Hawking. But instead of going to therapy, John once again starts gathering his troops to seek revenge against the people he feels have wronged him. At the top of this list is Bernard, Count of Armagnac, head of the rival faction that is currently in royal favor. Bernard had gathered allies on behalf of the House of Orleans when John happened to have ordered their duke to be murdered in cold blood. Since then, the count has developed a taste for the limelight, and he's made righteous indignation his entire personality. Well, that and throwing his weight around in increasingly nasty ways. Now, rumor has it that Bernard has the king's ear, as well as being besties with the Dauphin, Louis of Guyenne. If John could only talk to Louis mano y mano, he could get things back to the way they used to be when Louis was a kid and laughed at all his jokes. Or he could just stab Louis to death, one or the other. But Louis hasn't forgotten how good it felt to ride through the streets of Paris being hailed as a hero. And he's bringing big Dauphin energy to the Royal Council. Instead of letting John the Fearless off the hook for the rebellion he started, Louis dispatches Marshal Boucicault to put down any rebel activity stirring over in Burgundy. And when he finds out that the Burgundians are still backing John over the king, Louis laces up his boots. This time, putting John the Fearless in his place is a family affair because. Because King Charles decides to come along for the ride. Filled with enthusiasm, the King rides north to St. Denis to pick up the Oriflamme, the sacred banner of French kings. And father and son head for war. But while he's dressed like the king he used to be, Charles is only sort of with it. The Dauphin makes a show of deferring to his father publicly. But it's Louis who is calling the shots. In the midst of his campaign against John the Fearless, Louis dispatches the sadistic Count of Armagnac to besiege the town of Soissons, northeast of Paris. Not everyone in Soissons is comfortable with the idea of holding out against their own king. So a few of them quietly open the gates to Bernard's forces. But if they thought their loyalty would earn them points with the Count, they're dead wrong. The citizens of Soissons are slaughtered indiscriminately, their homes and churches destitute, consecrated and burned. Drunk on power, the Count of Armagnac casually executes those he calls traitors, hanging them by the dozen. It's hard to say what the King thinks of the violence done to his own people, or even if he's told at all. Before long, messengers arrive bearing letters from John the Fearless. He's willing to surrender, he says, under a few. He wants a pardon for his previous crimes. Too many to list, so let's just say all of them. And pardons for his butcher friends. The Dauphin secretly reassures John that he'll take care of everything. Don't worry about it. Maybe John should have worried, though, because in the peace treaty, Louis pressures John's representatives to actually sign. Months later, only a handful of people are guaranteed a pardon, and the sins of John himself are not absolved. By the time John finds out, the treaty has already been signed and sealed. When it comes to dirty tricks, it seems the student has become the master. But there isn't time for John to put up more than a token resistance to this insult, because King Henry V of England has just landed on the northern coast at Harvlure, and he has his own bone to pick with Louis of Guienne. Although the French have known the English have been planning an invasion for months, their spies had been unable to suss out just where Henry was going to land. So when the English army steps off the boat at Harfleur, the French scramble to respond. But Henry has chosen his moment perfectly. The Dauphin moves quickly to gather a new army. But there's a big problem. The French can't mount an effective resistance without the help of John the Fearless. And John is still in a snit over not being given a free pass for murder and rebellion. To make matters worse, everyone knows John can't be trusted anyway. He's as likely to join the English as to fight them if it looks like they're going to win. So while the French do their best to get it together, Harfleur's resistance to the English siege quickly begins to crumble. The small garrison sends desperate messages to King Charles and the Dauphin, begging them for help. But despite all their efforts, the royal army is too late. In late September, Harfleur falls to the English. Not so long ago, when Louis of Guienne had rudely sent Henry V tennis balls, Henry had vowed to send the dauphin a gift of his own cannonballs. And it seems that unlike the duplicitous dauphin, Henry intends to keep his promises.