Joan of Arc's failed siege of La Charité exposed the limits of French royal military capacity during the Armagnac–Burgundian conflict.
Key Facts
- Siege duration
- Approximately one month
- Town seized by Burgundians
- 1423, by Perrinet Gressard
- Supply request date
- November 7, 1429
- Artillery condition
- Poorly equipped
- Support sources
- Bourges and Orléans
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Warlord Perrinet Gressard seized La Charité in 1423, establishing a Burgundian stronghold. Charles VII ordered Joan of Arc to retake the town. Joan's forces solicited supplies from Clermont, Riom, Bourges, and Orléans, though the army remained poorly equipped with artillery and faced a strongly fortified, well-provisioned town.
Beginning in late autumn 1429, Joan of Arc's forces besieged La Charité-sur-Loire. Despite receiving soldiers and artillerymen from Bourges and Orléans, the besieging army lacked adequate artillery and sufficient supplies. The siege was conducted through poor winter weather, with Joan sending multiple requests for material support to surrounding towns during its course.
After roughly a month of struggle in adverse conditions, the siege was abandoned without capturing the town. La Charité remained under Burgundian control, and the failure highlighted the inadequate logistical and artillery support available to Joan's forces during this phase of the civil war.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Joan of Arc, Charles II d'Albret.
Side B
1 belligerent
Perrinet Gressard.