Key Facts
- Siege start date
- Early November 1429
- Duration
- Approximately one month
- Outcome
- Siege abandoned by French forces
- Town seized by Gressard
- 1423
- Supply request sent to Clermont
- 7 November 1429
Strategic Narrative Overview
Joan's forces, poorly equipped with artillery, arrived in early November 1429. On November 7 and 9, letters were sent to Clermont and Riom requesting urgently needed supplies. Bourges and Orléans dispatched soldiers and artillerymen in response. Despite these reinforcements, the besieging army struggled through a month of adverse winter weather against a well-fortified and fully provisioned town that proved resistant to their limited siege capabilities.
01 / The Origins
La Charité-sur-Loire had been seized in 1423 by the Burgundian-aligned warlord Perrinet Gressard, placing it in enemy hands during the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War. Charles VII ordered Joan of Arc to retake the strategically important fortified town on the Loire, which served as a base threatening French royal positions in the region and blocking consolidation of gains made after the relief of Orléans.
03 / The Outcome
After roughly a month of inconclusive operations in poor conditions, the siege was abandoned without taking the town. La Charité remained in Perrinet Gressard's hands, representing a significant setback for Joan of Arc's military campaign and for Charles VII's effort to consolidate royal authority along the Loire. The failure underscored the difficulties of sustained siege warfare without adequate artillery or supplies.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Joan of Arc, Charles II d'Albret.
Side B
1 belligerent
Perrinet Gressard.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.