A Manifesto on War from Charles VII, Dauphin and Rightful King of France - Research Paper Example

A Manifesto on War from Charles VII, Dauphin and Rightful King of France Introduction as King of France As God's representative on Earth and His chosen ruler of the French People, I, King Charles VII, son of King Charles VI, and only legitimate Heir to the Crown of France, Hereby do declare this Manifesto to be God's representation of the Utilization of War as a valid Defense of the Realm, Consolidation of Royal Counts and Lords of France, and their Associated Fealties. Let this be a Manifesto to All those of interest, that God has Chosen France and Her King to Lead a transformation of Warfare, and to consolidate power to the Monarch from those of Her Lords and Counts. In the course of this narrative, I, King Charles, will address my personal stake to the Realm of France. I will also espouse my reasoning for the validity for the use of War to defend my claim to the Crown and the great transformation that has come upon France in entering this War with England. I will address two major battles that have transformed our Kingdom, and show great promise to a new generation of French fighting to defend the Realm against the English invaders. In addition, I will address the great changes in battle strategies and waring technologies that have developed in the past years, which will allow us, as Frenchmen, to better and more rightfully defend our lands and manors. It is these changes, which come to us from the will and grace of our Lord, as he gives his Divine Power to his subjects here on Earth in the form of the French Monarchy. As my late father and monarch and his fathers and monarchs before him, and as will my son and his sons after me, the progeny of Charles of France will defend with honor, the people and land of France. This is what God wants us to do, and although these Battles with our sworn enemies of England have yet to determine a favorable victory for either side, this Manifesto is meant to show the world that as the King of France, Charles VII will continue to develop and implement the many advances needed for France to turn the tides and ultimately win the Wars with England and any other foe who dares attempt to take the Crown of France as their own, or those who dare to profess their independence of any State from the grasp of the French Royal Crown . In years past, when confronted with the English foe, Henry V, as a young Dauphin, I had been very petulant and aggressive with our battlements: “It is most meet we arm us ‘gainst the foe;/For peace itself should not so dull a kingdom/Though war nor no known quarrel were in question/…/As were a war in expectation (II.4.911-916)”. From ages before my lifetime, France and her Manors, and Royal Fealties have been under attack and invasion from the many Kings of England, beginning with Edward III and His sons Richard II and Henry IV, to Henry V and Henry VI. The great Kingdom of France has utilized her many brave Manors, with her Lords and Counts and their associated armored defenders in the form of Knights, Vassals and armed men. It is the folly that Henry V, King of England, claimed as heir to the Throne of France. Indeed, said Kind did invade and lead his men into the Realm of France and had secured a capitulation from my father, Charles VI, to cede the Throne of France to Henry and his heirs, as wedded with Catherine, daughter of Charles VI. As I said then, and as I maintain to this day, Henry V is a man to be underestimated, and to be seen as unworthy of the throne.** As his men did fight a brave and glorious battle with the French forces at Agincourt, our losses were more as a result of bad terrain, rather than inferior fighting techniques. I have always advocated that France not hesitate, nor show any fear in defending herself. “Therefore, I say ‘tis meet we all go forth/To view the sick and feeble parts of France;/And let us do it with no show of fear (II.4.918-920).” It is God's will that I, Charles VII, become the rightful King of France, as I claim sole proprietorship as the one true heir to the Crown. It is this divine right, which allows me to assert my dominion over the people and land of France, supported by my faithful Lords and their waring Knights. The reasons for waging War with the English Kings are many, and according to our reasoning, are quite supported by God. This country has been laid claim to by any English Kings through the years and our close proximity to the Saxon clans from the North have allowed them to establish colonies here in Brittany, Normandy, and Gascony (Preston,133). As the rightful Monarch to the Throne of France, it is also a fact that God has chosen me to represent the best interests of the Realm. The Monarch has a duty to defend the French Realm from invasion, apostasy, blasphemy, and any and all threats from inside and outside her borders, With absolutely no hesitation, I as King, will defend France, with the Blessings of the Divine, and will continue to defend and propagate the light of God onto all people within France's borders and to expand France to her natural lines of culture. Reasons for War The reasons for war are many at this time of great conflict throughout the Realm of France. In the defense of our sovereign territories, and its many manors and states that constitute the great Kingdom of France, the French Monarch will never stop defending Her territories to outside invaders. Our present feudal system relies on Oaths of Loyalty and Fealty that have served the King well these past hundreds of years. It is this system that, with changing times, comes changing political and theoretical views of what constitutes a Kingdom. As I have aged and become more aware of changing battle techniques, and needs of the French people, so too have the reasons we wage war have changed. War is used to consolidate the power of the Monarchy away from territorial Counts or Lords. At this time, the power of the Lords rests in their control of the many armies, led by Knights and Vassals, at their disposal. Counts and Lords have taken an Oath of Fealty to me, their Monarch, in exchange for the control and defense of land, or manors, throughout the Realm of France. It is this Oath that binds my Lords and Counts to the land, and binds them to me, as King. With my well armed Lords and COunts, we together will defend the Royal Crown of France, we will fight to defend the people of France, peasants and serfs alike. With the grace of God, as Monarch, I alone have the power to decide whether any such campaign of defense or intrusion is moral and just. God acknowledges War as justified in his choice of the line of Charles in France. He has bless my family with unworldly courage to decide which battles are to be fought and won, and which invasions should be spurned off from our lands. I have also begun the process of modernizing the waring men as they defend France. I will discuss soon in these Manifesto, how I, as the Divine Ruler of France, will go about changing the face of War for all of eternity. With the will of God behind me, I will change the reliance of War from those of the Lords and Counts and their Knight-laden armies, to my own personal standing army, filled with warriors who claim allegiance to Me alone, as their King and Sovereign. As their direct Ruler, I alone, will make decisions on how to best train and utilize my warriors and defenders of the Royal Crown. As Monarch, it is within my Rights to take this power from my Manorial Lords and Counts and to consolidate that power within the Monarchy. How War Should be Waged War should be waged in both offensive and defensive fashions, and the Monarch is the final arbiter of such decisions. It is this Crown's intent to defend the Faith against blasphemous enemies, and to defend the Church in her holdings and properties. In conjunction with the Holy Father in Rome and as one of God's chosen representatives on Earth, I alone interpret the will of our people as I partake in any campaign, but the will of the people is always subjugated to the will of God. The greater good of the Church, the health and survival of the French Realm, and favor with almighty God are paramount in considering any campaign of Battle. Common peasants and serfs are ill-equipped to understand, yet make decisions regarding the health, safety and prosperity of the Realm, as well as the holdings of the Church. It is left to those chosen by God to interpret such questions. Any campaign should not be waged lightly, and the enemy will be given every Christian opportunity to disperse, to renege on its stated mission, and to give to the Crown what it must. Absent that opportunity, there will be no quarter given to those who refuse any opportunities to give Ransom or Respect to the Authority and Property of the Realm of France. It is also important, when waging war, to view the enemy as mightier than he actually may be. In years past, against that warring Henry V, I stated so: “In cases of defence ‘tis best to weigh/The enemy more mighty than he seems:/So the proportions of defence are fill’d/ (II.4.941-943).” Such careful approaches to a defensive conflict are essential to winning, for once cannot be caught unaware on his own land. Limitations on the Practice of War In regards to the limitations on War, I , as rightful Monarch of the French People, consider War to be necessity to preserve the Faith and the Royal holdings. I will not cede to any challenge of property or power over any part of my Realm, be it from a Lord or outside force, such sat hat fool Henry V of England who wrongfully made a quest for the holdings of my father's Realm and the power to ascend to the Crown of France and to make heirs that he would see as successors to the Crown. Any limitations on the necessity of War will come to the ruling Monarch by the grace and will of God, who will speak directly to us when such a decision is to be made. We do not make such decisions lightly, as we know many will perish in such battles and conflicts. But the people must know that any battle entered into is for the Glory and Honor of France and of the Kingdom of Heaven. As do the people, the Monarch;s Lords and Knights all take Oaths to protect the REalm and to respect any decision the King makes on their behalf. As France has been at War for some 80 years with various rulers of England, and has lost her ability time and again to Rule with dignity over her land and people, this Monarchy will not stop asserting its claim to the Throne of France, regardless of any English claim to the Title of Monarch. This King will reestablish His rightful claim to both the Throne and Line of Succession established generations before in my Family's birthright. In this regard, War and ultimate victory will not end until this Family has RIght of Control over both the Crown, its Successors, and Heirs, and the Royal Land upon which we stand today. Application of these Arts to Achieve the End How does one achieve these ends? Only the Monarch has that answer with the help from God. The best way to achieve these goals is to continue uninterrupted, the blood lines of France and to successors of blood who lay claim to the French Throne. Such heavenly duties pass from father to son, from generation to generation, and France's lines of succession have been carried out according to the will of God, not to the will of outside forces. God will bless the son or daughter with their own sons and daughters, the oldest son of which, will gain the favor of God's grace and succeed the King in death. This Divine Right of Succession is God's will and God's sign on Earth that he wants that particular son to succeed to the Throne and to lead his Church and his People of France. In actually realizing those ends, there are certain changes in wartime technologies and strategies which will be fully utilized by this Monarch in his defense of the Realm. There have been great and wondrous changes in the implementation of battle, of the weapons and mobility of our warriors, and how war is waged in these modern times. Such changes can be illustrated in two major Battles which the French Crown has fought in the last 30 years. Such changes today, have made the French defenders of the Crown a most capable adversary, equipped with the most modern of weaponry, strategies, and tactics. Historical Battles Past and Impact on France In Battles past, this Monarch has seen much death and destruction. But perhaps the most important developments in battle have been the advancement of technologies as we have fought against the English on our home soil of France. It was important when Henry V invaded this land that we, as French, asserted our right to defend the Realm. I stated as such to my father Charles VI urging him to defend the State with vigor and bravery: Take up the English short, and let them know Of what a monarchy you are the head; Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin As self-neglecting. (II.4.976-980) The Battle of Agincourt and the Battle of Orleans are two great Battles that have transformed our country's fortunes. The former, as a defeat for the French Realm, will prove not to be a permanent one. With the adventitious use of the Longbow and lighter-equipped forces, the English were able to take an advantage against the French forces at Agincourt. Led by an immature but valiant King, the English were able to force the French forces into a less than favorable position, from which we could not escape. We also used a head-on charge against the English forces, which made our vastly superior numbers less mighty than they may have been. Waging such a battle within the confines of a thin valley, forced our forces into defensive positions, and allowed the English to take full advantage of this topographical element, and in turn, they dominated the hand-to-hand combat in this theater. But it was not all attributable to superior weaponry of our enemies. Our heavily armored forces were unable to mobilize properly and suffered extreme losses less due to technological advances from the English invaders, but more to topographical limitations and few openings for our men to advance. We will not repeat those mistakes in future Battles. Indeed, in the Battle of Orleans, the superior French weaponry and strategies came to fruituon. Important Technologies In the years following Agincourt, France has come a long way in advancing out technological forces and readiness. At one time, a castle or fortified city could only be captured after a prolonged siege (Lee, 145-7). We have developed a superiority in artillery, quickness, the ability to lay waste to heavily fortified castles and towns, and now have the upper hand in battles with the English (Lee, 147). In the Battle of Orleans, led by our martyred patriot and waring girl, Joan D'Arc, the French forces were able to enter that heavily fortified city with constant bombardment of cannon and other artillery, something relatively new in the Art of War. Our technological advances have allowed us great flexibility in how we chose to go to battle, and he now-famed French artillery is the best in the world. This gives a great advantage over any attacking or fortressed enemy (Kinard 102). We have also developed more sophisticated siege and fortress strategies. Where the siege tactics of the past would have taken us months to enter a fortified city, our superior cannon and artillery bombardment allowed the French to take the city of Orleans back within a few days. Joan d'Arc (God Bless Her Soul) led the valiant French troops, leading them to an important victory, standing with them as a model for our forces to stay the course and to use the new tactics to win the battle and the city. No more were we encumbered with the heaviness of full armor and hard-to-maneuver cavalries. No more did we implement the full-frontal attacks of old. Our warriors are now armed with much lighter armor, and mail, lighter and more accurate weaponry, more mobile foot soldiers who have the ability to soften defenses from afar with assorted artillery and canon bombardments (Davis 80-81). Very few enemies can withstand such artillery, and with superior and more forces, we now react much more quickly and are able to attack and counter, with much more strategy and effectiveness. Inspired by our beloved daughter, Joan d'Arc, we, have gained momentum in this endeavor and have also taken many English strongholds on the Loire River (Davis 76-80). We have changed the method by which our forces engage with the English in battle. Most Important Strategies and Tactics In my lifetime as Dauphin and now Monarch, I have seen the full-frontal head-on fighting of heavily armored knights of yore, give way to lighter infantries, less of a need for armored knights, and the inclusion of faster and more varied fighting strategies. The French forces have learned to avoid getting bottle-necked with slower moving forces (as happened to us at Agincourt under the fortunate Henry V), and have learned to spread our men wide and to attack using flanking maneuvers and allowing the enemy to come at us and for us to attack them from differing angles, and not simply frontal attacks (Sumption 85). Our ability to draw the opposing forces into battle on our terms has changed the strategy of battle to one greatly in our favor. God has looked kindly on France and has blessed Her with the ability to adapt to changing tactics, weaponry and philosophy. The French strategy and quickness, combined with our greater use of artillery, have given us white an advantage against the now-obsolete English armies and their lumbering Knights. We have taken full advantage with our superior tactics and use of artillery against the enemy. In turn, this has caused the decline of the expensively outfitted, highly trained heavy cavalry, and the end of use of the armored knight as a military force and an end of the nobility as a political influence in the Monarchy's warring strategies (Preston, 233-40). These are signs that we are in God's favor and his providence has smiled upon us! In this regard, the fortunes of the current War with England have begun to turn, and France is now on the offensive, driving the English out of Normandy, Brittany, and even Glascony, where they have had troops for over 300 years. Best Leadership and Diplomatic Strategies As I have preceded in my ruling Monarchy of the French people, I have seen war change through the years, in just my short lifetime. Such a development will allow this Monarch the luxury of viewing foreign Kings as unworthy opponents. At Agincourt, in my youth, I was betrayed by such flighty attitudes toward that king,Henry V: “She is so idly kinged/Her sceptre so fanatically borne/By a vain, giddy, shallow, humorous youth,/That fear attends not (II.4.925-927).” I am now able to repeat such phrases with more confidence, as I know my Warring men can support my claims against any foe. In turn, as Warring strategies and armaments have changed and developed, so, too has my Monarchical Hierarchy of Men whom I call to defend the Realm. I have consolidated the best leadership practices and strategies into one coherent, modern Wartime department. As King, I have developed and implemented my Compagnies d'Ordonnance (Brooks 58), which I have created to make my fighting forces more professional and more able and more responsive to the desires of the King. This standing army of warriors are now under my control, subdivided into orderly units with a common commander, and common purpose. It is with such a division that our fighting men will become more efficient, fighting under one Leader, their King, rather than a variety of Lords and Counts. In turn, they have become more deadly, armed and trained with one voice. I have raised the Western World's first standing army under the control of my Royal dynastic family. This army will assert itself independently of my Lords and Counts, and will be faithful to the King of France over any Lord or Vassal. This army will be divided into 20 companies of 600 men each (Brooks 59). They will be led by professional military men, who claim loyalty to the Monarch, not a Lord or Count. These men will be ready to respond to any Battle at any time at the directive of their King. This will aid many Kings in the future in defending the Realm, and place less reliance on various Lords and Counts who often conduct themselves in their own interests, rather than the interest of the King (as the Duke Of Burgundy had done in the past-- and will likely conflate into a larger Battle for Burgundy). It is this standing army with which your King will cement his power and claim to the French Monarchy and all of her traditional lands. It is with the grace and glory of God which has allowed me to advocate my Compagnies d'Ordonnance. Conclusion and Final Declaration With the Grace of God, and under His almighty Divine Inspiration, it is with great Honor that the rightful French Monarch, King Charles VI, has put forth this Manifesto for the People and Subjects of the French Realm. From this time hence, the French people will be protected by a standing force among the best armed, best trained and best utilized in the Modern World. This Monarchy will always defend its lands and people, and will enter into any conflict, after giving the enemy a rightful opportunity to choose a peaceful path, with a might and force given to it by Almighty God. As has occurred in my lifetime, the French Kingdom will continue to change and adapt with modern times and will arm its men in the most modern accoutrements of War. It is to this End that I, King Charles VII, announce this Manifesto to all, friend and foe alike, that The Royal Kingdom of France has a God-given Right to Defend the Realm, the Faith, and the Subjects of her Sovereignty. May this Manifesto be taken by Messenger to all Four Corners of the French State, to all who claim loyalty to the French Crown, and any who may want to disrupt the Royal line of Succession and Claim to Rule. No more shall any defeat be ended with such a statement by this Monarch as in Argincourt: “O perdurable shame! Let’s stab ourselves! (IV.5.2458).” Such utterances will no longer be made by this Monarch. Only utterances of victory, now and eternal life! Works Cited Bradford, Alfred and Pamela. With Arrow, Sword, and Spear: A History of Warfare in the Ancient World. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001. Brooks, Richard (ed.), Atlas of World Military History, Barnes and Noble, 2000. Davis, Paul K . Besieged: 100 Great Sieges from Jericho to Sarajevo, 2nd. Ed. Santa Barbara CA: Oxford University Press, 2003. “Henry V.” November 2012. OpenSourseShakespeare, George Mason University. 17 November 2012 . Kinard, Jeff. Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2007. Lee, Cristopher. This Sceptred Isle: 55BC-1901. London: Penguin Books, 1998. Preston, Richard, Wise, Sydney F., and Werner, Herman O. Men in Arms: A History of Warfare and Its Interrelationships with Western Society. 5th Edition. Beverley MA: Wadsworth Publishing Co Inc., 1991. Sumption, Jonathan. The Hundred Years War: Trial by Battle. Philidelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991. Graphic 1. Battle of Agincourt Graphic 2. Bombardment of Defenses, Battle of Orleans Read More