Joanna of Flanders

Joanna of Flanders in Armor 

Known as "Jeanne la Flamme" for her fiery personality and her ways of taking charge, Joanna of Flanders knew what she wanted and despite being a woman in the 1300s, took charge of every situation she found herself in.

Married to John of Monfort, Joanna soon would become Duchess of Brittany with the help of her role as a leader in battle. These wars came to happen because of titles. Both Joannas husband John and Joan of Penthièvre had declared that they were to take over the "Duchy" of Brittany. Once the King of France had gotten John of Monfort put into jail, Joanna retaliated-- starting the Breton War of Succession (1, 3).

The Breton War of Succession (1341-1364)

Lasting 23 years, the Breton War of Succession was essentially created by Joanna of Flanders herself.  Declaring her son the heir to the Duchy since her husband was in jail, Joanna raised an army to take the land as her own (4). Leading her newly formed army into Redon, France, Joanna soon took over the city and moved onto Hennebon. Throughout all of this Joanna was a constant feminine in getting other females to take their safety into their own hands, to follow her lead and fight. 

Joanna of Flanders, 1342

The key part in the Siege of Hennebont was Joanna turning her own disadvantage into a success for her side of this war.
After getting surrounded in the town, Joanna saw that De Blois had left almost all of his camps unguarded while surrounding Hennebont and the troops along with the townspeople inside. Seeing this, Joanna led almost 300 men in armor to destroy the armies tents, supplies, and more. From this moment on, she was given the title of "Jeanne la Flamme" or Fiery Joan (1,2,3).

23 years of fighting ensued, with Joanna never ceasing to amaze throughout most of this time-- constantly getting into battle herself, she was said to have fought alongside her own army.

Her husband John was eventually released, but after more conflict and more imprisonment, he died in 1345. During this time period, Joanna had slowed down in her roles of the war. After her husbands passing however, she once again became the leader of her army, this time to help protect her sons right to the Duchy (4).

It was said that after all the fighting and the loss of her husband, Joanna was put into confinement for a supposed mental illness (1). And while her last few years have blurred spots in it due to this, Joanna lived long enough to see her son John V become the Duke of Brittany, which was all she had wanted (4).

Not only was Joanna of Flanders an exceptional leader who brought victory almost every where she went, she was a woman who provided the grounds for more famous women warriors to come. Joanna is said to have influenced Joan of Arc, and many other women in times to come.  

"[Joanna of Flanders] had the courage of a man and the heart of a lion"- Jean Froissart

Work Cited

(1) “Joanna of Flanders.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 July 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_of_Flanders.

(2) Moniek. “Fiery Joanna of Flanders.” History of Royal Women, 1 Feb. 2018, www.historyofroyalwomen.com/the-royal-women/fiery-joanna-of-flanders/.

(3) “Women Warriors - Meet Seven of History's Most Amazing Female Commanders.” MilitaryHistoryNow.com, 11 Jan. 2016, militaryhistorynow.com/2013/05/15/women-warriors-meet-seven-of-historys-most-amazing-female-commanders/.

(4) Wilhite, Debby. “Joanna of Flanders.” Order of Medieval Women, 2011, www.medievalwomen.org/joanna-of-flanders.html.

“Joan, Duchess of Brittany.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 June 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan,_Duchess_of_Brittany.