Jean V de Bueil facts for kids
Jean V de Bueil was a brave French knight and soldier who lived a long time ago, from about 1405 to 1478. People called him le Fléau des Anglais, which means "the Scourge of the English" or "the one who caused big problems for the English." He was a count, a viscount, and a lord of many lands.
Jean de Bueil was also a writer! He wrote a book called Le Jouvencel around 1466. This book was a story based on his own experiences during the last part of the Hundred Years' War.
A Soldier's Life
Jean de Bueil started his military journey as a young page, helping a noble knight. He was present at the Battle of Verneuil when he was still very young. Later, he served under a famous captain named Étienne de Vignolles, also known as La Hire.
Jean de Bueil quickly became an important leader. In 1428, he was made captain of Tours. Later, he became a top commander in the regions of Anjou and Maine. He fought alongside the famous Joan of Arc and helped win the important siege of Orleans.
In 1432, he tried to capture Les Ponts-de-Cé but couldn't take it from groups of wandering soldiers called routiers. Jean de Bueil also joined the young Prince Louis (who would later become King Louis XI) in a fight against the Swiss in 1444. He was at the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs.
He played a big part in taking back Normandy from the English. In 1450, he became the admiral of France, which meant he was in charge of the country's navy. He was also captain of Cherbourg. In 1453, he was present at the Battle of Castillon, which was one of the last major battles of the Hundred Years' War.
When Louis XI became king in 1461, he replaced Jean de Bueil as Admiral. This caused some problems between them. Because of this, Jean de Bueil joined other nobles who rebelled against the king in 1465 during the War of the Public Weal. However, he later made up with the king. In 1469, he was even made a member of the special Order of St. Michael.
Jean de Bueil's last known action was in 1478. He signed a document at his castle, confirming some rights for a local church group.
Le Jouvencel - A Book for Knights
Jean de Bueil wrote his book Le Jouvencel around 1466. He wanted this book to teach young noblemen how to be good soldiers and leaders. The book was structured in three parts. It showed how a young soldier learns to be disciplined and ethical. Then, it teaches a military commander how to lead his men. Finally, it explains how a ruler should govern a country.
Le Jouvencel combined different types of medieval military writings. It had elements of chivalry stories, guides on knightly behavior, and handbooks on warfare. Jean de Bueil used ideas from earlier writers like Honoré Bonet and Christine de Pizan. But he also added a lot from his own experiences in battle. This made his book a great look into how a professional soldier thought about war in the late Middle Ages.
Many modern experts who study chivalry and medieval warfare often quote Le Jouvencel. They especially like his ideas about what military life was like. Jean de Bueil believed that being a soldier was a noble way of life. He even thought it could help a person find a good path in life.
He is perhaps most famous for what he wrote about friendship among soldiers:
You love your comrade so much in war... A great sweet feeling of love and pity fills your heart on seeing your friend so valiantly exposing his body... And then you prepare to go and live or die with him and for love not to abandon him. Truly he is afraid of nothing.
This quote shows how much he valued the strong bonds between soldiers. More recently, people have also started to pay attention to the practical advice in his book. For example, he wrote about how to plan a quick attack or how to arrange an army when it's marching.
