The feat of Joan of Arc
In 1359, John II, who was brought to London, Dobry signed a difficult peace treaty for France, according to which almost half of the country was transferred to Edward III, and for himself undertook to pay a considerable ransom. His son Dauphin Karl refused to accept the terms of the treaty. Then Edward III landed in Calais and led his troops to Paris. The English seized the city of Reims, where Edward III intended to be crowned on the French throne. However, the stubborn resistance of the inhabitants of Reims forced Edward III to retreat and agree to new peace talks.
For the French, the city of Reims was of exceptional importance. After all, behind the legends, in the place where the Reims cathedral was built in time, Clovis was baptized and crowned. It is said that, during his coronation, a white dove brought an amphora with sacred oil, which was used to anoint the kings of France when they ascended to the throne. It was believed that only after the ceremony of chrismation the
In 1360, in the village of Brétigny, the Dauphin Karl signed a new peace treaty, not so difficult for France, by the English king. For England, the right to Gascony, Guigny, Poitou and Calais was recognized. The French guaranteed the British a ransom for John II Kind. At the same time, Edward III renounced claims to the French throne.
After the conclusion of the peace of John II Good, they let him go home on parole. However, in 1364, when difficulties arose
He proved to be an able ruler and began his reign with reforms: streamlined the system of collecting taxes, introduced a stable coin – the gold franc, filled the treasury, and strengthened discipline in the army.
After the death of Charles V, the throne passed to his 12-year-old son Charles VI. However, fairly quickly, Charles VI began to show signs of serious mental illness. Frequent outbursts of rage were followed by periods of total inactivity and indifference. The people perceived Charles’s illness as a manifestation of God’s will and a call for patience, therefore submissively demolished all the troubles, predetermined by the weakness of the central government.
The disorder in the French state prompted the decisive action of the English King Henry V of Lancaster, who landed with a 30-thousand-strong army at the mouth of the Seine. The English rushed into the depths of Normandy, plundering and killing. In the fall of 1415, at the Battle of Azencourt, the French army was completely defeated. It is interesting that the Duke of Burgundy became an ally of the British, who helped the enemies to take Paris. Severely ill Charles VI in 1420 signed a humiliating peace in Troyes, which, however, did not stop the war.
In 1428, the British sieged Orleans. The French were gripped by horror, the country plunged into chaos. In this difficult time, Joan of Arc arrived from the village of Domremi in the army.
And now the origin of Jeanne is shrouded in mystery. Perhaps she belonged to a noble but impoverished knightly family. According to another version, Jeanne was the half-sister of King Charles VII. It is generally accepted that the girl was born into a simple peasant family. Jeanne grew very pious, brought up in the spirit of Christian morality. During the war, among the disconcerted people there were legends and prophecies, that the misfortune of France can be atoned for by a pure, young, sincere soul, a virgin who will come from an oak grove. And the village on the border of Champagne and Lorraine, where the Jeanne family lived, was very similar to such a place.
After the Burgundians attacked the native village of Jeanne and the villagers were forced to hide in the nearby forests, the girl began to see her. She could hear the voices of saints who urged her to lift the siege of Orleans, to obtain the coronation of Charles VII in Rheims, to liberate Paris. The visions did not stop, and Jeanne went to see Charles VII. The king believed a 17-year-old girl and allowed, together with the army, to come to the aid of Orleans.
On the tenth day after the arrival of Jeanne to the city the siege was lifted and the British were defeated. So the first prophecy was fulfilled. Jeanne became a national heroine. Encouraged Frenchmen began to win and defeated the English in the Loire valley. Then Jeanne invited Charles VII to go to Reims. All the way to 300 km the French army passed in two weeks. Charles was solemnly crowned in Rheims. Thus the second prophecy was realized.
After the coronation, Charles decided to reward Jeanne d’Arc. But personally for herself, she did not want any honors or awards. Jeanne asked the king to release the inhabitants of her native village from taxes and duties. Carl fulfilled Jeanne’s request, and none of the following kings of France dared to deprive them of this privilege.
But strange things began to happen around Jeanne. Envious people and ill-wishers tried to sow distrust in her heart. The girl several times suggested that the king speed up military operations and go to Paris, but in vain. Then Jeanne at her own risk and with a small detachment of devoted people tried to take Paris by storm, but failed. Her third prophecy for some reason did not come true. During one of the clashes, Jeanne was wounded and taken prisoner to the Burgundians. And those for a lot of money sold the girl to the British. Jeanne was transferred to Rouen, the center of British possessions in France, and was given to the court of the Inquisition as a sorceress and a heretic. After a year of investigation, interrogation and torture on May 30, 1431, she was publicly burned in a square in Rouen. Unfortunately, Charles VII did not even think of releasing his savior. Only in the XX century. The Catholic Church ranked Jeanne d ‘
Dauphin – from the middle of the XIV century. The official title of heir to the throne in France, usually given to the eldest son of the king. The name comes from the province Dauphine, which he received into possession.
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