Where did Joan of Arc take part? Joan of Arc - warrior, martyr, saint

The famous historical figure Joan of Arc, whose biography (brief history) begins in the distant 15th century, is considered a symbol of freedom and masculinity. The girl was born in the village of Domremy around 1412 in the family of Jacques d'Arc and his wife Isabella. In addition to Jeanne, there were other children in the peasant family. Of all her brothers and sisters, the young heroine became best friends with her older sister Catherine, who later left married and soon died at a young age.

The house d'Arque stood in the center of the village, very close to the local church. For some time, Jeanne's father held the elected position of dean of the community and, accordingly, the population of the village of Domremy valued and respected him. Many peasants listened to Jacques d'Arque as a sensible and wise person .

Joan of Arc: a short biography for schoolchildren

What kind of child was Zhanna? From early childhood, the girl became accustomed to feeling like a member of the family of a respected person and strived to live up to her father’s status. Young Zhanna helped her mother with housework, learned to cook and enthusiastically listened to her parents' stories about the beautiful maiden who would save their village. Throughout her life in Domremy, Jeanne saw the glow of numerous fires, the screams of fellow villagers and firmly believed that the Virgin of Orleans, whose arrival was predicted many centuries before, would liberate their native lands. According to legend, it belonged to a popular character in many legends and knightly stories. Joan of Arc firmly believed in all the predictions and legends of past centuries. A short biography for children includes key facts about the girl's biography. And these historical events are very reminiscent of the legends associated with the Maid of Orleans.

Joan of Arc: biography, summary

It is generally accepted that the year of birth of the young heroine is precisely 1412, however, the date of January 6, 1409 is indicated in the canonization document. She preferred to call herself “Joan of the Virgin” rather than Joan of Arc. In her early years, the young heroine was often called Jeanette by her family.

At the age of 13, Zhanna heard the voice of the Archangel Michael in her head, who told her to listen to his story and accept her fate. According to Michael's revelation, it was Jeanne who was the Maid of Orleans, and only she was able to free the besieged Orleans, thus expelling all opponents.

When the girl turned 17, she went to the city captain without hesitation. At that time, he was recognized as Vaucouleur Baudricourt, who ridiculed the girl’s story that she supposedly had to defend her native lands. However, Zhanna did not give up and the second time she was accepted into their ranks. The captain ordered several soldiers to be allocated to her after the girl predicted the defeat of the French at Orleans. Zhanna preferred to wear men's military clothing, arguing that in it she felt freer and stronger. Together with Jeanne, two of her best knights went to war - Jean de Metz and Bertrand de Poulangis.

Hostilities

The truly great heroine and martyr Joan of Arc, whose biography, a brief history of military affairs, begins with the siege of Orleans, was an unknown peasant woman. According to historical data, in March 1429, the young heroine arrived to the Dauphin, announcing that higher powers had determined her fate and predicted her victory. Therefore, she asked for an army in order to lift the siege of Orleans. The girl amazed everyone present with her extraordinary knowledge of military affairs and the intricacies of horse riding. Dauphin Charles hesitated for a long time, but after several days of deliberation he agreed to allocate an army to Jeanne in exchange for a promise that she had to confirm with higher powers his legitimacy and corresponding rights to the throne. Quite a large part of the population doubted that Charles was the rightful heir, which they were not afraid to express openly.

Further, after the king’s order, special armor and equipment began to be made for such a warrior as Joan of Arc. The biography, a brief history of the girl, is that throughout her life she defended her people, her lands and did everything in her power for this. She captivated many historians with her courage, masculinity and extraordinary faith in her victory.

Advance to Orleans

The next point in the course of hostilities was Blois, where Jeanne’s army was already waiting for her. The good news that their uprising was led by a girl sent by higher powers instilled confidence and courage in the warriors. Due to continuous attacks over 4 days, the young heroine lifts the siege of Orleans. Many military leaders of that time considered the mission to liberate Orleans from the British almost impossible.

Hostilities ceased until the spring of 1430. However, the royal courtiers disliked the young heroine and tried in every possible way to turn the public against her. After a long time, they finally succeeded. Thanks to the actions of the insidious courtiers, Joan of Arc was accused of treason, as a result of which she was captured by the British, where she was imprisoned in the tower of Rouen.

Trial

The trial of the heroine began in the last days of February 1431. According to the documents, Joan of Arc was tried by the local church, charging her with heresy and false testimony about higher powers. However, throughout the girl’s imprisonment, she was kept under the guard of the British as a prisoner of war. Bishop Cauchon of England did not hide his interest in the heroine’s case. just like the government of the country itself. The government of England fully paid all the costs and expenses associated with the Maid of Orleans. Joan of Arc, biography, whose short life depended on the decision of the British, fought to the last and believed in a higher power.

Interrogation and captivity

A short biography of Joan of Arc for grade 6 includes materials relating to her imprisonment in the tower of Rouen and some interrogations. During the entire time spent in captivity, the girl was mocked in every possible way, beaten and humiliated, thus showing their attitude towards her “false” prophecy. Most of the population of England considered her a false witness and a traitor to her homeland.

Execution of Joan of Arc

However, despite numerous tortures and threats, Joan of Arc did not break and did not admit her guilt. The sentence - death penalty - without an admission of guilt on the part of the accused, made the girl a martyr in the eyes of her people. Since the young heroine was illiterate, the judges decided to resort to deception, having slipped her documents for her signature supposedly about her release and return to her homeland. In fact, there was a certificate of complete renunciation of her predictions and an admission of guilt. Thus, the girl signed her own sentence.

On May 30, 1431, the girl was burned alive in the Old Market Square in Rouen. According to historical data, her ashes were scattered over the Seine. Joan of Arc, the biography whose brief history was completed so early, is a symbol of courage for many of us.

Name: Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)

State: France

Field of activity: Army, religion, politics

Greatest Achievement: She became the national heroine of France, thanks to the fact that she was a symbol of the unity of the troops, and was one of the commanders in the Hundred Years' War.

A puppet of French history, Joan of Arc went to war to free her country from English invaders in the 15th century. Hearing the divine call, she helped Charles VII ascend to the French throne. She paid dearly for her beliefs - she was condemned as a heretic and burned alive in Rouen in 1431.

Very pious girl

Joan of Arc was born in 1412 in Domremy, in Lorraine, into a family of wealthy peasants. She was very pious, went to church every Saturday and gave alms to the poor. While she was growing up, . King Edward III of England claimed the throne of France under the terms of the Treaty of Troyes, but the French nobility opposed it and wanted the crown to return to the son of the late Charles VI, the future Charles VII, then still the Dauphin.

Thus, the French kingdom was divided between the English and Burgundians, on the one hand, and those who remained loyal to the Dauphin Charles, on the other. At twelve or thirteen years old, voices appeared to Jeanne in the garden. She said that she was very scared when she heard them for the first time. Voices from heaven ordered the Dauphin to be restored to the throne and France freed from the English. She resisted for four years before submitting to these voices.

Mission of Joan of Arc

Obeying the angelic voices, Jeanne goes to Vaucouleurs to meet with the local captain, Robert de Baudricourt. She convinces him to arrange an audience for her with the Dauphin. The prophecy (which many had heard of) said that a virgin from Lorraine was coming who would save the lost kingdom. Joan of Arc travels to Chinon to meet the future Charles VII.

According to legend, he changed into ordinary clothes and hid among the courtiers, placing one of them on the throne, but she recognized him in the crowd. She talks about the voices she hears. The incredulous Charles first arranged a test of Jeanne's virginity, then in Poitiers she was interrogated by theologians. There she predicted four events: the British would lift the siege of Orleans, Charles would be crowned in Reims, Paris would return to the rule of the French king, and, finally, the Duke of Orleans would return from English captivity. Charles agrees to give Jeanne an army to free Orleans from the hands of the British.

And so Jeanne, who was christened the Virgin, went to Orleans in armor and with a sword. She sent a message to the English about her approach and ordered them to leave Orleans. The British refused. They saw her as a witch, a creature of the devil. For her own army, Jeanne, led by her faith, became God's messenger, inspiring desperate soldiers. On the night of May 7–14, 1429, Joan defeated the English, and the news spread throughout France. She marched towards Reims, forcing every city on her way, either voluntarily or by force, to submit to her will. On July 17, 1429, Charles was crowned in the main cathedral of Reims in the presence of Joan and received the name Charles VII. Joan of Arc completed half of her mission. He still had to enter Paris.

Captivity, trial and execution of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc then attempted to liberate Paris with the king's blessing. But this attempt ended in failure. On May 23, 1430, in Compiegne, the Burgundians captured her and sold her to the English for 10,000 livres. She was taken to Rouen to stand trial and accused of heresy. It was important for the British to discredit her because her charisma gave hope to the French people.

The Virgin Joan appeared in Rouen before a tribunal of 40 people presided over by Pierre Cauchon, bishop of Beauvais and a supporter of the British. The first public meeting took place on February 21, 1431 in the royal chapel of Rouen Castle. On May 24, Joan of Arc renounced all her “errors” and admitted her sins. On May 30, 1431, she was burned alive in the Old Market Square in Rouen. Until the last moment, King Charles VII did not try to stand up for her, although she helped him ascend the throne. Twenty-five years later, a second trial, organized by Charles VII at the request of Joan's mother and Pope Calixtus III, overturned the verdict and rehabilitated Joan of Arc. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV canonized the Virgin of Orleans.

Conclusion

Joan of Arc, supported by her faith, did not hesitate to break the conventions of her time and fought the English army to fulfill her mission. Her life story is embellished in places, but she herself occupies one of the main places in the history of France. The tragic fate and mystery that shrouded her life inspired many writers (Jean Anouilh), directors (Victor Flemming, Roberto Rossellini, Luc Besson) and musicians (Verdi,).

Important dates in the life of Joan of Arc

1412, January 6 - birth of Joan of Arc
The heroine of France, Joan of Arc, nicknamed the Virgin, was born in Domremy. At the age of 13, she said, she heard voices that told her to liberate France during the Hundred Years' War from the English and their Burgundian allies. Having taken the side of Charles VII (1428), liberating Orleans from English oppression (May 1429) and winning victories one after another, she opened the road to Reims, where she placed the king on the throne (July 1429). Captured by the Burgundians at the gates of Compiegne, she was sold to the English, declared a heretic, and burned alive in Rouen on May 29, 1431. Rehabilitated by Charles VII, she was declared beatified in 1909, canonized in 1920, and her feast day is celebrated on May 8th.

1425 - At the age of thirteen, she begins to hear voices
She hears voices for the first time. She says that these voices come from God, St. Michael the Archangel, and St. Catherine and St. Margaret.

1429, April 29 - Joan of Arc enters Orleans
The young maiden from Lorraine, Joan of Arc, who claimed that she was sent by God (to proclaim the legitimacy of Charles and expel the English from the kingdom), enters Orleans at the head of the army. The city had been besieged by the British since October 1428. Charles VII's last army would liberate Orleans on May 8, 1429, and Joan of Arc would lead Charles VII to his coronation at Reims on July 17, 1429. Then he can take back his country and royalty.

1429, July 14 - Coronation of Charles VII
Charles VII is crowned at Reims Cathedral in the presence of Joan of Arc.

1430, May 23 - Joan of Arc was arrested in Compiegne
Joan of Arc, who a year earlier had played a decisive role in the liberation of Orleans, was captured by Jean Luxembourg, a mercenary serving the Duke of Burgundy, and sold to the British for 10,000 livres. She was taken to the court of the Inquisition in Rouen, tried for heresy without being given a defense lawyer, and burned alive in 1431. In 1456 she was rehabilitated.

The Maid of Orleans is amazing to such an extent that some doubt: did it all really happen? Without a doubt it was. There is a lot of evidence about this in historical sources: chronicles, letters, court records, preserved in both France and England.

Entire libraries of scientific works and artistic texts have been written about Joan of Arc. Anatole France wrote about Jeanne; extremely subjective, but no less interesting for that – Voltaire. And the controversy surrounding the identity of the amazing French heroine does not subside.

Her life in history is less than 3 years - a rather short period. However, these 3 years made her immortal.

She was amazing. Although the impression sometimes created by school textbooks is absolutely wrong, as if she defeated the British. No, not only she, but France as a whole did not defeat the British in the Hundred Years' War in those years. This happened later. It is also not true that Joan of Arc led the popular movement. No, nothing like that happened. She was the king's commander.

She was presumably born on January 6, 1412. As always in the Middle Ages, the date of birth is inaccurate. But it is tragically indisputable that this very young girl was burned on May 30, 1431 in the square in Rouen.

After her death, scandalous rumors arose repeatedly, impostors appeared who called themselves after her. This is natural. Zhanna is too pure, too bright an image that seems ideal. And people, as you can see, have a base need in nature - to throw a lump of dirt into this purity.

Sadly, the great Voltaire was the first to throw dirt. It seemed absurd to him - a girl (virgin in a more accurate translation from Latin), a symbol of purity, surrounded by soldiers. However, if you look more closely at her life, everything can be explained.

Zhanna comes from the village of Domremy. She is a peasant and shepherdess by origin. Her last name is Dark; the spelling d'Arc, indicating nobility, appeared later. Some of those who attack Joan today simply do not want to acknowledge the historical role of a man of the people. That is why her peasant origin has been repeatedly questioned. Versions arose that she was the bastard daughter of the depraved Queen Isabella, sent to the village as a baby.

Meanwhile, during the rehabilitation process of Joan of Arc, a lot of evidence was collected. Eyewitnesses reported on her childhood, youth, and how she took part in all village holidays, when girls danced in circles.

Joan was born during the Hundred Years' War, three years before the renewal of this great confrontation between the two leading Western European kingdoms. Officially, the war had been going on since 1337. Several major battles took place - and all were unsuccessful for the French. 1340 - defeat of the French fleet at Sluys, 1346 - defeat of the French army in the foot battle of Crecy, 1356 - victory of a smaller English detachment under the command of the Black Prince Edward over the army of the French king at Poitiers. The French army fled in disgrace, the king was captured. The feeling of national shame grew stronger in the country.

Immediately after the Battle of Poitiers, the idea of ​​a man from a simple background who should bring salvation appeared among the people. In one of the chronicles there is a story about a certain peasant who crossed all of France. The fact is that an angel appeared to him in a dream and ordered him to go to the king and tell him not to accept the battle at Poitiers. Amazingly, the peasant was actually able to reach the king and ended up in his tent. The king listened and said: “No, I am a knight! I can’t cancel the battle.”

1360 - the most difficult peace for France was concluded in Bretigny: according to it, approximately half of the French lands were under English rule. A threat arose to the very existence of the French kingdom and the Valois dynasty, a subsidiary branch of the Capetians, who had ruled the country since the 9th century. This ancient, stable, strong, once strong kingdom could simply disappear!

So, France practically no longer exists. At the same time, many of the major feudal lords recognized Henry V as the future king of France. Some became his allies, such as the Duke of Burgundy.

Meanwhile, the girl Zhanna was growing up in her village. She was 13 years old when she first heard the voices of St. Catherine, St. Margaret and St. Michael, who began to convey to her the will of God related to the salvation of the country. The fact that she heard voices is not at all unique. There is such a phenomenon - medieval visionaryism.

Visions and voices from above are quite real for the man of the Middle Ages, with his inability and unwillingness to separate the heavenly, otherworldly life and the here, earthly life by impassable boundaries. For him, all this is whole, one. For example, at the court of the Dauphin Charles, who did not go into exile, but settled in the southwest of France, all sorts of sorcerers and prophets were willingly accepted and loved. In general, this figure is not so unusual for the era.

Legally, the king of England already ruled in France. But the French did not obey! The Dauphin Charles declared that he was the rightful heir, and his supporters crowned him at Poitiers. This was not the traditional coronation, which, according to centuries-old tradition, is held in Reims Cathedral, where the sacred oil for anointing kings is kept. And yet, the hopes of those to whom the already born concept of “France” was infinitely dear rushed to Charles. The not entirely legitimate king became the center of patriotic forces.

And so the 16-year-old girl Jeanne in May 1428, accompanied by a distant relative, came to the commandant of the nearby fortress of Vaucouleurs Baudricourt and said that she needed to go to the Dauphin Charles, because she had an order from God. First, she must meet with the Dauphin and gain the right to lift the siege of Orleans. Secondly, to achieve the coronation of the heir in Reims. God's will is to recognize the legitimacy of his origin. It was impossible to provide him with more moral support at that moment. After all, for him the main question is whose son he is, the king or not.

At first, Baudricourt refuses, considering it all complete nonsense. But the girl was still standing under his windows in a red dress (it seems that she had the only one).

Afterwards the commandant of the fortress listened to her again. She spoke simply, but there was something brilliant in the clarity of her answers, in her conviction. And Baudricourt may have heard that at the Dauphin’s court they love prophets. This gave him a chance: what if he would be noticed if he could help this girl. Although it is possible that he really believed her. Something extraordinary emanated from her - thousands of people soon became convinced of this.

Jeanne was given escorts, and she went to see Charles, who was given an audience. There were many people in the hall where she was taken. Karl wanted her to be able to determine who the Dauphin was here.

And she recognized him. How could this happen to a simple peasant woman?

Be that as it may, a short conversation took place face to face between the Dauphin and Jeanne. And after that, he agreed to have her checked by a special commission, which would make sure that she was not a messenger of Satan.

A commission of theologians gathered in Poitiers and talked with Jeanne. They also checked that she was a virgin. This was especially important. There was an idea in the mass consciousness: a woman would destroy France, and a girl would save it.

Where does this idea come from? The country is monarchical, moving towards absolutism, the role of the royal entourage is growing. People associated several stories from the Hundred Years' War with the bad influence of women on kings.

The wife of Charles VI is Isabella of Bavaria. A foreigner, which is no longer good. The husband is crazy. Ideal behavior of the wife in this case is hardly possible. It is difficult to say whether she was so depraved or simply politically chose the Duke of Orleans as her supporter. The Treaty of Troyes was also inspired by Isabella. She was able to persuade her husband to sign this terrible document. And the rumor kept saying: women are ruining France.

And the girl will save you. These ideas have biblical origins: the Mother of God is a symbol of purity and innocence.

In the most difficult moments of life, Christians turn to her image. By the time Jeanne appeared at the court of the Dauphin Charles, there were already a lot of records about the Virgin in the chronicles. People were expecting her to appear. This is a case of mass emotional belief - a manifestation of the “collective unconscious,” as representatives of the French historical Annales School called it.

Jeanne led the lifting of the siege of Orleans. She fought fearlessly. A small figure in light armor, which was made especially for her, was the first to storm the small fortresses around Orleans. The British besieging the city settled in these fortresses (they were called bastides). Zhanna was the perfect target for them. During the capture of the bastide of Turel, she was wounded; an arrow hit her right shoulder. Jeanne fell, to the delight of her enemies.

But she immediately demanded that the arrow be removed and rushed into battle again. And yet her courage is not the main thing. Her opponents, the English, are also medieval people. They believed that the Virgin was capable of performing miracles. There are many records of such “miracles”. So, when Joan of Arc with a small guard was heading to the court of the Dauphin, it was necessary to cross the river, but a strong wind rose. Zhanna said: we need to wait a little, the wind will change. And the wind changed its direction. Could this happen? Certainly! But people explain everything as a miracle, which they always want to believe in.

The presence of Joan of Arc gave rise to unprecedented inspiration in the French army. The soldiers and their commanders (for example, the Duke of Alençon, who firmly believed in the mission of the Virgin) were literally reborn. They were able to drive the British out of the bastides, destroying the siege ring. Everyone knew what Jeanne said about the path that leads to the liberation of France: “Soldiers must fight, and God will grant them victory.”

Quite the opposite changes took place in the army. The British were shocked by the unexpected and such a rapid change in military happiness and began to believe in the divine will acting on the side of the French. Rumors spread that even at the beginning of the siege, God indicated to the British the need to leave the walls of the city by allowing the absurd death of the commander-in-chief, the famous commander Earl of Salisbury. The popular military leader, covered in glory, did not die in battle. He was killed by a cannonball during a skirmish near the walls of Orleans.

1429, May 8 - the siege of Orleans was lifted, the city was liberated. The first point of the order received by Joan of Arc from above has been completed.

From this time on, Joan of Arc was the official commander of the king. She is in her light armor, with a sword, which was miraculously found in the altar, with a white banner - a symbol of purity. True, in France, white is also a symbol of mourning.

The second point remains. And Joan leads King Charles VII to Reims. The gates of cities occupied by the British are opened for her, the keys are taken out, crowds of people run out to meet her. If this does not happen, her army takes the fight. Jeanne was surrounded by commanders who believed in her - excellent warriors who had extensive experience. And these two forces united - spiritual and purely military.

The coronation took place in Reims. How many paintings have been written on this topic! Each era depicts this event in its own way. But, apparently, there is no doubt that Joan of Arc stood next to the king, now the legal Charles VII. She rode with him through the streets of Reims, and amid the cries of the crowd “Long live the Virgin!” sounded more often than “Long live the king!” Not every person can withstand this, especially someone like Karl, who longs for self-affirmation after many years of humiliation.

Probably, at this moment of victory and glory, Joan of Arc should have returned home. But she didn't want to. Her famous statement is: “I must fight to the end. It's noble." She sincerely believed in it. And she started taking Paris.

This is the beginning of the tragedy. Not because it was militarily impossible. Simply, by that time the king had already become hostile to her: he did not want Paris to be liberated by the hands of some peasant woman.

It is significant that Joan of Arc did not ask the king for anything for herself personally - only tax exemption for the residents of her native village. And even this privilege was not given forever: then the zoning was changed, the boundaries were clarified - and that’s it, the peasants from Domremi lost all their advantages.

For herself, Zhanna did not need anything - just to fight on. It should be noted that at this moment she moved on to that part of her activity that was not prescribed to her from above.

The battle for Paris took place. The British resisted desperately. According to one version, they heard rumors that Jeanne had lost her virginity and was no longer afraid of them. But the main thing is that at the height of the assault, the king gave the order to sound the all-clear signal. The generals could not help but obey the king's order. The assault failed, and Joan of Arc was wounded in the thigh. The enemies gloated: she is not invulnerable! But she never declared herself invulnerable.

After this failure, Zhanna felt that everything had changed, she was being forced out: they were not listening, they were not inviting her to the military council. And in April 1430 she left the court. She joined the army that recaptured castles and fortresses in the Loire River valley from the British.

1430, May 23 - near the city of Compiegne she was captured. The portcullis of the gate lowered in front of her as she returned to the city after a sortie. It fell into the hands of the Burgundians. In December they resold it to the British. It is not known for sure whether Joan of Arc was betrayed at Compiegne. But there is no doubt that she was betrayed earlier - near Paris, just as she was betrayed later, when they did not try to recapture or ransom it from the British.

The English decided to try Jeanne, accusing her of serving the devil. Charles VII was afraid to offer a ransom for her. Apparently, he assumed that she would waver, renounce, admit that she was from the devil. Then from whose hands did he receive the crown?

The most difficult process lasted from January to May 1431. The investigation was headed by the French bishop Cauchon, translated from French as “pig”. Since that time, the word “cauchon” has been associated in France with the theme of national betrayal. An unjust church court found her guilty of heresy.

She was able to maintain her convictions, the belief that she was a messenger of God, although there was a moment when she wavered. She was ready to admit that she had sinned because she wore a man's suit. At the trial, she answered very cleverly, “being all the time among men, where it is much more decent to be in a man’s suit.”

More than 20 years later, in 1456, Charles VII, who continued to fight the British and went down in history as the Victor (by the 50s of the 15th century, the British were ousted from France), organized the process of rehabilitation of Joan of Arc. Now he had to cement the bright image of the Virgin in the memory of generations. Numerous witnesses were called and spoke about her life and her purity. The verdict was passed - to annul the conviction of Joan of Arc as unfounded. And in 1920, the Catholic Church canonized her.

Today we understand that it was during Jeanne’s short life that the French nation took shape and rose to its feet. And also the French monarchy. And Voltaire did not like Jeanne precisely because he saw in her a desperate champion of the monarchy, not understanding that in the Middle Ages the king and the nation, the king and France were one and the same. And Joan of Arc forever gave us a beautiful luminous point of her life, unique, like a masterpiece of art.

A short message about Joan of Arc 6th grade will tell you about an amazing woman who forever entered the annals of French history with her feat.

Report on Joan of Arc

The story of Joan of Arc began on January 6, 1412, when she was born in the French village of Domremy. In addition to the official version of the date of birth, historians name two more: 2 dates - January 6, 1408 and 1409. Her parents were wealthy peasants.

At the age of 13 she heard a voice for the first time. It was Archangel Michael who said that Joan should help break the English siege of Orleans and win the battle, bringing glory to France. The visions were repeated again and again. When she turned 16, the girl turned to the captain of the French army, Robert de Baudricourt. Jeanne told him about her visions and asked Baudricourt to help her get to the capital in order to see the Dauphin, the heir of Charles VI.

At first, the captain mocked the girl, but her persistence amazed him. He placed people with her who escorted D'arc to the king. In addition, in order not to embarrass or attract the attention of the soldiers, Robert dressed her in men's clothing.

The appearance of Joan of Arc on March 14, 1429 at Charles's residence caused a stir - she announced that she had been sent by Heaven to help the Dauphin to liberate France from the rule of the British. The girl asked him for an army to lift the siege of Orleans.

Jeanne impressed not only the courtiers, but also the Dauphin. At that time, in France there was a belief: “a young Virgin, sent by God, will help the army win the war.” Despite the fact that the girl was illiterate, she was proficient in horse riding and weapons.

The king's matrons confirmed that Joan of Arc was a virgin. Charles, mistaking her for the girl from the prophecy, appointed her commander-in-chief of the troops and allowed her to lead them to Orleans to liberate the city.

On April 29, 1429, Joan of Arc entered Orleans with a small detachment. Already on May 4, she took the Saint-Loup bastion, and after 4 days the British lifted the siege from the city. For this feat, she began to be called the “Maid of Orleans,” and May 8 is today considered the main holiday of Orleans, as the day of liberation.

The brave girl captured several more fortresses, conquering one city after another. She also elevated the Dauphin Charles to king of France.

Execution of Joan of Arc

In the spring of 1430, Joan of Arc led troops to the besieged city of Compiegne. Here she fell into a trap: the city bridge was raised, and she could not get out of the city. The Burgundians sold the “Maid of Orleans” for 10 thousand gold livres to the British. In the winter of 1431, she was put on trial, which took place in Rouen. She was sentenced to death by burning, accusing Joan of being a heretic. Charles VII, King of France, never ransomed his savior for unknown reasons. On May 30, 1431, the girl who saved France was burned alive in the Old Market Square.

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Biography, life story of Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc was born in 1412 AD on January 6 in the village of Domremy in Lorraine. Her parents were not very rich. She lived in a family with her mother, father and two brothers - Pierre and Jean. Her parents' names were Jean and Isabel.

There is more than one mystical belief around the person of Joan of Arc. Firstly, the rooster crowed for a very long time at her birth. Secondly, Jeanne grew up near the place where a wonderful tree grew, around which fairies gathered in ancient times.

At the age of 12, Zhanna discovered something. It was the voice that told her of her destiny to be the protector of King Charles. The voice told her that she would save France according to prophecy. She had to go and save Orleans, lift the siege from it. These were the voices of Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine. The voice haunted her every day. In this regard, she had to turn to Robert de Baudricourt three times in order to fulfill her destiny. The third time she came to Vaucouleurs, where her uncle lived. The residents bought her a horse, and she rode again in the hope of being accepted. Soon a messenger from the Duke of Lorraine arrived in Vaucouleurs. He invited her to come to Nancy. She put on a man's suit and went to see the Dauphin Charles in Chinon. There she was first introduced to the wrong person, but she learned that it was not the Dauphin Charles. She showed a sign to the Dauphin standing in the crowd, and he immediately believed in the righteousness of her path.

She told him words on behalf of the Almighty. Jeanne said that she was destined to make him king of France, to crown him in Reims. The king turned to the people and said that he trusted her. The parliamentary lawyer asked her many questions and received answers like from a scientist. The future king equated her with the “banner knights” and gave her a personal banner. Jeanne was also given two messengers, two pages and two harolds.

D'Ark went at the head of the troops with a personal banner and Charles won. The siege of Orleans was lifted in just 9 days. This was a sign of her divine mission. Since then, the day of May 8 has been a miracle of the Christian era. In Orleans it is the feast of the Appearance of the Archangel Michael. The English retreated without a fight, after Orleans had been under siege for 7 months. Rumors about her spread throughout Europe. Joan went to Loches to meet the king. The actions of her troops were slow and strange. Their victories can only be explained by a miracle. As some scientists explain of our time, this is the result of chance or something that science still cannot answer.

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Further, disputes began in the royal council about the purpose of the campaign. The courtiers did not advise the Dauphin Charles to go to Reims, since there were many fortified cities along the road. But Jeanne, with her authority, forced the troops to go on a campaign. In three weeks, the army covered 300 kilometers and did not fire a single shot. Charles was crowned king at Reims Cathedral. Joan of Arc stood nearby in the cathedral with a banner.

After this, Jeanne was captured by the Burgundians. Charles concluded a strange truce with them. The king's army was disbanded. Six months later, the Burgundians gave d'Arc to the British, and they brought her before the Inquisition. She waited for help from France, but in vain. There were two attempts to escape. She was guarded by five soldiers, and chained at night. There were grueling interrogations one after another, she was waylaid traps at every step. So a year passed from the day of captivity. She was interrogated by one hundred and thirty-two inquisitors of the tribunal. Criminal acts were outlined in 70 articles. When they began to judge her according to the articles, the court could not convict her. It was decided to abandon torture so that the trial would not was declared invalid because it was an “exemplary process.” Therefore, a second charge was formulated, it contained 12 articles.

Zhanna did not admit anything. Then they came up with a procedure that was supposed to induce fear of death in her. They brought her to the cemetery and began to read the verdict. Jeanne could not stand it and agreed to submit to the will of the church. The protocol was probably falsified, since it turned out that this formula applied to all of Jeanne’s previous activities, which she could not renounce. She only agreed to submit to the will of the church in further actions. She realized that she had been blatantly deceived. She was promised that after her renunciation the shackles would be removed from her, but this did not happen. The inquisitors needed her to fall back into heresy. Then she would have been executed. It was done very simply. In the cell, her head was shaved and she was dressed in a man's dress. This was enough to prove "heresy".

Joan of Arc was burned in 1431 AD on May 30 in the Old Market Square in Rouen. When Joan was executed, the executioner repented. He was convinced of her holiness. The heart and liver did not burn, no matter how hard he tried. Thus , the imperishable heart remained unburnt.

It took 25 years before Jeanne's reputation was rehabilitated. There was a trial again, 115 witnesses and Zhanna’s mother were present. She was recognized as the beloved daughter of the Church and France. The Roman Church canonized Joan as a saint.