Joan of Arc, as she appears from the pages of textbooks (and it doesn’t matter whether French, Russian or Brazilian - they, alas, are the same everywhere), was born between 1831 and 1843 under the pen of Jules Michelet, then director of the National Archives.

On the pages of his six-volume History of France, he painted an image that seemed to him, a democrat, romantic and patriot, ideal. It was this black-and-white ideal (and not at all the real Virgin of France!) by the decision of the Roman Curia that was subsequently, on May 9, 1920, canonized. But how did it really happen?

THE CREATION OF A MYTH

First official version. When the defeat of the French during the Hundred Years' War already seemed inevitable, Jeanne appeared, intending to expel the British, the "daughter of the people" carried the French with her.

She was born in the village of Domremy, near the border of Lorraine and Champagne. At that time, the locals supported the Armagnacs (one of the two feudal groups that formed during the reign of Charles the Mad; it was headed by Count d "Armagnac), who fought with the Burgundian party - the Bourguignons, who held the side of the British in the Hundred Years' War. Taking advantage of the turmoil, they constantly committed predatory raids by the Germans, which is why Jeanne often had to see her brothers and fellow villagers bloodied.

Jeanne, the daughter of the plowman Jacques d "Arc and his wife Isabella d" Arc (nee de Vuton), nicknamed Roma, that is, Roman, for her olive complexion, was tall and strong. and a hardy girl, distinguished by piety, diligence and innocence. From childhood, she saw people's disasters around and, as she later said, “sorrow for the misfortunes of dear France stung her like a snake in her heart.” At the age of thirteen, she heard "voices" commanding her to save the fatherland.

At first, these visions frightened her, for such an appointment seemed to far exceed her strength. However, she gradually got used to this idea. Jeanne was not even eighteen when she left her native places to take part in the struggle for the liberation of her homeland. With great difficulty, she reached Chenon, the castle on the Loire, where the heir to the throne, the Dauphin Charles, was at that time. Just before that, a rumor about a prophecy had spread among the troops, according to which God would send France a savior maiden. And therefore, the courtiers considered that the girl’s deep faith in victory was capable of raising the morale of the troops.

When a special ladies' commission testified to the purity of Jeanne (having found out along the way that she is a hermaphrodite (as it was elegantly formulated, "... not capable of normal intercourse" - but this circumstance, however, does not appear in the common legend for obvious reasons), she a detachment of knights was entrusted to the command, which joined the seven thousandth army assembled to help the besieged Orleans. The most experienced military leaders recognized her supremacy. All the way the common people enthusiastically met their Virgin. Craftsmen forged armor for Jeanne and sewed a marching uniform.

Inspired by the Virgin, the Orleans left the walls of the city and stormed the English fortifications. As a result, nine days after her arrival in the city, the siege was lifted. The year 1429, marked by this event, turned out to be a turning point in the course of the war, since Jeanne has since been called the Maid of Orleans. However, until the Dauphin was crowned, he was not considered a legitimate sovereign. Jeanne persuaded Charles to undertake a campaign against Reims, where French monarchs had long been crowned. The army victoriously completed the three hundred-kilometer march in two weeks, and the heir to the throne was solemnly crowned king in Reims Cathedral, henceforth becoming Charles VII.

The war, meanwhile, continued. Once, near Compiègne, Jeanne's detachment was surrounded by the Burgundians. They captured the Maid of Orleans and gave it to their British allies for 10,000 livres. Those, in order to justify their own defeats, accused Joan of having connections with the devil. A tribunal of learned theologians tricked her into signing a false confession, as a result of which the heroine was declared a witch, and on May 31, 1431 (or, according to the English chroniclers, in February 1432), she was burned at the stake in Rouen.

Such a presentation of the facts, quite worthy of a romantic narrative in the style of Walter Scop, Alexandre Dumas père, or Theophile Gauthier, perfectly explains why the French historian, philosopher and sociologist of art Hippolyte Taine considered Michelet not so much a scientist, but one of the greatest poets modernity, and called his work "the lyrical epic of France."

But be that as it may, this is where the legend and the paragraph in the textbook end and begin ...

COUNTLESS QUESTIONS

I will give only a few examples, although almost all of the above, alas, is not in harmony with many historical facts not just common sense.

Let's start with the origin. The very names of the so-called "parents" of the Maid of Orleans testify to their belonging to the nobility, and not at all, to the peasant class (although, as the documents indicate, the Arches were temporarily deprived of the rights of the state, which, however, did not deprive them of the privilege of wearing the family coat of arms ) So you should categorically say goodbye to the "plowman's daughter". In addition, none of his contemporaries called her Joan of Arc at all. She herself is on litigation stated that she did not know her last name: “My name is Jeanne the Virgin, and in childhood they called Jeannette.” In all documents of that era, she is referred to exclusively as Dame Jeanne, Jeanne the Virgin, Maid of France or Maid of Orleans, and this last name, mind you, appears before the liberation of Orleans. Finally, the coat of arms bestowed on Jeanne by the Dauphin has nothing to do with the coat of arms of the d'Arcos, indicating a completely different, much higher origin ...

Now about appearance. Not a single authentic image of Jeanne has survived to this day. The only known lifetime portrait is a pen drawing made by the secretary of the Parisian parliament on the margins of his TO register in May 1429, when Paris learned of the lifting of the siege of Orleans. However, this drawing has nothing to do with the original. It depicts a woman with long curls, dressed in a dress with a pleated skirt; she holds a banner and is armed with a sword. Jeanne really had a sword and a banner. However, she invariably wore a man's suit, and her hair, due to the need to wear a helmet, was cut short.

Many contemporaries called Jeanne a beauty and were hopelessly in love with her. A woman who participated in battles and knightly tournaments really had to be distinguished by strength and endurance. However, the Virgin was not tall - in one of the French museums her armor is kept, indicating that the owner of them ... almost did not reach one and a half meters.

Let's talk about innocence and hard work. According to the records, in the course of the process that subjected her to condemnation, the "daughter of the people" with arrogant contempt rejected the claim that she herded livestock or worked on the house. And at the acquittal process, Alain Chartier, the secretary of the two kings - Charles VI and Charles VII, said:

“It seemed that this girl was brought up not in the fields, but in schools, in close contact with the sciences.” And in Chenon, she amazed the Dauphin and his cousin, the young Duke of Alencon, with unsurpassed riding skills, perfect possession of weapons and a brilliant knowledge of the games then common among the nobility (kenten, playing rings, etc.).

By the way, about the way to Shannon. Let's start with the fact that in January 1429, shortly before Jeanne's departure there, the royal messenger Jean Collet de Vienne arrived in the village of Domremy, where she lived in the d'Arc family, accompanied by the Scottish archer Richard. By his order, an escort of knights was formed Jean de Novelonpont and Bertrand de Poulangy, their squires and several servants.On the way, the detachment stopped at Nancy, where Jeanne had a long consultation about something with the dukes Charles of Lorraine and René of Anjou, and also "in the presence of the nobility and people of Lorraine" took part in jousting tournament with a spear.

Considering that the tournaments were the exclusive privilege of the nobility, that shields with the coats of arms of the participants were displayed around the stadium, it seems completely unbelievable that Charles of Lorraine and other seniors would have come to terms with the fact that a peasant woman was perched on a thoroughbred war horse, moreover, armed with a spear, which they had right exclusively dedicated knights. And another question: where did she get the armor from? It would be very, very difficult to pick up strangers for her height ... Finally, under what coat of arms did she perform? Deprived (even temporarily) of the noble rights of d "Arkov? Who, as they say, was not in rank!

Finally, upon arrival at Chenon, Jeanne was immediately received by both queens - Yolande of Anjou, mother-in-law of the Dauphin Charles, and her daughter, Mary of Anjou, Charles's wife. As you can see, the Virgin was brought to Shenon with honor, and there is no need to talk about any overcoming obstacles. But according to the logic of things, Jeanne, being a clairvoyant humble peasant woman, should not have penetrated into the castle further than the gatekeeper. Of course, her appearance would be reported to the officer on duty, the latter to the governor, the latter, perhaps, to the dauphin ... But how would all this end? Clairvoyants in those days roamed the French roads in great numbers.

And the last. Yes, “artisans forged armor for Jeanne” (and who else could have done this?), But the king paid for them, and as many as one hundred Tournaisian livres, a huge amount at that time; the armor of the Duke of Apanson, cousin of the Dauphin, for example, cost only eighty. And in general, the Virgo was not shy about funds: “When my box is empty, the king replenishes it,” she used to say. And the most striking fact: Jeanne demanded a sword that once belonged not to anyone, but to the legend of France, the famous military leader - Bertrand du Guesclin, constable of Charles V; asked for it and got it. And one more detail: she already possessed du Guesclin's ring when she came to Chenon. How did he fall into the hands of a peasant woman?

These questions can be multiplied endlessly - more and more new ones arise literally at every step. And so it will be until the place of the legend takes ...

HISTORICAL TRUTH

The Hundred Years War, intermittently stretching from 1337 to 1453, was a family matter - the right to the French throne was contested by the closest relatives (not without reason in the history of England this period is called the time of the French kings). For our heroine, this is crucial: in any other situation, her own story would be completely different.

The august wife of the French crowned Charles VI the Mad Isabella of Bavaria was distinguished by a temperament so ardent that of her twelve children, only the first four, apparently, were due to the birth of her husband. The fathers of others were the younger brother of the king, the Duke Louis of Orleans, and also a certain Chevalier Louis de Bois-Bourdon. The last child of Queen Isabeau was Jeanne, who was born on November 10, 1407, an illegitimate daughter, given up for education in a family of impoverished nobles d "Arkov.

However, born in wedlock or in adultery, she remained a princess of the blood—daughter of a queen and brother of a king; this circumstance explains all the oddities of its further history. And even the nickname Maid of Orleans does not testify not to the heroic command of the troops near Orleans (by the way, there were other truly outstanding commanders - Count Dunois, Jeanne's half-brother, as well as Gilles de Rais, hopelessly in love with her, who went down in history under the name of Bluebeard) , but about belonging to the House of Orleans of the Valois dynasty.

The very next day after the official presentation at the Chenon court, Jeanne talked with the Dauphin Charles, and - and this is noted by all witnesses - she sat next to him, which only a princess of the blood could afford. When the Duke of Alençon appeared, she asked unceremoniously:

And who is this?

My cousin Alencon.

Welcome! Jeanne said kindly. - The more of us, in whom the blood of France flows, the better ...

Recognition, you see, absolutely direct. By the way, in battles, Jeanne used not only the sword of the great constable, but also a battle ax specially forged for her, on which the first letter of her name was engraved - J, crowned with a crown. The evidence is, frankly, eloquent. It was simply unthinkable in the 15th century to appropriate a heraldic attribute that did not belong by right, and even of such a rank.

A few days after Jeanne was wounded in the vicinity of Paris on September 8, 1429, she donated this weapon of hers to the Abbey of Saint-Denis as a votive offering. To this day, a stone slab resembling a gravestone has been preserved there, on which Jeanne is depicted in armor - in her left hand she clutches a battle ax with a clearly distinguishable J under the crown. There is no doubt that it is the Virgin of Orleans that is depicted, for the inscription on the plate reads: “Such was the equipment of Joan, donated by her to St. Denis."

Moreover, historians have known all this for a long time. Including - that Jeanne was not burned at the stake at all: after all, royal blood is sacred (the account of the executed august persons was subsequently opened by the unfortunate English Stuarts - first Mary, and then Charles I); a monarch or a prince of the blood can be deposed, captured, imprisoned, finally killed - but by no means executed.

Until February 1432, the Maid of Orleans was in honorary captivity at the castle of Bouvreuil in Rouen, then she was released, on November 7, 1436 she married Robert des Armois and in 1436 re-emerged from non-existence in Paris, where she was recognized by her former associates and treated kindly by Charles VII (tenderly embracing her, the king exclaimed: "Virgin, darling, welcome again, in the name of the Lord ..."). So the legend of her arrest as an impostor was created by the works of the adherents of the myth. Joan of Arc (now Lady des Armois) died in the summer of 1449. Everyone knows about it - except for those who do not want to know.

BUT WHY?

To understand this, you need to understand historical role Maid of Orleans. She was not a military leader - military historians are very skeptical about her military leadership talents. Yes, this was not required: such as Bastard Dunois or Gilles de Rais were successfully engaged in strategy and tactics. And Jeanne's task was to assert the rights of the Dauphin to the French throne.

Two years before his death, in 1420, Charles VI, knowing that the Dauphin Charles was not his son, named the successor to his cousin, the young English king Henry VI. The French, who disagreed with his decision, believed that by law the right to the throne should go to the king's nephew Charles of Orleans, but he languished in English captivity, where he was destined to spend another eighteen years.

Consequently, the Dauphin Charles remained more or less a suitable candidate for the throne; but whose son was he - Louis of Orleans or the rootless nobleman de Bois-Bourdon? In the first case, its legitimacy could still be recognized, in the second - in no way. It was then that, according to the plan of the authors of a carefully designed intrigue, Jeanne, the undoubted princess of the blood, should have appeared on the stage; appear and confirm that the Dauphin is her own, and not her half-brother, and then achieve his coronation. With this role, she coped brilliantly.

The British had only one thing left to do - to discredit Jeanne, invalidating her testimony, which was carried out at the Rouen trial. Jeanne's acquittal at the counter-trial held in 1451 was a natural response: during the life of Lady des Armois, this could not be done, since the verdict of the Inquisition still weighed on the saved Virgin, and it was by no means possible to disclose the details of the falsification of the execution. Since the near end of the war was already obvious, the British, who had renounced their claims to the French throne, agreed with Joan's justification. The next step was the canonization of the Virgin of Orleans, which took place more than four centuries later - the French monarchy no longer existed, but the public consciousness needed the legitimacy of the more than dubious Charles VII to be witnessed by the highest of authorities ... And in this sense, Joan of Arc truly won the Hundred Years War and saved France.

So why does the legend triumph to this day? Very simply: after all, the nature of a myth lies in the fact that it draws strength from itself, without needing justification and without fear of any evidence, any facts, no matter how weighty they may be.

Too many are unprofitable to debunk it. The Catholic Church - for it is involved in both processes, accusatory and acquittal, as well as in the canonization of a princess of dubious origin. Democrats - for in the place of the daughter of a plowman, flesh of the flesh of the people, stands in the light of truth the princess of the blood, conceived in sin. Finally, to the average Frenchman - for many generations he has already become so accustomed to the legend that its destruction becomes a very painful process. But the use of myth for today's purposes is extremely convenient.

Remember, for example, an inconspicuous detail about the Germans who plundered the neighborhood of Domremy? It becomes completely understandable if we remember that it was not recorded for the first time by Michelet, but later in Desire Blanche and Jules Pinard's Complete Course in the History of France, written shortly after the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. And how actively this motive was used by the members of the Resistance during World War II...

For many more generations, as exciting detective stories, the brilliant historical books of Robert Ambelain, Etienne Weill-Reynal, Jean Grimaud, Gerard Pesma and those now unknown who will continue their research will be read out on the life of Joan of Arc. the invincible myth will continue to march solemnly.

Monument to Joan of Arc in Domremy-la-Pucelle Joan of Arc - the famous Virgin of Orleans - was born into an ordinary poor peasant family, in the town of Domremy. This happened in 1412 - on Christmas night on January 6th. There is a legend that in Domremy at dawn the roosters woke up the villagers with an unusual amazing cry, announcing a new joy. However, this is just […]

- the famous Virgin of Orleans - was born in an ordinary poor peasant family, in the town Domremy. This happened in 1412 - on Christmas night on January 6th. There is a legend that in Domremy at dawn the roosters woke up the villagers with an unusual amazing cry, announcing a new joy. However, this is just a legend - documentary chronicles of such an event do not exist.

Jeanne lived with her parents and two brothers. The Hundred Years War was on. Times were hard for France. Legitimate heir to the throne - Dauphin Charles VII- the future king - was removed from power. The ruler of France under the treaty in Troyes became Henry V- English king. In fact, the French state joined England. The queen was blamed for this Isabella of Bavaria. A prophecy spread among the people, promising: if a woman ruined France, then the Virgin would save her.

According to the memoirs of Zhanna herself, at the age of 12 she had a vision. A radiant cloud arose, from which the voice of the King of Heaven was heard. He called her the chosen one and ordered to act - to go and lift the siege from the city of Orleans. The voices began to appear to Jeanne every day. She was visited by visions of the saints - the Archangel Michael, Catherine and Margarita.

On March 6, 1429, a young girl in a man's dress came to Chinon Castle and obtained an audience with Charles VII. She managed to convince the Dauphin, and she was entrusted with a military detachment. This detachment, under her leadership, inflicted several crushing blows on the British. The siege was lifted. It took Jeanne's detachment nine days to liberate Orleans. The date of liberation of the city is 05/08/1429. In Orleans, this day has been dedicated to Joan of Arc for many centuries.

Napoleon Bonaparte, who was well versed in combat strategies, admitted that Joan was a military genius.

After the lifting of the siege of Orleans, disputes began in the Royal Council. Jeanne convinced everyone of the need to march on Reims in order to crown Charles VII. This would be the de facto declaration of French independence. The courtiers objected, but Jeanne managed to convince the Council. The campaign was successful, the release of Troyes decided the outcome of the company. The army of the Maid of Orleans traveled three hundred kilometers in three weeks.

Joan of Arc at the coronation of Charles VII (Dominique Ingres, 1780-1867)

The coronation took place in Reims Cathedral on 17 July. Jeanne was also present with a military banner in her hands.

In August, the royal army tried to take Paris but was defeated. The newly minted king behaved strangely. Instead of another offensive, he concluded a truce with the Burgundians. January 21, 1930 the army was disbanded. Jeanne's detachment continued to fight, but began to suffer defeat - one after another. When trying to liberate Compiègne, on May 23, 1430, the detachment was captured by the Burgundians during a sortie. Six months later, they handed Jeanne over to the British. All this time she was waiting for help from the French government - but in vain.

So Jeanne was in English captivity. She was eighteen years old. There were rumors that the close associates of Charles VII, for whom she fought, had betrayed the girl.

The tower in Rouen where Joan of Arc was imprisoned.

In Rouen, she was kept in a cage in the basement of the Bouvray castle, then transferred to a cell. She was kept there, chained to the wall. The process began in January 1431. The Inquisition charged Joan of Arc with twelve counts. In the life of the Maiden of Orleans, a struggle began with new weapons and other opponents. 132 members of the tribunal opposed it. Every day she was asked dozens of questions. She was accused of wearing a man's dress, and of visions - supposedly diabolical, and of seducing the king. The main accusation was her refusal to submit to the mainstream church.

In Paris, at the same time, Henry VI was declared the monarch of France and England. Therefore, the court in Rouen had to prove that Charles VII was elevated to the throne by an impious heretic and sorceress.

Nevertheless, they decided to refuse torture. For Jeanne, they came up with and wrote down the "formula" of renunciation - the refusal to wear men's clothing and prophetic visions. Under pain of death, the girl signed the protocol of renunciation. She was sentenced to life imprisonment, transferred to an old cell and again shackled. Later, in prison, a man's dress was planted on her. It was a provocation.

Perhaps Jeanne was forced to put on this costume again, or maybe she did it voluntarily - but in the eyes of the churchmen this meant a return to heresy. After that, Jeanne declared that she was refusing her renunciation, that she was ashamed of her apostasy and betrayal of her own ideals.

The Tribunal signed the decision to extradite her to the secular authorities.

In 1431, at dawn on May 30, Joan of Arc, dressed in a long dress and cap, was taken out of prison and put into a wagon.

The bonfire in the Rouen marketplace burned for several hours. When it was finally over, Jeanne's executioner came to the Dominican monastery. He repented and wept. The executioner said that Jeanne's heart did not burn out even after he collected coals around it several times. Then he put everything that was left in a bag and threw Jeanne's heart into the Seine.

Twenty-five years later, a new process took place. It heard 115 witnesses. Jeanne was rehabilitated, she was recognized as a national heroine. In 1920, the Roman Church proclaimed Jeanne a saint. Her mission to save France was recognized as true.

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Joan of Arc - Great Love Stories

Maid of Orleans, national heroine of France. She led the struggle of the French people against the English invaders, in 1429 she freed Orleans from the siege. Her activities influenced the results of the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). In 1430, she was captured by the Burgundians, who sold her to the British, who declared Joan of Arc a witch and brought her to the church court. Accused of heresy, she was burned at the stake in Rouen. In 1920 she was canonized by the Catholic Church.

Joan of Arc

Pushkin wrote that "... in recent history there is no example more touching than the life and death of the heroine of Orleans." Perhaps it is impossible to find analogies in the incomprehensibility of the feat of Joan of Arc, because all of her short life, her actions cannot be explained by the laws of female, and indeed human psychology. All the time you are confronted with some inexplicable reason for her actions, with some mysterious force that guided her.

The story of the Maid of Orleans is the final episode of the Hundred Years War between England and France, the main reason for which was the struggle for the lands occupied by England (from the middle of the XII century) on the territory of France. By the time we are talking about, the French court was torn apart by dynastic divisions, which led to shameful things. The depraved wife of Charles VI, Isabella of Bavaria, who gave her daughter to the English king Henry V, hastened to transfer the French throne to him, thus depriving her son Charles VII of power. The English ruled in France, plundering and ruining the country, and the chivalry and nobility, mired in debauchery and entertainment, were unable to protect the French.

In a country driven to despair by robberies and lawlessness, rumors began to spread that France, as opposed to carnal sin, could only be saved by a virgin. The absurdity of these rumors was obvious, since a woman in general in medieval society was considered not quite a full-fledged person, but virginity assumed a very young age, at which the girl still did not really understand what was happening. But the more absurd the rumors were, the more incredible, the more they wanted to believe in them, because only a miracle could save France. And the miracle came.

The wealthy peasant family d'Arc had, in addition to Jeanne, two more sons and two daughters. They lived together, according to the customs of that time, sacredly believed in God, grazed cattle. Jeanne did not stand out in any way from her brothers and sisters, perhaps she was more compassionate, more naive, more inclined towards mysticism and very pious. She loved to stand idle in the church for hours, listening with tenderness to the preaching of the priest.

Jeanne perceived the removal of Charles VII from power as a personal misfortune. Apparently, her sympathetic heart was generally unable to pass by any injustice. This divine gift of compassion has developed in a peasant girl to an obsession, to heights that are already inaccessible to a simple layman.

Suffering from troubles native land, Jeanne was transported into the world of visions. Once she heard that the Archangel Michael, Saints Margaret and Catherine were calling her to a difficult feat in the name of the fatherland. At first, she told her family about her visions, they were only surprised how accurately the illiterate young daughter indicated her goal to them: to free Orleans and crown the Dauphin in Reims.

The appearance of the Mother of God finally convinced Jeanne of her high destiny. Together with her uncle, the girl ends up in the Vokuler castle, where the court of the disgraced King Charles was located at that time, and the commandant of the castle reported to the owner about a strange visitor. On the one hand, it is ridiculous that the king did not react in any way to Jeanne's visit - being in isolation, abandoned by everyone, Charles did not receive offers of help every day. On the other hand, it's funny if he reacted - what can this fragile, small, illiterate girl really offer.

Only miraculous can be called the subsequent luck of the Maid of Orleans. The forces of Providence acted, of course, through a woman - the nineteen-year-old mistress of the king, Agnes Sorel. Thanks to her perseverance, on February 29, 1429, a peasant girl appeared in Chinon, the residence of Charles VII. The whole court and the clergy gathered to look at the "heavenly messenger". Karl stood in the crowd of courtiers, no different from them, but, according to legend, Jeanne, who had never seen him, turned directly to him.

The girl made a strong impression on the courtiers with her incendiary speeches. It seemed that some other, more influential forces spoke through her lips. However, the indecisive, weak-willed Charles doubted, rightly fearing a further deterioration in his position. They decided to approach the matter scientifically: a commission of authoritative theologians gathered, which certified that Jeanne was a completely good Catholic, and the ladies' committee, led by the mother-in-law of Charles Iolanta of Aragon, testified to her virginal purity.

Finally, the king presented d'Arc with a banner with the coat of arms of the French royal house and gave a small detachment, which included famous knights, as well as the virgin brothers Jean and Pierre. The first victory of the fighting squad was the delivery of reinforcements and food to the besieged Orleans. The success of the expedition immediately made Jeanne famous. With the speed of light, rumors spread throughout France that, they say, an angel from heaven had appeared, called to save the fatherland. Significant forces from all over the country began to gather under the banner of the Virgin of Orleans, only a symbol was needed that would unite all patriots. And he showed up.

Before embarking on hostilities, Jeanne sent a note to the camp of the British besieging Orleans: “Englishmen, you, who do not have any rights to the French crown, are ordered by the King of heaven through me to lift the siege and return to their homeland, otherwise I will have to start a war about which you forever you will remember ... ”Signed: Jesus, Mary, Jeanne the virgin.

On June 18, 1429, the enemies fled in panic, and the entire middle course of the Loire was cleared of the hated British. In battle, Jeanne made an unforgettable impression. In shining knightly armor, on a black horse, with flowing blond hair, with a banner in her hands, absolutely confident in her safety, she carried the soldiers along with her, always appearing where the ranks of the French began to waver.

Feeling the general enthusiasm, and Karl finally took decisive action. He moved to Reims, where Jeanne proposed to crown him on the French throne. All passing fortresses surrendered almost without a fight - Charles enjoyed reaping the fruits of the young girl's victories with pleasure.

On July 16, during the solemn coronation, Joan of Arc stood next to Charles. After the ceremony of chrismation, engulfed in ecstasy, the girl threw herself, sobbing, at the feet of the king: “O most noble king, now the will of the Almighty has been accomplished, commanding me to bring you to your city of Reims and take holy chrismation so that everyone will know the true ruler of France.”

She fulfilled the mission entrusted to her by the Divine Providence, and after that her energy seemed to run out. According to some reports, Jeanne asked Charles to let her go home, according to others, she herself volunteered to complete the struggle for the liberation of France. So it was or otherwise, but it is known that enthusiasm does not last long. The girl no longer had the strength to keep the religious and patriotic enthusiasm of thousands of people in constant heat. The failures began. During the siege of the capital, Jeanne suffered her first serious defeat and was also wounded. Ungrateful rumor with the same speed with which her glory fled across the country spread the news that the Maid of Orleans was not at all as omnipotent as it seemed.

In the spring of 1430, the girl was captured. To the shame of the king, neither he nor his army, except for a handful of brave men devoted to their inspirer, made no attempt to save Joan of Arc.

The English authorities handed over the Virgin of Orleans to the court of the Inquisition, who accused her of witchcraft and complicity with the devil. But even under torture, Jeanne retained clarity of thought and dignity. When she was asked if she believed in her calling by the grace of God, then, of course, they wanted to embarrass and confound her, for if she answered in the affirmative, she could be accused of pride, of imposture. And if she answers in the negative, then she admits to deception. She answered simply: "If not, may it please the Lord to strengthen this faith in me; if so, may He support it in me."

Unable to convict Jeanne of witchcraft, she was accused of "arbitrarily intercourse with heavenly forces and wearing a man's suit," which was prohibited by cathedral decrees. The girl turned to the pope, but while the answer came from him, she was burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431. Her relatives, brothers Jean and Pierre, received from the king a title of nobility and lands as a reward, and Jeanne's name began to acquire legends and rumors. For a long time, false Jeanne appeared on French soil, wishing to acquire the glory of a great virgin, but no one has yet been able to repeat the feat of self-denial, which a young girl from the French province was miraculously capable of.

In conclusion, we note that we have presented here the classic version of the origin and life of Joan of Arc. At the moment, some French historians, not without reason, assert the noble pedigree of the girl, and in addition, they prove that instead of her a figurehead was burned at the stake, which allegedly gave rise to many legends that Jeanne was alive. But, apparently, it will not be possible to discover the truth.

The life of the national heroine, the savior of France, was short and beautiful! She was born on January 6, 1412 in the small village of Domremy between Lorraine and Champagne. In 1429, standing at the head of the French army, she liberated Orleans from the siege of a large army of the British, receiving the name of the Maid of Orleans. Freeing the regions and cities of France, she reached Reims, where on July 17, 1429 she crowned Charles VII. In 1430, while liberating Compiègne, she was captured by the Burgundians, who handed her over to the British. Joan of Arc was slandered and sentenced to be burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431.

According to the descriptions of ancient chronicles, she was tall, strong, beautiful, slender, with luxurious black hair, with deep, thoughtful eyes. Pure and sublime, simple, cordial and kind - she loved solitude, prayed often and fervently. Jeanne believed that Saints Catherine, Margaret and the Archangel Michael were talking to her. The voices informed her that it was she who would help to establish the peace of France, with the help of the heir to the throne, the Dauphin Charles. With a special gift of predictions, holiness, she won the hearts of people ...

Despite the young age of 18, Jeanne steadfastly and courageously endured all the hardships of military and camp life, inspired the troops by her own example, but she herself never used weapons. Confident in her calling from above to save the country from death and foreign yoke, she led the soldiers forward. From victory to victory! Her power over the army was deeply moral - divine services were constantly held in the camp, she banished drunkenness and debauchery, restored discipline, and raised the morale of the soldiers.

The very campaign to Orleans was a spiritual and solemn procession - the troops were carrying sacred banners in front, the clergy were singing psalms. In view of the enemy, Joan of Arc entered the city and was greeted by its population with unusual enthusiasm and delight, as a messenger of Heaven and a miraculous deliverer. After the liberation of Orleans and the brilliant victories over the British and Burgundians at Jarge, Beaugency and Pathé, the sovereign Reims opened its gates for the coronation of Charles VII. During the coronation celebrations, Joan of Arc in military armor, with a sacred banner in her hands, stood near the throne. At the end of the ceremony, deeply moved, she threw herself on her knees before the king - “The will of God has been fulfilled! Orleans is liberated and you, sovereign, are anointed to the kingdom! Her cherished dream came true. Crowning Charles VII with the crown of France, Joan reached the pinnacle of her fame. Her mottos began to decorate the banners and weapons of the knights, the people admired and idolized her, calling her the Virgin of Orleans and the Savior of France.

The bright noble image of the national heroine, who saved the country from destruction, laid down her life "for her friends" - has been living for several centuries in world history. The Virgin of Orleans has been sung by many generations of artists and sculptors, composers, writers and poets. Her blessed memory is dedicated to memorial museums and centers, thousands of volumes of historical and art books, dozens of television and feature films. Streets and squares of large cities are named after Joan of Arc in France and abroad, on which horse and foot monuments are installed.

In 1912, the whole of France - with military parades, festive processions and fireworks - solemnly celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Virgin of Orleans, and in 1920 in Rome, in St. Peter's Cathedral, the long-awaited ceremony of canonization of the "blessed Jeanne" took place. The French honor their national heroine with sacred awe and adoration, celebrating Jeanne d'Arc Day on May 8 every year. Under the banner of the Virgin of Orleans, French warriors fought and died heroically in the 15th century. They fought with her name during the years of the Franco-Prussian (1870-1871), World War I (1914-1918) and in the ranks of the French resistance. The name of Joan of Arc in 1940-1944 was carried by several partisan detachments. In the difficult years of bloody wars and great upheavals, battle banners bowed to the foot of its monuments.

In the past year, Jeanne d'Arc different cities France were dedicated solemn services, conferences, seminars, theatrical performances.

In Russia, where courage, selflessness and heroism have always been valued, the memory of Joan of Arc is alive. The great Pushkin admired the national heroine. Your inspiration poetic lines dedicated to her Vasily Zhukovsky, Vladimir Soloukhin and many other poets. Composer P.I. Tchaikovsky created the opera The Maid of Orleans, which was staged with great success in St. Petersburg. The role of Joan of Arc was played by the great M.N. Yermolova, who collected materials about her heroine.

The outgoing year 2012 can rightfully be called not only the Year of Russian History, but also the Year of the Saviors of the Fatherland. It is symbolic that it was held under the sign of the 600th anniversary of the birth of the Savior of France, Joan of Arc (1412), the 400th anniversary of the feat of the militia of Minin and Pozharsky (1612) and the 200th anniversary of the deliverance and salvation of Russia from the Napoleonic invasion (1812).

Every nation fighting for the liberation of the Motherland has its own Joan of Arc

Helena Konstantinidis in Greece during the Greco-Turkish War late XIX centuries, with her courage and fearlessness, she repeatedly inspired the discouraged Greek army. Dressed like a man, with hair long to the waist and with a weapon in her hands, she boldly walked at the head of the army, more than once putting her life in danger.

Macedonian Jeanne d'Arc - Jordanian Pankavicharova. The brave Bulgarian "voivodships" - Katerina Arnautova, Katerina Arivandova, Ioanna Markova and Ioanna Stanchova, who were awarded the gold medal "For Courage" for their exploits. Together with their husbands and fathers, they fought bravely with the Turkish troops for the freedom and independence of their homeland in the Balkan warriors of the early 20th century.

One of the volunteer heroines of the Balkan war was the Russian folk teacher Pletneva, who died a heroic death on November 12, 1912 near Adrionopol.

16-year-old Patracena Vazquez, nicknamed "Mexican Joan of Arc", fought in 1913 for the freedom of Mexico. With a banner in her hands, she went into battle, inspiring the soldiers, stopping the retreating.

18-year-old Serbian Joan of Arc - Slavka Tomic from the very beginning of the First World War, taking up arms, vowed to fight against the Germans. Seriously wounded in one of the battles, she endured all the hardships of the retreat, received the rank of sergeant and, after treatment in the hospital, returned to the front again.

21-year-old sister of mercy Rimma Mikhailovna Ivanova in the First world war took out more than 600 wounded soldiers from the battlefield. For her exploits and courage in rescuing the wounded, she was awarded the St. George Cross IV degree, two St. George medals "For Courage" and the officer order of St. George IV degree. She accomplished her last feat Western front September 9, 1915 in the battle near the Belarusian village of Mokraya Dubrova (north of the city of Pinsk). In her 10th company, all the officers were killed, the confused soldiers faltered and began to retreat. Gathering around her everyone who could hold a weapon, the sister of mercy led them to the attack. The battle was won and the enemy was knocked out of his trenches. In this battle, Rima Ivanova was mortally wounded and died in the arms of the soldiers surrounding her. At the last minute, she whispered - "God save Russia!" and baptized everyone. The whole regiment mourned her. The whole city came to meet the coffin with the body of the deceased sister of mercy at the Stavropol Nikolaevsky railway station. The folk heroine was buried near the church of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. In a farewell speech, Archpriest Semyon Nikolsky said: “France had the Virgin of Orleans - Joan of Arc. Russia has a Stavropol maiden - Rimma Ivanova. And her name will henceforth live forever in the kingdoms of the world. The coffin was lowered into the ground to the sound of a gun salute.

Subsequently, the local clergy even raised the issue of canonizing Rimma as a saint. In Stavropol, scholarships named after Rimma Ivanova were established at the medical assistant's school. Olginskaya female gymnasium and zemstvo school in the village of Petrovsky. It was decided to erect a monument in her honor in Stavropol, but it never materialized: the revolution broke out, then the Civil War ...

Today, the memory of Rimma Ivanova is being revived. At the site of her grave in the fence of the Stavropol Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, a tombstone was installed, on the building of the former Olginsky gymnasium, which she graduated from - a memorial plaque. Award established by the Stavropol and Vladikavkaz diocese - premium St. George Cavalier Sisters of Mercy Rimma Ivanova "For Sacrifice and Mercy".

The siege of Orleans was over, a siege characterized by the Abbé Dunois as an event on which the fate of empires depended. For the Duke of Bedford, it was a real shock, but he took up recruiting new army. As for the besieging troops, Suffolk frivolously scattered them, sending about 700 soldiers to Zhargo, while Talbot took with him the remnants of the soldiers in Maine and Beaugency. The Earl of Dunois attempted to pursue Suffolk on the road to Jargo, but the attempt was repulsed and the French retreated to Orleans, while the Maiden rushed on horseback to tell her king the glad tidings of the victory at Orleans.

Charles held several councils of war, discussing in detail the question of what should be done next. Jeanne sought the formation of a new army and further military operations with the aim of liberating a number of cities along the Loire from the British, before going to Reims for the consecration of royalty and coronation. But Karl and La Tremoy hesitated. Word had reached them that Fastolf was approaching with a new army, and Fastolf quite legitimately aroused fear now. Finally, the persuasion of the Virgin had an effect, an army was sent to Orleans, led by the Duke of Alençon and accompanied by Jeanne. Upon arrival in Orleans, the garrison of the city, led by Dunois, joined the army and the combined forces moved along the south bank of the river to liberate Zhargo. It was a well-equipped army, well-equipped for siege operations, and is said to have numbered as many as eight thousand men.

With the approach to this city, a council of war was convened to decide whether it was worth continuing the campaign. The advice is notable for two things. First, it is unusual that the French commanders, with all the might of their army, raised the question of stopping the campaign as soon as it began. This can only be explained by the succumbing to the combat effectiveness of the British, which, of course, could not disappear in one night or one siege. The French military leaders, apparently, looked to the left with apprehension, expecting surprises from the formidable Fastolf. (There were rumors about his approach.) Secondly, a feature of this council, unlike the previous ones, was the invitation of Jeanne to it as a full participant. This was an eloquent indicator of the prestige that the Maid of Orleans acquired.

At this council, Jeanne spoke energetically in favor of continuing the campaign, and her opinion prevailed over others. The army resumed its march, reaching the walls of Zhargo, and after a short battle, in which the Virgin distinguished herself, the British who had made a sortie were driven back into the city. In the evening, Jeanne approached the fortress walls and addressed the following unforgettable appeal to the defenders of the city: “Surrender the city to the Ruler of Heaven and King Charles, and leave yourself. Otherwise, you will feel bad." Suffolk paid no attention to the threatening tone of this sorceress, but entered into negotiations with Dunois, which, however, yielded nothing. The next morning, Sunday 12 June, the siege guns were in position and the bombardment began. Only three shots of a huge mortar called "rocking chair" destroyed one of the main fortress towers and caused great damage.

A few hours later, the bombardment convened a new council of war, at which they argued about whether to go immediately to the attack or to wait for developments. Again, the uncompromising voice of the Virgin prevailed, speaking in favor of an immediate assault, and again they listened to him. Siege ladders were placed against the fortress walls, and Jeanne herself began to climb up one of the ladders. The besiegers broke into the city and occupied it, the way for the British to withdraw through the bridge was blocked. The Earl of Suffolk and his brother John were captured on the bridge. The count asked the Frenchman who took him prisoner whether he was a knight. The Frenchman admitted that he was just a squire, then Suffolk made him a knight on the spot, satisfying his honor, and then surrendered to him.

The entire English garrison of the city, with the exception of nobles who were subject to exchange for a ransom, was massacred, the church used by the British was plundered.

It remained to take two cities along the Loire, Maine and Beaugency, in order to ensure the safe path of the stubborn Charles to Reims. This time, the French commanders acted promptly, was it not because Fastolf was not in their way? Zhargo fell on Sunday (June 12) before the week that was destined to become memorable. On Monday the army returned to Orléans, and on Wednesday continued along the south bank of the river towards Maine and Beaugency. By nightfall the French had reached the bridge at Maine. The bridge was defended by the British, who built a lift section at its southern end. That night the bridge was occupied. A small detachment was left on it, but no attempts were made to take the city itself, separated from the bridge by a meadow, was made.

The army continued along the south bank of the river to Beaugency, where they found the English entrenched on the bridge and in the castle, just as the French had done the year before. Soon, siege artillery, which proved so effective during the siege of Zhargo, was used against the bridge and the castle. In order to bring the targets of shelling closer, several cannons were placed on barges, fitting them to the castle. But cannonballs couldn't deal with the massive and gloomy main tower of the 12th-century castle (which even today looks as if it had never been besieged). Nevertheless, the bombardment continued all the next day (on Friday), and at night the defenders of Beaugency, led by Matthew Gough and Richard Gethin, in a state of hopelessness and loss of hope for help, agreed with Alencon to leave the city the next morning with weapons and baggage.

Then, on Saturday morning, at dawn, the English left the city, as agreed, unaware that the rescue force led by Fastolf had stopped two miles the previous day and were now preparing to come to their aid by crossing to the south bank. To explain how this unusual situation arose, you need to visit the English camp.

On June 5, an army under Sir John Fastolf set out on a campaign to rescue or reinforce the garrison of Zhargo, as well as other cities threatened by the French. The size of the English army is usually given as five thousand, but this is a suspiciously round figure. It cannot be accepted. Less than twelve months earlier, Bedford had experienced great difficulty in recruiting 2,000 men for Salisbury's army. Further in February, he managed to recruit only 1,000 men for Fastolf's army, and for the next four months no reinforcements arrived from England. It is unlikely that a second attempt to scrape the bottom of the barrel would give more results than the first. As in the previous case, under the Anglo-Burgundian banners militia, or "pseudo-French", formations, which made up a significant part of the English army, came out. But even so, it is difficult to imagine that the total strength of the English forces reached three thousand people. All the best and most efficient soldiers from the Normandy garrisons had already been selected, and the quality of Fastolf's new army must have left much to be desired. This circumstance was not hidden from the experienced eye of Sir John, and it explains much in subsequent events.

Fastolf, for a number of reasons, moved to Etampes (25 miles from Paris), allocating part of the forces to guard the convoy. On June 13, he approached Janville, where he learned of the siege of Jargo by a strong French army. Considering a hopeless attempt to rescue the city, Fastolf focused all his attention on the twin cities - Mene and Beaugency. On June 16, Lord John Talbot joined him with a tiny force of 40 knights and 200 archers, 300 in all. He came from Beaugency, where he had been headquartered since the siege of Orleans, with the aim of reinforcing Fastolfe's army, of whose approach he had received information.

Talbot arrived in the morning. Fastolf visited his colleague in his chambers for a joint breakfast. Over a meal they discussed military plans, and it soon became clear that the military leaders had different views. Talbot, who had less military experience, but was endowed with a warlike character, spoke passionately in favor of an immediate attack, since the French clearly threatened the cities along the Loire. But Fastolf hesitated. He knew better than Talbot of the insecurity that was penetrating the British ranks, and that the combat effectiveness and loyalty of the French formations were not certain. In addition, he knew that Bedford was about to send in new reinforcements - perhaps most of them would have been recruited in England. Sir John was inclined to fall back and remain defensive until reinforcements arrived. Talbot strongly objected to this, declaring that in any case he intended to go to the rescue of Beaugency (who he had just left!), even if no one else followed him. This convinced Fastolf, and he agreed to march on Beaugency with all available forces. Early the next morning, Saturday, June 17, when the French siege artillery bombarded the castle of Beaugency, the English army moved on the march. But Fastolf again made an attempt to prevent what he considered fraught with disaster. A council of war was convened. While it was going on, the army stood still, probably suspecting the differences between the commanders. When at last the order was given to move on, the army had already been stricken with the malady that had developed as a result of these disagreements.

However, the march proceeded at a fairly fast pace. The first stop was at Mena. From here the army followed of necessity up the north bank of the river, the French still in possession of the bridge at the town. About two miles short of Beaugency the road rises to a low ridge of hills, from which another ridge of hills can be seen crossing the road at a distance of 800 yards. On this second ridge the French army formed up in battle formation, apparently intending to fight. Noticing this, Fastolf resorted to the usual tactics of the British: he ordered the army to stop and turned it into battle formation. The archers set up pointed poles in front of them and began to wait for the approach of the French. But the French did not move. Something was needed to spur them to action. Fastolf sent messengers to convey to the French a proposal that three knights from each side should fight each other in duels in the space between the two armies. This was a variant of the usual challenge to a duel between the commanders of the opposing armies, which Edward III liked so much. But now - as in almost all other cases - the French ignored the challenge and remained in their positions. Fastolf had no intention of attacking first, as the French were too outnumbered by his modest forces. Therefore, the English commander, in all likelihood, remembered the tactics of the Earl of Salisbury on the eve of the Battle of Cravan and followed it. That is, he retreated to Maine, intending to cross the river there and approach Beaugency from the south over the bridge, which was controlled by the British. In accordance with this plan, the English army returned to Maine in the evening and immediately began to prepare to capture the bridge. The British moved their cannons into position and bombarded the defenders of the bridge during the night, the earliest recorded "night bombardment" by artillery.

At dawn on Saturday 18 June, the bridge was still in French hands. At about 8 a.m., the British striking force was preparing improvised shields and other things from planks for the assault, when a rider rode up with the alarming news that Beaugency had been captured by the French and that the enemy was now moving in the direction of Maine. This settled the matter. The small English army was now caught between two fires north and south of the river. Retreat was the only possible solution, and the English began their march back to Janville with a heavy heart. They hardly knew that this was the first step back in a retreat that lasted intermittently for 24 years.

But back to the French camp. On Friday morning, Alencon received unexpected and unpleasant news of the replenishment of his troops. The constable of France, Arthur Richmont, was approaching his camp at the head of a thousand-strong Breton army. Since the last fighting in Brittany, the constable had been engaged at the court of the Dauphin in a bitter and prolonged struggle for power with La Tremoy. In the end he was defeated and expelled in disgrace. Moreover, Karl forbade Alençon to communicate with Rishmont. That is why the meeting did not please both. And the appearance of Count Arthur only exacerbated the situation. He was distinguished by clumsy manners and unpresentable appearance, small stature, swarthy complexion and thick lips. In a word, he looked like another outstanding Breton - Bertrand Du Guesclin.

As soon as Richemont dismounted, Jeanne clasped his knees with her arms and heard from the constable the words uttered in a hoarse voice: “I don’t know whether you were sent by the Lord or not. If yes, I am not afraid of you, because the Lord knows that my soul is pure. If you are sent by the devil, I fear you even less.” This undoubtedly authentic speech gives some idea of ​​the mixed feelings with which the French felt about the Virgin at this stage of her career.

Jeanne acted as a peacemaker in relations between the two military leaders, and, perhaps, the solution of her task was facilitated and accelerated by the unexpected news of the approach of Fastolf at the head of a strong army. Danger turns former enemies into friends. This happened. When Alencon turned against the British, the constable with his contingent was included in the French army. Its number after that reached at least six thousand people.

THE BATTLE OF PATH (JUNE 18, 1429)

Jeanne began her campaign by marching on Zhargo on Sunday. But then came Saturday, the last day of an unforgettable week. The British postponed the attack on the bridge at Maine and retreated to the village of Pathe, located 18 miles to the north. Upon learning of this, the French military leaders, as usual, began to hesitate. “You have spurs,” Jeanne was indignant, sparkling eyes, “spur your horses!” They did just that. Selecting the best horsemen in the vanguard group, Alençon ordered her to vigorously pursue the English. The vanguard very quickly caught up with the enemy, whose pace of movement was involuntarily slowed down by the convoy. Thus, when the English approached the vicinity of Pathes, the French were already at St. Sigismund, four miles to the south. Here the French made a halt for lunch and two hours later resumed their campaign. There was no contact with the British. Patrols were sent in all directions. Finally, news was received that, by a fortunate coincidence for the French, the British had stopped south of Pathé. And this is how it turned out. Advancing north along the Patay road, mounted patrols attacked a deer track north of Saint-Feravi (see map 9). The deer rushed to the right, and then the gambling cries of “Atu!” warned the French of the presence of the enemy nearby.

The road to Janville deviates from the road to Path at this village two miles to the south. Approaching the indicated place, Fastolf learned from the sentinels that he was being pursued by the French avant-garde. A military council was urgently held, which revealed some divergence of opinion. As a result, Fastolf agreed, apparently reluctantly, to remain in place, deploying his forces in battle formation on a hilly ridge. Now along this line of deployment passes Railway two miles southeast of the village. At this time, Talbot, with a detachment of 300 warriors, reinforced by 200 "elite archers" from Fastolf's army, was supposed to provide a cover line south of Pate.

Just at that moment, a frightened stag rushed through the lines of Talbot's archers. Unsuspectingly, they continued to equip their position, placing pointed poles in front of them and driving them into the ground as instructed. With Talbot were the best part of the army and his best commanders - Scales, Rempston and Sir Walter Hungerford, and in the rear on a hilly ridge, the main body of the British, consisting of poorly trained soldiers and inexperienced commanders, was extremely slowly deployed into battle formation. Fastolf was not enthusiastic about what was happening. His army was the only support of the British in France, and he understood (like Admiral Jellicoe on the eve of Jutland naval battle) that could have lost the fight by noon.

The battle position was chosen by Talbot on the road that runs from Linyaroy to Couance at the point where it crosses the old Roman road from St. Sigismund to Janville. This place was at the bottom of a shallow depression, which, however, was recognized as an advantageous line, several hundred yards in front of the ridge that was occupied by Fastolf's army. The place was surrounded by small groves and fences, along the road, probably, a fence also stretched, behind which the archers were hiding.

The French moved in the following order. The vanguard was formed by a select force of cavalry under the command of La Hire and Poton de Xentreille, comrades in many battles. The main forces were led by Alençon and Dunois, and the rearguard by the constable de Richemont and Joan of Arc, who was extremely annoyed by being in the rearguard.

The French came into contact with the English rearguard at two o'clock in the afternoon. The fate of the ensuing battle was decided swiftly and can be expressed in a few sentences. The French vanguard, coming out on a small hill that stretches from Saint-Feravi to Lignaray, saw the English lined up in a depression in front of them. Encouraged by the Virgin and led by the finest cavalry commanders in the French army, the vanguard cavalry charged down the slope in a wide and furious lava at 400 English archers who were unprepared to repel the attack and were taken by surprise. Moreover, French cavalry outflanked the line of archers on both flanks, and they were surrounded before they realized it. They fell into a hopeless situation, many died. Few managed to retreat to the main body, and the flight across the hilly ridge added confusion to the confusion that engulfed Fastolf's heterogeneous host. Since the attacking forces of the French vanguard were quite numerous, and immediately followed by the main body, Fastolf's own army was crushed before the English commander could take effective measures to repel a surprise attack. This was beyond the strength of any Englishman who was on the battlefield. Previously, the enemy attacked the British with caution and even apprehension. But this attack was carried out in the decisive manner of Thomas Daguerth, Robert Knowles or John Talbot. The leaven of Joan of Arc worked. The bread was baked well. The Orleans maiden, who was in the rearguard and did not see attacking actions, except for violence against prisoners, nevertheless won the battle of Pat.

Lord Talbot was taken prisoner near a bush that grew in front of the English front line. The commander was sitting on horseback, but without spurs: apparently, the horse had just been brought to him, and he was about to leave the battlefield. This Englishman was well known in the French army, and his capture raised morale in its ranks. He spent that night in a house in the village of Pate, located by the road, which is still preserved and is called Talbot Street. The next morning, the Duke of Alençon, himself captured at the battle of Verneuil (and recently released), could not resist the temptation to appear before the prisoner in triumph. He heard a worthy rebuke. Talbot said that his capture was due to "the vicissitudes of war". The behavior of the Englishman made such a strong impression that his words were constantly quoted by French chroniclers.

Lord Scales and other English commanders were also captured by the French, but Fastolf managed to escape and save part of the army, although the baggage train and guns were lost. He retreated 18 miles to Janville. Approaching the city, Fastolf found the gates of the fortress wall closed. There was nothing to do but to continue the exhausting march to Etampes for a distance of 24 miles. During the day, at least 60 miles were covered. The only consolation for the old warrior, who had made the most difficult campaign, was that he foresaw defeat. But Fastolf retained a significant part of the archers. They steadfastly repelled every attack of their pursuers and, when they had exhausted their supply of arrows, fought with the enemy, drawing their swords.

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When the news of the catastrophe reached the English and French capitals, there was a violent reaction. A fund was immediately raised in London for the ransom of Lord Talbot. In Paris, the ill-fated Sir John Fastolf is said to have been stripped of the Order of the Garter. It turned out he "lost the war in the afternoon."

For Jeanne, a brilliant week-long campaign ended in triumph. General Lemoine, noting that this was the only campaign that was inspired exclusively by Jeanne, adds in admiration: “She knew one means - force and one argument - battle ... That is why the modest Virgin of Domremy takes her place among the very famous military leaders.

It can be assumed that an inner voice should now have prompted Jeanne the need for an immediate attack on Paris, based on the well-known principle: "strike while the iron is hot." The prospects for such an offensive looked bright. But Joan fixed her eyes on Reims, seeking the sacred anointing of Charles as rightful king of France. The defeat at Path unexpectedly brought about a reconciliation between the Burgundians and the English. The Duke of Burgundy himself visited Paris, and measures were taken to strengthen the defense of the city. The duke undertook to raise more troops.

Meanwhile, Charles finally went to Reims. In an effort to inspire courage and confidence in her sovereign, Jeanne assured him that the march to Reims would be quick and safe. July 16, 1429 Charles of Valois arrived in the city. The next day, the anointing and coronation took place, after which the Dauphin Charles can be considered Charles VII. Joan of Arc's mission is over. France and England would only benefit if she planned to die in the next battle. But this did not happen.

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Then followed a very bloody, but nevertheless ridiculous military campaign (if it can be called a campaign). Jeanne, captured by the idea of ​​​​an attack on Paris, tried to set the stubborn monarch to this. However, he insisted on following the route in the direction of the house until the army approached Bres on August 5, intending to cross to the south bank of the Seine and return to Bourges. However, the Duke of Bedford, who not only received reinforcements, but also the obligation of the unpredictable Duke of Burgundy to start active fighting in support of his English ally, decided to cross swords with the newly crowned new King of France. As a first step, he left a strong contingent of troops at Bree to meet Charles at the crossing, while he himself moved with his army to Montero, located 25 miles to the west. Charles, finding that his hopes were not justified, turned back and went north to Crépy, located 40 miles northeast of Paris. Bedford had sent a deliberately offensive message there, calculated to inflame the most phlegmatic coward. It seemed that Bedford's summons made the right impression, for Charles made the 12-mile march to Dammarthen (20 miles from Paris) and there he found the English army drawn up in battle order. At the end of a full day of armed skirmishes, the French retreated again. Bedford then advanced to Sunles (12 miles to the north), and on August 16 the two armies again met face to face. Bedford stretched out his battle formations to block the road to Paris, but the French again abandoned the attack and retreated with their king to Crépy.

Realizing that the French did not want to risk it, Bedford withdrew his army to Paris, alarmed by the news from Normandy. The constable de Richemont set out from the province of Mayenne and now threatened the city of Evreux, located 25 miles from Rouen. In this regard, Bedford went with the main body of his army to Normandy, leaving the Burgundians with several divisions of English troops to defend the capital. He took into account the threat posed by french king.

Meanwhile, King Charles found more pleasure and profit in accepting the capitulation of Burgundian cities such as Compiègne without the slightest effort than in risky war against the English. This tactic was clearly recommended to him by the evil genius of La Tremoy. All the last time he was negotiating with Duke Philip, who, however, turned out to be too skillful for him to talk to. So far, this cold-blooded and prudent sovereign has linked his fate with the British.

Naturally, the course of events did not please Jeanne, but she did not lose hope. Finally, she managed to persuade the king to leave Compiègne and go to Saint-Denis (only four miles from Paris), from which the Burgundians left. He arrived in the city on September 7, Jeanne with the advance detachment arrived there a few days earlier. The attack on the capital was planned for the next day. While Alençon watched the gates of Saint-Denis from afar, Jeanne and her squad stormed the gates of Saint-Honoré. The Virgin showed her inherent courage in battle, the outer ditch was successfully overcome. But it was too late. Recently, the defenses have been strengthened and the attack on the inner ditch has bogged down. Jeanne was wounded in the leg by an arrow from a crossbow, until dark she lay in the open. Alençon was nearby all day, and the king did not leave Saint-Denis. The Maid of Orleans was deliberately left in trouble. The evidence for this is clear, although it may seem almost unbelievable. La Trémoy was obviously an inveterate scoundrel.

Now King Charles has shown his will. He ordered the army to retreat south, and Jeanne to follow him. Having crossed the Seine to Bres, now free from the enemy, the king safely took refuge on September 21 in Gien, the place of his departure for Reims.

Virgo failed. Your first failure. But her prestige has been shaken. The worst was ahead. She spent almost two months at court in inactivity, and when at last she was allowed to fight after the preliminary capture of St. Pierre on the upper Loire, a second failure followed at the battle of La Charité. Besieging this city (also located in the upper reaches of the Loire) for a month and in cold weather, without receiving supplies of food and ammunition from the royal court, Jeanne was forced to lift the siege. Then, in the coming winter, hostilities ceased.

* * *

The year 1430 has come. In early spring, the fighting slowed down. Burgundy went to a partial agreement with Charles. But in April her duke took up arms again, perhaps under the influence of news that a new English army under Cardinal Beaufort, including the infant king Henry VI, was about to land at Calais. Duke Philippe gathered his forces this time at Montdidier (30 miles northwest of Compiègne) and advanced further to capture Compiègne. Upon learning of this, Jeanne quietly left the royal court. With a group of supporters, she proceeded in stages from Sully to Compiègne, arriving in the city on 13 May, three weeks after Henry VI had landed at Calais.

Formally, the Duke of Burgundy established a siege of the city, but it was not as thorough as the siege of Orleans. Compiègne is located on the south bank of the Oise and was besieged only from the north bank of the river. As part of the troops of Duke Philip, an English detachment under the command of Sir John Montgomery acted. Over the next 10 days, the Virgin took part in several small and fruitless skirmishes on the south coast, but on May 24 she made an unexpected sortie at the head of a detachment of 500 people north of the city. Having crossed a long dam, the participants of the sortie suddenly attacked the nearest position of the Burgundians and scattered them. But it turned out that at that time, behind the position, Jean of Luxembourg was inspecting the area from the hill. He noticed the attack and sent reinforcements to the Burgundians. When it came up, a heated battle was already in full swing, in which the Virgin was especially distinguished. During the battle, Montgomery's detachment attacked the French from the rear. Most of them fled to the city, while Jeanne herself, with a small group of warriors, was thrown off the dam, and the path to retreat across the bridge was cut off. In fact, the British drove her into the location of the Burgundians, who captured the Virgin.

Assessing the episode in cold blood, in a military way, it should be noted that it demonstrates a rare case of successful interaction between two allies; there is no need to suspect betrayal by the French garrison or Jeanne's entourage. Such was the end of a brilliant and quite unique military career, and one cannot help but regret that the Virgin was not lucky enough (for which she prayed) to die in battle. For both France and England, this would have been the best outcome, because neither the English, nor the Burgundians, nor the French emerged from the tragic consequences of the capture of Joan with honor - with the exception of an English soldier who threw himself into the fire in which the Virgin was burned, to give her a roughly carved wooden cross...

From this point on, therefore, we leave the illustrious Virgin, for there is no need to retell a story more widely known than any other medieval story, how the Burgundians sold the Virgin to the English, how she was condemned by the French Church and executed by the English army. Along the way, one can express bewilderment why the British leadership should have sought to take the life of a captive, whom they by no means considered responsible for the unfavorable turn in the British campaign. In fact, it showed no such interest. This is the evidence that the Earl of Warwick offered Joan freedom for a promise not to take up arms again.

* * *

Be that as it may, we have to return to two questions that we asked during the appearance of the Virgin in the political arena. What influence did the inner voice have on Joan's military career, and what influence did she herself have on the course of the war?

The answer to the first question is perhaps given indirectly in the previous chapters. Nobody believes that St. Margaret or St. Catherine were well versed in military strategy or that they led Joan in everything, such as her calls to march on Paris or raise the siege of Compiègne. Joan herself never insisted on this, since her king was anointed. But what the inner voice did do was endowed her with a burning desire to save France from foreigners and a firm belief that salvation must be brought about by violence - by means of the sword. Further, the belief that in order to temper and sharpen the sword, it is necessary to raise the morale of the troops by instilling in them the same confidence in victory that inspired them. Once this was achieved, the rest followed the well-known principles of offensive warfare—despite all setbacks and disappointments—which consisted of justified risk, speed of action, and surprise. These simple, but very important qualities for the war, remained in vain among the French for a long time, it was the Virgin, and only the Virgin forced them to act.

This indicates the relationship of the first question with the second: what influence did the Virgin have on the course of the war? - and gives an answer to it. The question could have been answered with more certainty had the war ended with Joan's death. But it continued during the life of the next generation, and the initiative for military action for some time passed, as we will soon see, to opposite side. Another problem is that we are interested not only in Joan's influence on the combat effectiveness and morale of the French, but also of the British. Very little data is available in this regard. This theme is hardly present in the chronicles of the English contemporaries of the Virgin, and when all the evidence comes from the enemy, they should be treated with great caution. Actually there is only one English document concerning the question of interest to us. But it is a very important document that needs to be considered with great care. I refer to the famous letter of the Duke of Bedford dated 1433 to the English Council.

“At this time (the time of the siege of Orleans), a great misfortune fell upon our people, gathered in multitude, apparently by the hand of the Lord, caused for the most part, I believe, by disbelief and doubts that the enemies have discipline and a protector, called the Virgin, who uses evil spells and witchcraft. This misfortune and disaster not only led to the death of a significant part of our people, but also in a magical way deprived the courage of the rest and inspired the enemies to rally for further struggle.

The content of the letter is quite clear, although there are two things to keep in mind. In the first place, this letter, although written three years after the capture of the Virgin, implies an influence on the English soldiers that she exercised during her campaign, but not at all later. Secondly, Bedford, of course, looked for a scapegoat, attributing the blame for all the troubles of that period to the Virgin, but not to himself or the English military leaders. However, better evidence than this letter could not be desired if we are convinced that "the streak of bad luck began" with the Virgin and that she changed the course of the military campaign. And it is quite inappropriate to believe that it appeared under a favorable combination of circumstances for the French, when the Burgundians were tired of fighting and when the pendulum of fortune came to a point of return, only to then swing back when Bedford died and the alliance with Burgundy could soon end. All this, of course, played a role and, in fact, for 23 years after the capture of Joan, there were (as I said) some swings in the pendulum in favor of the British, before they were finally expelled from France. However, all the merit that the pendulum began to move in the opposite direction, and that this movement was given an irreversible course, belongs to a wonderful creature, a pure and immaculate Maid of Orleans.

Application

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BATTLE OF PATH

Reconstructing the picture of this battle with any degree of certainty was especially difficult, since the sources mention it indistinctly and name different places on the battlefields. That is why we had to rely heavily on the method of inevitable military versions. Nevertheless, two witnesses of the battle are known who later wrote about it: on the part of the British, this is the ubiquitous Burgundian Jean Warren, on the French side, Guillaume Gruelle, a Breton who fought under the banner of constable de Richemont and subsequently wrote his chronicle. However, Warren's chronicle is so chaotic that one gets the impression of a chaotic perception of the author himself of what actually happened. In at least one passage, he mentioned "vanguard" when he should have said "rearguard." Consequently, his description does not deserve the great credibility that is given to him, although most authors seem to accept any of his claims on faith. He participated in the march of the main body under Fastolf and is apparently more interested in justifying his own flight and the flight of his "captain" than conveying the sequence of events.

* * *

First, the place of the battle should be established. Sources agree that this place was: a) near Pate; b) south of the village.

Other villages mentioned in this connection are Saint-Sigismund, Saint-Feravi, Lignaroy and Coins. Based on all these indications, the place of the battle is quite close to Linyaroy.

The British retreated from Maine to Janville. Which way did they go? Knowing the area helps here. There is little doubt that they were following the old Roman road that runs between St. Sigismund and St. Feravi, leaving Lignara 1,000 yards on the left. The Linyaroy-Kuance route also follows the old road. Then, it can be assumed that Talbot's position was away from the road followed by the army, that is, the Roman road. This assumption narrows the search area for his position.

When one has to choose a position in a hurry, such as one chooses while following in the rear guard, it is usually easiest and easiest to position yourself along the side of the road. Thus, Talbot seems to have chosen a position on the side of the Lignara-Kuance road at the point where it crosses the Roman road. How does this position correspond to the requirements of the situation? It is chosen well, but not ideal, because it goes along a depression. A hilly ridge from Lignaroy to Saint-Feravi would be better, but not so easy to occupy in a hurry. Moreover, the earliest French source believes that the position was chosen poorly. Finally, in the area of ​​​​the fences, the palisade was probably also located along the road, and one of the chronicles indicates that the battle formation was located along the fence. I believe that this position was occupied by Talbot's detachment. It is alleged that the count was taken prisoner at the bush. His command post, of course, was in the center of the battle formation, that is, where the roads intersect. It turns out that a single bush grew in this place, and the imagination immediately draws how Talbot on horseback is taken prisoner near this bush. You can go further and call it "Talbot bush". There are no monuments or memorials on the battlefield. This place would be suitable for the installation of such a memorial.

Notes:

"Obviously the French were wary of the Prince of Wales, even though he was being carried on a stretcher." Denifle X. The devastation of churches... during the Hundred Years' War

The old residence of Bayol. There are still remains of the motto and the castle courtyard.

In these positions in 1918, the German 5th Army held back the German offensive.

There were no traces of her left.

In this case, I use Warren's testimony. Gruelle specifies the time of Beaugency's surrender as Thursday night, which is impossible, since in this case Fastolf would have already learned about it in Mena. Moreover, Comte Charles Clermont supports the date given by Warren.

The presence of these "pseudo-French" formations is reported by two French sources.

The earliest French source gives a figure of 3500.

The most recent of Jeanne's biographies, in Joan of Arc by Lucien Fabre, states that the English attacked the bridge in order to capture the city. Everything is turned upside down here. It turns out that the bridge could not be attacked without taking the city. The real reason, that made the British attack the bridge, is their desire to cross the river.In wars, the simplest argument is the most correct.

There is a stained glass window in the Pathé church depicting this incident.

Later, Fastolf was returned to the order, and he again commanded troops in the province of Mayenne.

Jeanne d "Arc, military leader. S. 53.

Majority historical research categorically claims that Jeanne was captured by the Burgundians. As the above description of the battle has shown, there is some distortion of the truth in these statements. The capture of Jeanne was the result of the interaction of the allies.

Rumer. T. IV.

There is no general agreement on the location of the battle, so it is difficult to pass by information from the site. In his excellent book St. Joan's Land, Owen Rutter writes: “No one seems to remember the place of the battle. At least we did not find anyone who could lead us to him, and returned to Orleans.

Perhaps Talbot deliberately left a ridge for Fastolf's troops.