The Hundred Years' War between England and France began in 1337, the British army had the upper hand at the beginning of the war, constantly advancing towards the French hinterland, but then with the efforts of King Charles V of France, the situation in France began to improve, and gradually drove the British army out of the European continent.
By the end of the 14th century, after the death of Charles V, the 12-year-old Charles VI was succeeded to the throne. The little king was not only unable to govern the country and lead the army, but also fell ill when he grew up, giving the great nobles of France the opportunity to seize power and usurp the throne.
At this time, the reigning King Henry V of England, a brilliant king and commander, took advantage of the decline of French royal power and the infighting among the domestic nobles, personally led the army across the sea to attack France, defeated the French army at Agincourt, and occupied the capital Paris and a large area of northern France.
By 1429, the northern part of France had been occupied by the English, and Charles VI's daughter was forced to marry Henry V of England, so that their son could naturally become the king of England and France. In the midst of internal and external difficulties, Charles VI was depressed, and his son Prince Charles had to lead the nobles who followed him to retreat to the south and wait for the opportunity.
1. Hate! Maiden Joan of Arc
Many cities and provinces in southern France have always supported Prince Charles, and the Doronmi tribe south of the Loire River is one of them. In addition to the legends of this tribe and their innate stubbornness, what is more important is that the religious and political beliefs of the Dorenmi people are in line with prince Charles's Valois royal family.
Therefore, when Prince Charlie retreated to the City of Sinon of the Doronmi, he was warmly welcomed by the locals, who also protected Prince Charles well. As a result, the Dorenmi tribe here became a thorn in the eye of the English king.
In 1425, the Duke of Burgundy, a French nobleman who had defected to the English King, spearheaded an attack on the Doronmis. The Burgundian army took advantage of the night to launch a surprise attack on the Dorenmi villages, and the unsuspecting Dorenmis were powerless to resist, and one by one fell under the swords of their compatriots. Among these victims were Joan of Arc's two older brothers.
Joan of Arc was still a little girl at the age of thirteen, but the seeds of hatred had been planted in her heart. Legend has it that Joan of Arc often dreamed of God and his archangel, and they fell into Joan of Arc's ear and said, "Joan of Arc, take up the sword and go save France!" "
From then on, Joan of Arc began to strengthen her faith in God. God's voice gave him great courage, and she felt more and more that she was on a mission to save France.
This little girl began to show wisdom and eloquence beyond ordinary people, and gradually won the recognition and praise of Dorenmi's compatriots in one speech after another.
By the age of fifteen, Joan of Arc's fame had spread throughout The Seanon, and her wisdom and devout faith in God had touched Prince Charles, who believed that she was a messenger sent by God to lead France to victory over the British invasion. So when Joan of Arc came to Prince Charles's side, she immediately became a member of the court.
Second, hurry! Siege of Orleans!
In 1429, the British attacked Orléans, a strategic location on the Loire. If Orléans is conquered, the south will be wide open, and prince Charles in a quiet corner will cease to exist.
Prince Charles also realized that after his father's death, he was alone. The Outbreak of the Black Death in Western Europe in the mid-14th century killed nearly half of the country's population, and coupled with the constant ravages of famine and cold, the country was no longer able to face the British attack.
The British launched a fierce attack from the fortress of Orléans on the north bank of the Loire River, with twice the strength of the French. Bows and arrows, stones, and guns rained down on the city. The King ordered Dunova, the best general of the time, to hold on to Orléans. This brave and warlike general stood at the head of the city and killed the enemy with the soldiers.
The initial battle was fierce, with the French soldiers stabbing their swords at the British climbing from the ladder on the city walls, and the British soldiers continued to fall from the walls in a scream. Some Of the British soldiers quickly climbed into the city walls, but they were immediately surrounded by French soldiers who had caught up and hacked to death.
After several rounds of attacks, the British suffered heavy casualties, and the corpses of British soldiers were piled up under the city walls. The French side also paid a heavy price. Dunova stood on the city wall and looked at the distant figure of the British army, and he expected that the British would not give up on this, so he immediately asked Prince Charles for reinforcements and food.
But at this time, Prince Charles was in a state of decadence and had no intention of asking about the government. However, according to further research by historians, Prince Charles at that time had no reinforcements available, so he could only send grain and grass to the front line.
By the end of 1492, a new round of attacks had begun. The British took the lead in attacking the Castle of Orléans from land. Faced with a tidal wave of British troops, the French had to retreat and surrender the castles in front of orleans to the British.
The French, relying on their geographical advantages, stubbornly blocked wave after wave of Attacks by the British, but there were fewer and fewer Frenchmen who could not get reinforcements, and each round of attack was a great test of the will of the French. The British army also besieged the city of Orléans at this time.
At this moment, a reinforcement from the base camp arrived in the city of Orléans, and the commander of this army was the 17-year-old Joan of Arc.
Third, take the initiative! Victory!
Joan of Arc's arrival excited the inhabitants of Orléans, and the soldiers, led by Joan of Arc, showed a high morale. The name of Joan of Arc was also known to the British, and several British generals who had the upper hand were very jealous of this girl.
Joan of Arc immediately replaced Dunova as Supreme Commander, and she first took the initiative to persuade the British to cease the war, expressing her reluctance to let the two armies continue to be consumed. But the British clearly would not abandon Orleans, which had been besieged for months.
After being rejected by the British, Joan of Arc decided to lead his army to attack. Holding a white flag and carrying a holy sword, she led the cavalry and infantry to the castle occupied by the British, and took advantage of the suspension bridge that the British army had not yet had time to put away, leading the army to rush into the city, killing the British by surprise, and the demoralized British quickly retreated, leaving the soldiers who died tragically on the ground and escaped.
As soon as the first line of defense of the British army was breached, the news reached both camps. The Commanders of the British, they began to wonder if Joan of Arc was really, as rumors were, messengers of God. Fear soon spread in the British camp, and the exhausted British army was even more afraid of Joan of Arc's French army, so that in the later battles, the British soldiers deliberately deflected the arrows aimed at Joan of Arc in order to avoid punishment from God.
Joan of Arc launched a second wave of attacks the morning after his victory, and the French soldiers, who had fought all night, were not tired at Joan of Arc's instigation, and rushed like madmen toward the British defenses.
According to legend, Joan of Arc was brave and fierce in battle, always rushing to the front of the line, her head radiating the radiance of God, and she still commanded the battle on the front line after being injured.
This miraculous valor greatly increased the effectiveness of France, and also made the British soldiers shudder and flee without a fight. Joan of Arc's cavalry descended the mountain like a fierce tiger and recaptured several castles occupied by the British, causing more than 10,000 British casualties.
By this point, the entire Battle of Orleans had caused the British to lose more than 30,000 elite soldiers, and the British were seriously injured. The magic of Joan of Arc made the whole of Europe, and King Henry V of England was also terrified of Chastity, so he had to order the withdrawal of his troops and abandon the attack on the Orr lords.
IV. Conclusion
The Battle of Orléans was a turning point in the Hundred Years' War between England and France, before which the French had not tasted victory for decades, and it really changed the history of France's bullying, and this battle also heralded the beginning of the British retreat.
The author's objective analysis here is that the victory of France is indeed inseparable from the correct command of Joan of Arc and the bravery of the pioneers, but at the same time, France also occupies a more superior geographical advantage, and the easy to defend and difficult to attack Orleans caused great losses to the British in the early stages of the battle. The British army was exhausted after a long attack.
In addition, in terms of the will to fight, although the number of French soldiers is getting smaller and smaller, they all have a belief in their hearts: "It is better to die in battle than to be a slave to the country!" In contrast, the british army, the common idea of the soldiers is that even if they do not win, they can return to Britain. This difference in operational philosophy is the fundamental difference in the combat effectiveness of the British and French armies. Therefore, another key to France's victory with less is that the soldiers have a strong will to fight.
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