We know that China often has to go through a succession of dynastic upheavals in a few hundred years, and the disasters caused by such wars will always bring about a certain regression, at that time, the people must be bored and the land will be barren. However, on this continent of Europe, the process of development was almost contemporaneous, and by the 15th century, it was a dark moment in the centuries-old struggle between two super-powerful powers on the European continent.
France around 1420 was in such a turbulent period.
At this time, China was also in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, when the peasant revolt overthrew the Mongol rule. From 1337 to 1453, in the period of nearly one hundred years, Britain and France experienced an unprecedented "Hundred Years' War". After all, it was an early maritime hegemon, so Britain's naval strength was unmatched by France. France, then, is almost a state of unilateral repression.
Taking advantage of the victory, the British army crossed the English Channel and landed in Normandy at the beginning of the French fiasco, thus declaring: the pattern of the British launching an all-out offensive against France.
This is different from the war that takes place on the mainland of our country, from one independent territory to another independent territory, which is a struggle between two countries, in order to compete for land resources, you can imagine how fierce the struggle between the two countries is. In the Battle of Clécy in 1346, the English army defeated the French army with amazing combat ability, and you can imagine that the archers composed only of English peasants at that time beat the most courageous cavalry in France.
It can be said that in this war, france lost more than a thousand cavalry, while the British lost less than a hundred men in small numbers. In 1356, the English army landed in southern France, not only invaded the French hinterland in one fell swoop, but also captured a large number of French nobles. At this time, because they could not stand such a nest in their own country, France broke out a peasant revolt, which made the already chaotic situation even worse.
At this time, Charles V of France urgently succeeded to the throne, he was not like the previous nobles who only coveted pleasure, and in less than twenty years of reign, he was angry and actively trained the army to use against the British. Later, after a difficult battle, France finally saved a little face, reclaimed some of its territory, and the British army also retreated to the French coastline.
However, the short-lived king died very early, and after his death, Charles VI, who succeeded him, was a famous loser who almost defeated the land that his father had recovered for decades, and eventually, France, which had not been stable for several years, fell into war. At this time, the British army, which was eyeing the tiger, had already stared at this opportunity, and immediately sent troops to make a comeback. As expected, the British were victorious again, and soon invaded Paris and northern France.
Losing the battle, France was forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Troyes, and the confused Charles VI sold almost the whole of France to England. How absurd is it that after his death, the throne of France was succeeded by Henry VI, the son of the English king, who also administered France? However, Henry VI was still a baby less than a month old, so France was in the hands of his uncle, the Duke of Bedford, and France entered the darkest period in history.
The king did nothing, the members of the royal family could do nothing about this situation, in the case of the ruler's extreme cowardice and incompetence, only by relying on the strength of the people themselves could they find a way out, and whether the fragmented France would perish because of this, people did not have a single idea.
In 1429, this year can be said to be a turning point in France, charles's regime is in danger, the English army is also approaching step by step, seeing that finally Orleans is about to fall, a peasant girl has turned the situation around, she is Joan of Arc, nicknamed: the maiden of Orléans.
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was born in a french countryside, and before the crisis came, she was just an ordinary peasant girl, and she used the name of God to save the situation in France. After all, it was not easy for a woman to emerge at that time, and Joan of Arc attributed everything she did to God's guidance, all of which allowed her to gain a large following.
Joan of Arc claimed that one day at the age of sixteen, she met the angels St. Michael, St. Margaret and St. Gallius under a tree behind the village, thus receiving "revelation from God", so that she appeared to drive out the invaders of England and guide the next crown prince of France to the throne.
Like the female warriors we know as well, Joan of Arc also had a life of dressing as a man, and she led her followers to the Crown Prince's Castle of Chinon and asked Charles to lead an army against the British. She may not be a heroic figure in the popular sense, but Joan of Arc's behavior has aroused the enthusiasm of the french bottom masses, because Christianity is extremely popular in the West, so Joan of Arc's words have won the trust of many people, so a large number of low-level peasants volunteered to join her ranks.
Even the regular army of the royal family came to her aid, because she mobilized the enthusiasm of the whole people, and in April 1429, Joan of Arc led his army to successfully repel the English army in Orléans, and the battle became a turning point in the turning point of the stalemate in France. Joan of Arc did fulfill her promise by crowning her heir, Prince Charles, at Reims Cathedral, which would later become Charles VII (1422-1461).
Subsequently, the heroine continued to fight the English army, but in 1430 she was unfortunately captured by the Duke of Burgundy, and because her skirt was stolen and there was no clothes to hide, her female identity was revealed. At this time, the timid Charles VII and the French nobles were unwilling to save her, so the British seized the opportunity and harshly taught the woman who had made them lose the battle.
They joined forces with the Inquisition to convict Joan of Arc of a "witch."
In the Middle Ages, witches were burned at the stake, and ordinary young girls who were judged to be witches were still subjected to thousands of people's scorn, not to mention such a well-known woman as Joan of Arc. However, Joan of Arc's exploits cannot be ignored, even knowing that this was a "witch", the executioner was always uneasy after burning her, and he felt that he had killed a real "holy woman".
Witch trials, also known as witch hunts, witch trials, were a kind of heretical interrogation of pagans in previous Christianity. This wave of persecution of "witches" that lasted from 1480 to 1780 swept across Europe for 300 years. Once the women of the good family were falsely accused of being "witches", they were immediately beheaded and displayed in public, and then burned the corpses, and the number of unjust ghosts under the knife was difficult to count. It can be said that this is also a dark chapter in the history of the European Middle Ages and the history of human civilization.
Joan of Arc was wronged for more than ten years, and finally in June 1456, theologians re-investigated the case, only to find that the trial of Joan of Arc in 1431 was actually a pretext that had to be made because of the pressure of the British army, and the truth of the case was finally revealed, in order to commemorate this heroine, the French called her "Holy Daughter", and the story of Joan of Arc was also circulated for a hundred years, becoming a great figure in France.
Moreover, after Joan of Arc's death, she became an important role in Western culture, and from Napoleon to the present, French politicians have promoted her great image. Major writers and composers, including Shakespeare, Voltaire, Schiller, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Twain, Shaw, and Brecht, have all written about her, and a large number of films, plays, and music based on her have continued to develop to this day.
Resources:
"One Hundred Years of War and One Hundred Years of Crying", "The Witch Trial in the Middle Ages", "Joan of Arc"