History - Joan of Arc: A Captivating Guide to a Heroine of France and Her Role During the Lancastrian Phase of the Hundred Years’ War

Joan of Arc

Copyright 2019

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I do not fear the soldiers, for my road is made open to me; and if the soldiers come, I have God, my Lord []. It was for this that I was born!

- Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc. Some see her as a lunatic; some, as a sadly misunderstood piece of history; others, as a power-hungry genius; and the Catholic Church, as a saint and a symbol of faith, humility, and courage in the face of persecution. Yet one thing cannot be denied: Joan of Arc was one of the most remarkable figures in the story of the human race, and her extraordinary life is a fascinating tale that leaves many questions unanswered by history.

When Joan arrived on the scene, France was a country in dire straits. Almost completely defeated by the English, it was on the very brink of becoming little more than a jewel in the English crown. The rightful heir to its throne, the Dauphin Charles, was a dispirited and morose man who had given up on ever ruling his country. The time had never been more ripe for a savior, and yet no savior had ever been as unlikely as Joan. She was no warrior, nor was she a princess, nor was she educated in any way. Instead, she was just a peasant and a woman besides. In the medieval era, such a person was of practically no consequence.

Except Joan didn't let that stop her. Inspired by what she believed to be divine revelation, she dared to demand an audience with the Dauphin, even though she was of the lowest birth imaginable. She might not have been able to read or write, yet she was determined to save her country. It has been said that faith can move mountains. It is difficult to imagine a bigger mountain than the one that the faith of Joan moved.

Joan's story almost feels like a novel instead of a part of history. She was a shining savior on a warhorse, waving her white banner and calling her soldiers forth to victory; but she was also painfully and intensely human, a young girl who wept and bled just the same as the rest of us. In the same breath, it is as easy to relate to Joan as it is to be awed by her incredible character. She may have been beatified as a saint, but Joan of Arc was in many ways a very ordinary human being, a person who felt pain and fear, a person who made mistakes and who had moments of weakness. This book follows her through her extraordinary journey. Feel her terror as she first experienced her visions. See her determination as she convinced a cynical captain to grant her passage to the Dauphin. Experience her exhilaration and faith as she led the French army to victory after victory. Weep alongside her as the King of France betrayed her. Suffer with her during her long imprisonment in the hands of her enemies. And cry with the witnesses who saw her burn for a crime she did not commit.

She was Joan of Arc, a person whose life remains wreathed in mystery, but nonetheless a fascinating adventure. And this is her story.

It all started with a babya baby girl, to be exact. If the tiny, newborn Blanche of France, born on April 1 st , 1328, had just come into the world as a bouncing baby boy instead of a little girl, then the war might never have started. It was a twisted thing that such a small kink of fate should have the capacity to cause such widespread and enduring tragedyand if it was not for the sexist laws of the era, as there would have been no conflict over the throne of France. Yet Blanche, the youngest of King Charles IV's two surviving daughters, happened to be born in a time when a woman was not allowed to rule the kingdom of France. And so, it was declared that Blanche's late father had died without an heir. The Capetian dynasty ended with him.

King Charles IV was the youngest surviving son of Philip IV, who had three boys. Each had been king in his turn after Philip's death: first Louis X, then Philip V, and then, finally, Charles. The only other siblings that were left were an older sister, Margaret, and a younger one, Isabella. Charles's younger brother Robert had died as a boy. Again because of their gender, neither of the women could take the throne. But perhaps Isabella could provide an heiran heir that would be most unsatisfying to the French nobility. In a bid to improve diplomatic relations between France and England, Isabella had been married off to the prince of England when she was only twelve years old. But now she was a grown woman in her thirties, a fiercely intelligent one who had earned the title of She-Wolf of France, and her husband was the teenaged King Edward II of England. As the closest male relative of the late king of France, Edward had a legitimate claim to the French throne.

The French nobility scrambled to prevent the unthinkable of one man being the king of both France and England. They managed to come up with an alternative heir. Philip of Valois had been a fairly minor noble as the son of a count; much of his life prior to the death of King Charles IV has been lost to history as he was not considered important during his childhood. But his father, while a minor noble, was also the youngest brother of Philip IVCharles IV's fatherwhich made Philip of Valois the closest relative to the deceased king through the male line. He was hurriedly crowned King Philip VI of France before Edward could lay claim to the throne.