Joan of Arc
Listen to "Joan of Arc"
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was a poor peasant girl from Lorraine. One day, she had a vision in which three saints urged her to lead the French to victory over the English in the Hundred Years' War. She traveled to Charles VII's court and was appointed head of the French Army (headed to relieve the besieged city of Orleans) because her unlikely presence would inspire hope in the French forces. Upon arriving in Orleans, Joan launched several counterattacks against the English and broke the siege in only eight days. Then, she led a campaign to clear the English out of the Loire River Valley, eventually liberating the city of Reims.
During a later skirmish, Joan was captured and tried for heresy. She was found guilty and burned at the stake. Later, she was exonerated and made a saint. She has served a symbol of French nationalism and feminist pride ever since.
For more information, read:.
Joan of Arc: Her Story by Regine Peroud Joan of Arc: A Military Appreciation by Stephen Richey
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and Audible
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was a poor peasant girl from Lorraine. One day, she had a vision in which three saints urged her to lead the French to victory over the English in the Hundred Years' War. She traveled to Charles VII's court and was appointed head of the French Army (headed to relieve the besieged city of Orleans) because her unlikely presence would inspire hope in the French forces. Upon arriving in Orleans, Joan launched several counterattacks against the English and broke the siege in only eight days. Then, she led a campaign to clear the English out of the Loire River Valley, eventually liberating the city of Reims.
During a later skirmish, Joan was captured and tried for heresy. She was found guilty and burned at the stake. Later, she was exonerated and made a saint. She has served a symbol of French nationalism and feminist pride ever since.
For more information, read:.
Joan of Arc: Her Story by Regine Peroud Joan of Arc: A Military Appreciation by Stephen Richey
Military History Podcast is sponsored by Armchair General Magazine and Audible
posted by George Hageman at 4:55 PM
1 Comments:
Terrific story, richly told.
However I must take issue with your interpretation of the French king's decision to allow Joan to command his forces. You suggest that the king was simply hopeless and out of options, and figured he had nothing to lose. I'd contend that this situation exists with some regularity throughout military history, but rarely results in appointing a girl general.
The king must have experienced something more compelling, something that would cause him to trust his army to her in his desperation, and not to someone else.
I suspect that there was something unusual and charismatic in Joan's behavior and demeanor - something that convinced the king she actually was chosen by God, and spoken to by angels.
I'm not a believer (necessarily) in the theory that Joan was so chosen or inspired. But I think it would take more than "Obama-style" hope to motivate the king's choice.
Anyway, this was a great episode (as have been all the episodes I've heard, so far). Great work: you really make the history come alive!
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