|Norm's Main Page|
Joan of Arc
One of
the Greatest Patriots in History
Gary Melechinsky
inspired me to make a page about Joan of Arc, I hope it lives up to his
expectations.

Above is Joan's 12
foot
Banner or Standard she carried, of which she said:
"I loved my banner forty times more then my sword."

Below is a brief timeline of
the life of this great Patriot.
1412
(?), Jan 6 - Joan of Arc was born Jehanne D’Arc at Domremy France to
Jacques and Isabelle d'Arc, during the Truce of Leulinghen. Sporadic
warfare continued between two rival French factions, the Armagnacs and
Burgundians.
1413 - The Burgundians, including Joan's future judge, Pierre Cauchon,
sparked the brutal Cabochien Revolt in Paris in an effort to gain
power. Cauchon would be exiled as punishment for his role in this
revolt.
1415 - The Truce of Leulinghen came to an end as Henry V invaded
France, defeating the Armagnac-dominated French Royal army at the
battle of Aginçourt.
1424 (?) - When Joan was about 12 years old, she began hearing "voices"
of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret believing them to have
been sent by God. These voices told her that it was her divine mission
to free her country from the English and help the dauphin gain the
French throne. They told her to cut her hair, dress in man's uniform
and to pick up the arms.
1428, May - At the age of
16 a family relative, Durand Lassois, brought her to
Vaucouleurs to meet with Lord Robert de Baudricourt, the local garrison
commander. Baudricourt refused to take her seriously, and sent her away.
1428, July - Her home village of Domremy was raided by Burgundian
troops under Lord Vergy. The villagers took refuge in the nearby city
of Neufchatel.
1428, October 12 - Orleans
was besieged by English troops.
1429, Jan-Feb - At the age of 17 Durand Lassois brought her to
Vaucouleurs again; Baudricourt finally consented to give her an escort
of six soldiers to bring her before Charles VII at Chinon.
1429, c. March 9 - Met with Charles VII at Chinon.
1429, mid-to-late March - Charles ordered her to be questioned by
theologians at Chinon and Poitiers; the clergy gave her their approval
and advised Charles that he could grant her request to bring an army to
lift the siege of Orleans.
1429, March 22 - Joan Dictated a letter to the English, recorded by
Jean Erault, asking them to leave.
1429, April 5 - 25 - Joan was given a banner and armor at Tours, then
arrived at Blois, where the army was gathering for the upcoming
campaign.
1429, April 25 - Joan left for Orleans with an army and a large
quantity of food supplies for the hungry city.
1429, April 29 - Joan and a portion of her troops crossed the Loire in
boats and entered Orleans with the supplies; the rest of the troops
were forced by a lack of boats to return to Blois and cross the river
there.

Painting of Joan
entering Orleans
1429, May 4 - After the
remainder of the army arrived at Orleans, Lord
Dunois launched an assault against the English-held fortifications
around the church of St-Loup. Carrying her banner, Joan rode up and
inspired the French troops to storm the position successfully.
1429, May 6 - French troops were brought across the river to attack the
southern fortresses; St-Jean-le-Blanc was gained without a fight,
followed by a successful assault against the English in Les Augustins.
1429, May 7 - Carrying her banner during an assault on the earthwork in
front of Les Tourelles, Joan was shot by an arrow but later returned to
inspire the troops to victory.
1429, May 8 - The English ordered all the remaining troops out of their
positions, and abandoned the siege.
1429, May 11 - Joan met with Charles at Loches and convinced him to
push forward toward Reims for his coronation.
1429, June 10 - Left Orleans with a new army gathered for the Loire
Valley Campaign, designed to clear out the region before moving farther
into enemy-held territory.
1429, June 11-12 - Her army captured Jargeau after a brief siege.
1429, June 15 - Her army took the fortified bridge at Meung-sur-Loire
and then moved onward to Beaugency.
1429, June 17 - Beaugency's English garrison agreed to withdraw.
1429, June 18 - Her army crushed a large English force at the Battle of
Patay, during which the English lost nearly half of their troops.
1429, June 29 - The army left Gien to begin the march to Reims.
1429, July 1-3 - The army camped near the pro-Burgundian city of
Auxerre, which finally agreed to neutrality.
1429, July 5-9 The siege of Troyes, which surrendered on the 9th after
Joan organized effective preparations for a full assault.
1429, July 14 - Chalons-sur-Marne immediately opened its gates to her
army.
1429, July 16 - Reims opened its gates as her army approached.
1429, July 17 - Charles VII was crowned at Reims' Cathedral. Joan was
at his side, holding her banner.

Joan at Charles VII Coronation
1429, July 21 to August 14
- The army took a meandering route west to
Paris, accepting the surrender of towns along the way.
1429, August 15 - A long series of skirmishes with English troops under
the Duke of Bedford. Both armies withdraw.
1429, September 8 - Her army launched a determined assault against
Paris; Joan was shot by an arrow while trying to find a place for her
troops to cross the city's moat. The troops were then withdrawn against
her wishes.
1429, September 21 - After being ordered to march back to
Gien-sur-Loire, the army was disbanded.
1429, November 4 - Given a new army, her troops captured the town of
St-Pierre-le-Moutier.
1429, Late November to late December - La-Charite-sur-Loire was
besieged; the army was finally forced to lift the siege due to a lack
of funding from the Royal Court.
1429, December through late March 1430 - Joan stayed at various Royal
chateaux.
1430, Late March - Joan
left the Royal Court with a small number of
troops and came to Lagny-sur-Marne to help the French army there.
1430, May 23 - Joan slipped into Compiegne, under siege by Burgundian
troops, in an effort to aid the city. While leading a sortie in the
late afternoon, she was surrounded and captured by Burgundian troops.
1430, November - The Burgundians agreed to transfer her to their
English allies in exchange for the usual monetary compensation. The
Burgundians refused demands from Charles VII to ransom her back to her
own faction.
1430, December 23 - She was brought to Rouen, the seat of the English
occupation government.
1431, January 9 - Just after her 19th birthday her trial began,
overseen by pro-English clergy paid by the English government.
1431, May ? - The judges of her case tried all they could to convict
her of anything, but because of her purity and faith, and her ability
to argue successfully against any theologian, the only things they
could convict her of were cross-dressing and heresy.
1431, May 28 - After being maneuvered into putting her soldiers'
clothing back on, she was declared "relapsed".
1431, May 30 - She was executed at Rouen. Eyewitnesses described how
even some of the English officials wept; one of them, the English Royal
secretary Jean Tressard, was heard exclaiming: "We are all ruined, for
a good and holy person was burned."
1449, November - The
process of appealing her case began after French
forces entered Rouen. The clergyman Guillaume Bouille launched an
investigation into the conduct of the trial.
1452, May - Inquisitor-General Jean Brehal began the Inquisitorial
investigation and concluded that there were grounds for an appeal.
1455, November 17 - Beginning of the formal appeal, known as the
Rehabilitation or Nullification Trial.
1456, July 7 - Inquisitor Brehal and other Church officials overturned
Joan's conviction. In his final summary of the case, Brehal described
Joan as a martyr who was wrongly executed by corrupt, partisan clergy
abusing a Church trial for secular purposes. Since martyrs are
automatically considered saints, her canonization was effectively
initiated at this point.
1909 - Officially beatified after the typical lengthy delay.
1920 - Officially canonized as a saint.
Actual U.S. Government Poster
Click on book cover to go to Ben Kennedy's site to learn more
about Joan of Arc

My Guest
Book
Let me know what you
think.
|Sign|
|View|
Let your friends know about this Web
Site
Click
the e-mail logo below and fill in the address's you wish to send to.