Free Essay

The Hundred Years War

In: Other Topics

Submitted By samisam94
Words 2403
Pages 10
The Hundred Years War was a series of battles and conflicts during 1337 till 1453 between the House Plantagenet, leaders of the kingdom of England, against the House Valois, leaders of the Kingdom of France, for control of the Kingdom of France. Each side drew a lot of allies to the war.
To their French possessions, the English kings became vassals of the French since the Norman Conquest. The French kings attempted, in the centuries, to decrease the belonging and possessions of their overly powerful vassals, to the end that only the land of Gascony was left for the English. The retractions or threat of retracting these lands had been part of the French plan to keep the power of the English in check, especially whenever the English were at war with the Scots, an ally of France.
In 1316, the French passed a law that rejects women’s claims to the throne. When Charles IV died in 1328, Isabella of France, Charles’s sister, attempted to claim the throne for her son Edward III. The French immediately denies her claim due to the law that was established, and the throne went over to house Valois. For 9 years, the English accepted the succession, until the France interfered with Edward’s war on Scotland, which led to him reasserting his claim on the Throne.
The war is divided into three phases, split by Truces that were called in between. Firstly, we have the Edwardian Era War that lasted from 1337 till 1360. Secondly, we have the Caroline War that lasted from 1369 till 1389. Thirdly, we have the Lancastrian War that lasted from 1415-1453. During this time, small conflicts in surrounding areas directly related to the war included the War of the Breton Succession (1341–1364), the Castilian Civil War (1366–1369), the War of the Two Peters (1356–1375) in Aragon, and the 1383–1385 Crisis in Portugal.
Towards the end of the war, feudal levies have been replaced by professional soldiers. Although the war was initially a dynastic conflict, the war gave motivation to ideas of French and English nationalism. Overtime, English political leaders started to oppose the costly venture. The anger from English nobles eventually led to the Wars of The Roses.
For the first 10 years of Edward III's reign, Gascony had been a major point of conflict. The English argued that, since Charles IV had not treated his tenant with respect, Edward should be able to hold the territory free of any French interference. However, this line of disagreement could not be kept up by the English, so in 1329 the 17-year old Edward III swore fealty to Philip VI. Tradition required that vassals should meet their liege unarmed with nothing upon their heads; however Edward demonstrated his unwillingness by attending the ceremony wearing his crown and sword. Despite Edward complying, unwillingly, the French continued to burden the English administration.
Gascony was not the only tender point. One of Edward's important advisers was Robert III of Artois. Robert was an exile from the French court, having disagreed with Philip VI over an inheritance claim. He urged Edward to start a war to reclaim France and was able to offer extensive intelligence on the French court.
The France-Scot Alliance
The Kings of England had attempted to take over Scotland many times, which naturally made the Scots an ally of France. In 1326, Charles IV signed a treaty that if England were to attempt to invade Scotland, the French would interfere in favor of the Scots.
End of homage
At the end of April 1337, Philip of France was invited to meet the represent from England but refused. Then, in May 1337, Philip met with his Great Council in Paris. It was decreed that the Duchy of Gascony should be revoked from Edward III because it was believed that he was rejecting of his duty as vassal and had sheltered the king's 'mortal enemy' Robert d'Artois. Edward reacted to the confiscation of Gascony by challenging Philip's right to the French throne. When Charles IV died, Edward made a claim for the French throne, through the inheritance of his mother Isabella (Charles IV's sister), daughter of Philip IV.
In 1340, Edward III started to gain some allies with lower leaders and strengthened his own army. His supporters would be able to claim his as the “True King” of France and would not be rebels.
The Battle of Sluys
Edward gathered his fleet and sailed for Zwyn creek. The French fleet immediately went on the defensive, but the English manipulated the French into believing they were retreating. When the wind turned in favor of the English, they attacked with the sun at their backs to tamper with the French’s vision. The French fleet was almost completely destroyed in what became the Battle of Sluys. For the rest of the war, England was in control of the English Channel, preventing any oversea invasions from the French. However, at this point Edward started to lose funds and the war would have ended if it weren’t for the death of the Duke of Brittany.
Battle for Crecy
In July 1346, Edward started an invasion across the channel, starting in Normandy. The English army captured the unattended Caen in just one day, catching the French by surprise. Meanwhile, Philip had gathered a large enough army to oppose Edward, who chose to move northward to the Low Countries, raiding as he went instead of taking over territory. Edward then moved south, getting closer to Paris. He found a crossing at Poissy that was only partially destroyed and easily repaired. Further south, Edward discovered to he couldn’t get around Philip’s army, so he decided to position for battle and Philip attacked. The battle proved to be fatal for the French, due to Philip’s misjudgment of the situation, Edward’s longbow men were able to heavily weaken the attack and gave an opportunity for a counter-attack. Philip then looked toward his Scottish allies for help; the Scots then attacked England from the north but were defeated and their leader was captured in battle.
Battle of Poitiers and the Treaty of Brétigny
In 1348, the Black Death, which had reached Paris, began to desolate Europe. In 1356, after the plague had passed and England was able to recover financially, Edward's son, the Prince of Wales, later dubbed the Black Prince, invaded France from Gascony, winning a great victory in the Battle of Poitiers. During the battle, a Gascon noble, led a mounted unit that was concealed in a forest. The French advance was repelled, at which point he led a flanking movement with his horsemen cutting off the French retreat and succeeding in capturing King John II of France (known as John the Good) and many of his nobles. With John held hostage, his son the Dauphin (later to become Charles V of France) took over as regent.
Edward invaded France, for the third and last time, hoping to take advantage of the dissatisfaction of the French nobles and seize the throne. The French strategy was a passive one, deciding to not engage with the English army in the field. However Edward wanted the crown and chose the city of Reims for his coronation (Reims was the traditional coronation city). However, the citizens of Reims built and reinforced the city's defenses before Edward and his army arrived. Edward sieged the city for five weeks, but the defenses held and there was no coronation. Edward then moved on to Paris, but retreated after a few battles in the suburbs. The French made contact with him and forced him to negotiate. A meeting was held at Brétigny that resulted in the Treaty of Brétigny (8 May 1360). The treaty was authorized at Calais in October. In return for increased lands in Aquitaine, Edward abandoned Normandy, Touraine, Anjou and Maine and agreed to reduce King John's ransom by a million crowns. Edward also retracted his claim to the crown of France.
Thus the first treaty was signed that lasted from 1360-1369.
Although the Castilians had agreed to fund the Black Prince, they failed to do so. The Prince was suffering from poor health and returned with his army to Aquitaine. To pay off debts incurred during the Castille campaign, the prince started a household tax. Arnaud-Amanieu VIII, Lord of Albret had fought on the Black Prince's side during the war. Albret, who already had become dissatisfied by the influx of English administrators into the enlarged Aquitaine, rejected the collection of tax in his fief. He then joined a group of Gascon lords who pleaded to Charles V for support in their refusal to pay the tax. Charles V sent for one Gascon lord and the Black Prince to hear the case in his parliament in Paris. The Black Prince's answer was that he would go to Paris with sixty thousand men behind him. War broke out again and Edward III resumed the title of King of France. Charles V declared that all the English possessions in France were forfeited and before the end of 1369 all Aquitaine was in full revolt.
The war became largely unpopular with the English due to the high taxes needed to sustain it. These taxes were one of the reasons the peastants revolted. Richard's increasing disinterest in the war together with his treatment of a few close friends and advisors started an alliance of lords that included one of his uncles against him. This group, known as Lords Appellant, managed to fabricate charges of treason against five of Richard's advisors and friends in the Parliament. The Lords Appellant were able to gain control of the council in 1388 and tried, unsuccessfully, to start the war again. Although the will was there, the funds to pay the troops was not, so in the autumn of 1388 the Council agreed to continue negotiations with the French crown, beginning on 18 June 1389 with the signing of a three-year truce at Leulinghen.
In 1389, Richard's uncle and supporter, John of Gaunt, returned from Spain and Richard was able to regain his power excessively until 1397, when he reassured his authority and destroyed the main three among the Lords Appellant. In 1399, after John of Gaunt died, Richard II disinherited Gaunt's son, the exiled Henry of Bolingbroke. Bolingbroke returned to England with his supporters and overthrew Richard and had himself crowned Henry IV.
Henry IV of England died in 1413 and was replaced by his eldest son and heir Henry V. Charles VI of France's mental illness(basically madness) allowed his power to be toyed with by royal princes whose rivalries caused deep divisions in France. Henry V was well aware of these divisions and hoped to exploit them. In 1414 while he held court at Leicester, he received ambassadors from Burgundy. Henry sent envoys to the French king to declare his territorial claims in France; he also demanded the hand of Charles VI's youngest daughter Catherine of Valois in marriage. The French rejected his demands, leading Henry to prepare for war.
In August 1415, Henry V set sail from England with an army of about 10,500 and laid siege to Harfleur. The city resisted for longer than Henry had thought, but finally sumbitted on 22 September 1415. Because of the unexpected length of the siege, most of the opportunity to battle was gone. Rather than set directly for Paris directly, he decided to make a raiding expedition across France toward English-occupied Calais. In a campaign similair to Crécy, he found himself outmaneuvered and low on supplies and forced to battle a French army larger than his own at the Battle of Agincourt, north of the Somme. Despite the problems and having a smaller force, he gained a tremendous victory; the French defeat was catastrophic, costing many of the Armagnac leaders. About 40% of the French nobility was killed. Henry realized that a new concern was rising, which was the ammount of war prisoners he captured, which surpassed his own army; he eventually executed them.
Henry recaptured most of Normandy, including Caen in 1417, and Rouen on 19 January 1419, making Normandy English for the first time in two centuries. An alliance then started with the Duchy of Burgundy, which had taken Paris after the assassination of Duke John the Fearless in 1419. In 1420, Henry met with King Charles VI. They signed the Treaty of Troyes, by which Henry finally married Charles' daughter Catherine of Valois and Henry's heirs would inherit the throne of France. The Dauphin, Charles VII, was declared illegitimate. Henry formally entered Paris later that year and the agreement was consented by the Estates-General.
Joan of Arc's appearance sparked a revival of French spirit and the situation turned against the English.
In 1428, the English laid siege to Orléans. Their force was not enough to fully take over the city. In 1429 Joan convinced the Dauphin to send her to the siege, saying she had received visions from God telling her to drive out the English. Her presence strengthened the morale of the city and they started a counter attack to drive back the English. Inspired by Joan, the French took several English strongholds on the Loire.
The English retreated from the Loire Valley, pursued by a French army. Near the village of Patay, French cavalry broke through a unit of English longbowmen that had been sent to block the road, then swept through the retreating English army. The English lost 2,200 men, and the commander John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury was taken prisoner. This victory opened the way for the Dauphin to march to Reims for his coronation as Charles VII (16 July 1429).
After the coronation, Charles VII's army fared less well. An attempted French siege of Paris was defeated on 8 September 1429, and Charles VII withdrew back to the Loire Valley.
Although the Battle of Castillon is considered the last battle of the Hundred Years' War, England and France remained formally at war for another 20 years, but the English were in no position to carry on the war as they faced unrest at home. Following defeat in the Hundred Years' War, English landowners complained vociferously about the financial losses resulting from the loss of their continental holdings; this is often considered a major cause of the War of the Roses, that started in 1455.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

The Hundred Years War

...The Hundred Years’ War was a series of conflicts between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France over control over the throne of the latter. In 1337, a war, lasting an astonishing 116 years, would ravage the European countryside and lay waste to hundreds of thousands of lives during its overly long course. By the end of the war, innovations in tactics, equipment, and an overall sense of patriotism had evolved, along with the decline of Feudal idealism. The start of the Hundred Years’ War can be attributed to the death of King Charles IV of France in 1328. With no heir to take the throne after his death, France was in a predicament. He did, however, have a sister, Isabella, the mother of Edward III. Because of his relationship to...

Words: 1059 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Bp Management

...Date Introduction The Battle of Agincourt Though the Agincourt war lasted for a hundred years, it had its roots more than 400 years before. The events that caused the rise of this war were the typical claims of inheritance and power. The French ruled over a small part than the English at one stage. However, this reverted after a series of external and internal conflicts between the two countries. For another time the French regained the land it owned in the North. The regained land included Normandy. For the English, they had to settle with ruminants such as Gascony (they were very profitable and valuable). Pre-Agincourt War The continuing hostility between the French and the English continued for centuries as the English claimed their right to the French throne just the way their ancestors did. Since the French king had died without a hair, King Edward the III of England claimed the rights of the throne since, Eleanor (Aunt to the French’s king) was his mother. In 1337 AD, a big war was going to break out since French ships began to raid and cause turmoil in the English settlements. In 1337 AD, the French kingdom had over 17 million (together with the greatest number of knights Europe ever had), while English kingdom had barely over 4 million. Their first major war occurred at Sluys where the English persuasively overpowered the French navy in a fight aboard the ships. With his first attempt at the war, King Edward the III had all the rights to invade and recaptured the...

Words: 1220 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Was Joan Of Arc A Hero

...The hero that we have selected is Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc was very influential in French history and help win the hundred years war for France. She was brave, courageous, with a strong common sense, and quick on her feet when creating battle plans. Joan broke the stereotypes by being strong-willed and going against the norms of society. She deserves the title of hero because she was able to break the siege that England had on the French town of Orléans. She also travelled for five weeks to help win and fight the battles and win the war. Since she did all of these things and more, she deserves to be remembered as a hero of France. The influences that made Joan, who she was, was also her downfall. Joan grew up on a small farm in the countryside...

Words: 304 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Homework

...The Hundred Years War The Hundred Years War can be traced all the way back to the mid-1000s when William the Conqueror became king of both England and Normandy. This caused England to have much land in France. With these new acquisitions for England, King Henry II started to stretch the land in France that was owned by England. This made it difficult for the following kings to control such massive amounts of land. By 1327, England’s land in France shrank down to only two pieces of land, Gascony and Ponthieu. After King of France’s Charles IV died without and remaining brothers or sons, his nephew, Edward III assumed he would become king of France. When his cousin, Philip, was crowned king, Edward III was furious. He still held the position of King of England and in 1337, with his army finally assembled; Edward III declared war on France. England was victorious in the first battle known as the Battle of Cadsand. It established the territory of the war was to be fought on only French land. Following this victory, the English won seven more battles, before the French claimed their first win in 1351 in the Battle of Ardres. The war seemed to be in England’s favor, as they continued to defeat the French army battle after battle. The French still fought, winning consecutive battles, wearing the English army down. Both sides began alternating victories, causing the war to last longer than expected. The final battle, the Battle of Castillon, ended 1453, with the French...

Words: 259 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Joan Of Arc Research Paper

...Joan was ahead of her times, she wanted to serve in The military as well as wear Mens clothing. This was due to Joan's belief that women were equal to men and were fully capable of doing the same things that men did. However, during the time period Joan of Arc lived in, these ideas were unheard of and were considered absurd, eventually leading to Joan of Arc's tragic death. In this essay I will discuss Joan of Arc's upbringing, women's rights in this era, her beliefs,her experience with hearing voices of 3 saints as well as her role in the liberation of France from England during the Hundred Years War. Even though Joan of Arc was uneducated and poor, the impact she made on history was remarkable, all because she believed that God used her as his instrument on earth. Joan of arc was your typical peasant girl born in the small village of domremy in 1412. her days consisted of helping her...

Words: 857 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

The Battle of Agincourt

...invasion of France started in the late summer of 1415 when King Henry V was only twenty-seven years of age and had only spent two years as king of England. Many historians have conjectured about his battle strategy upon entry into battle, but his exact planned methods and tactics still cannot be determined. However, the history of the battle is better documented than most, and because of these accounts, historians are able to determine a much clearer picture of the actual events as they took place. One of Henry’s chaplains, along with the Lord of Saint-Remy, wrote their accounts of the battle’s events. The French brought along historians by the names of Enguerrand de Monstrelet and Waurin. There were many secondary sources that contributed greatly to what is know of the battle, but the highest volume of information came from these four men. Nonetheless, something that cannot be documented is where Henry V and his men drew their motivation to enter battle facing a seemingly insurmountable opponent, and leave with victory. The conflict between these two countries over the years reached a boiling point, which lifted tensions high enough to bring the armies within range. This lesson shows that an inferior force can win a land battle given the right battlefield, social population, and troop inspiration. Over the last century, Henry V’s ancestors fought and died throughout the Hundred Years War. However, the feud between the English and French date back all the way to 1066 when William...

Words: 2383 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Why & How Did England Lose the 100 Years War

...The Treaty of Troyes (1420) looked to have all but secured English victory in the Hundred Years War. England was undefeated in open battle and decisive victories at Crecy (1346), Poitiers (1356) and Agincourt (1415) further reinforced their apparent invincibility in the field. Furthermore the victorious King Henry V had become both the heir and regent of France, a kingdom ruled by a crazed king and crippled by civil war. Yet ultimately the English were defeated and this essay shall explore how the emergence of Joan of Arc, fiscal crises in England and the defection of Burgundy contributed to such a dramatic change of fortunes within the Hundred Years War. From the outset of the war it was political turmoil within France which drove English success. King Edward III compensated for England’s comparatively small army by capitalising on ‘provincial grievances and provincial separatism’ to acquire the support of key nobles within both Brittany and Normandy by 1354. Faced with the superior military technology and tactics of the English, and occupied on too many fronts by both the English and her own subjects, France simply could not sustain the war effort. Consequently France was forced into ratifying the Treaty of Brétigny (1360) which saw provinces such as Ponthieu and Aquitaine ceded to England in full sovereignty. Within fifty years history was repeating itself, as the bouts of madness suffered by King Charles VI meant that the French government was all but completely controlled...

Words: 2709 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

The Hundred Years War's Causes

...The hundred years war was a series of wars between England and France, it's not a war which had lasted one hundred years as we can think when we see its name. Those wars began in 1337 and finished in 1453, so it's a little more than one hundred years. Those wars began with the death of “Charles IV Le Bel”, the last one of the Capetians. As he hadn't any direct successor, they need to find an other successor. There were 2 possibilities : - Phillipe IV, Count of Valois : He was the cousin of Charles IV - Edward III from England : He was the nephew of Charles IV (the son of Charles's sister “Elizabeth de France”) Finally Phillipe IV was chosen to succeed to Charles IV because he had not English origins contrary to the Edward : That choice will start the hundred years war. At this time England was compound by “French territories” : the Flanders, the Brittany and the Guyenne. They were dependant from those territories because of the wine's importation, the wool etc.. They really needed those products from the “French territories” for their economy, for example they no longer could exploit wines because of the weather. So when king Phillipe IV decided to annex the county of Guyenne, he launched the war. Originally, this argument began with the question of territory's extension, and when Phillipe IV took the control of “Bordeaux”, Edward replied directly by putting an embargo on the exportation of the English...

Words: 292 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Hundred Years War Recurring Patterns

...Recurring Patterns Throughout History: The Punic Wars and the Hundred Years War The Punic Wars happened in the years 264 BCE-146 BCE and was between Carthage and Rome. The Hundred Years’ War happened in the years 1337-1453 and was between England and France. These wars, although over a thousand years apart, exhibit many of the same themes. The Hundred Years’ War reflects the patterns of the Punic Wars: the losers of the war started stronger, the victors won because of mental strength, and the war affecting the involved parties. The losers of the wars, Carthage and England, originally had the advantage over the eventual victors of the wars, Rome and France. Carthage was in the lead for the beginnings of both the First and Second Punic War....

Words: 785 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Guillaume de Machaut

...served as a crowning site for French kings. It’s very likely that Guillaume de Machaut received his education and training at a cathedral school since the Roman Catholic Church was still in power at the time and had great influence across the land. At the age of twenty three or twenty four, he became a “secretary to the king of Bohemia who was also known as King John of Luxembourg.” (Classical net web) Guillaume de Machaut was extremely faithful to the King John while he was in service to him and received what’s known as a benefice “a church appointment that brought the recipient a steady income from church revenue” (Encyclopedia Britannica Web). As a secretary to the king, Guillaume de Machaut travelled all over Europe with King John on his war campaigns often documenting what he’d seen and heard during his travels in poems and stories which often translated into song. Around 1337, Machaut, was made canon in his home diocese of Reims, and probably kept that post until the end of his life. Machaut stayed in John's service until 1346,...

Words: 875 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Chivalry in Battle of Agincourt

...is often associated with knights of the medieval ages. This term was used during the 11th and 12th century. The code of chivalry is a code of conduct that reflected bravery and service to others. This code of conduct was expected of the medieval knights. In his book, La Chevalerie, Leon Gautier wrote the ten commandments of chivalry which were the following: 1. Believe the Church’s teachings and observe all the Church’s directions, 2. Defend the Church, 3. Respect and defend the weak, 4. Love your country, 5. Do not fear your enemy, 6. Show no mercy and do not hesitate to make war with the infidel, 7. Perform all your feudal duties as long as they do not conflict with the laws of God, 8. Never lie or go back on one’s word, 9. Be generous, 10. Always and everywhere be right and good against evil and injustice (author, page). The knights were soldiers on horseback. They were soldiers that underwent years of training. They were highly respectable, intelligent and agile fighters. They wore full armor and used swords as weapons. They were once the best soldiers an army could have but the Battle of Agincourt changes every aspect of medieval warfare. With these knightly qualities in mind one can examine the actions that occurred in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. This very well-known battle was a major turning point in the history of the code of chivalry. The battle of Agincourt was a noteworthy event in history where the smaller force beats the stronger force. It is considered the...

Words: 1643 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Summary of Henry V

...was good at military strategies and tactics; he had the ability to encourage morale and he was loved and respected by subordinate. Henry V was encouraged by ministers and bishop to take back France, at the same time, he received an insulting gift from French Prince; he decided to start the battle. With great courage, Henry V led nobles and civilian people won their significant victory, and finally forced the King of France signed the peace treaty between England and France. The King of France agreed to let his daughter, Catherine, marry to Henry V with the condition that their son will be the future King of France. England had its great victory over this war, and Henry V made it happen. Henry V’s fantastic skills approach, credibility, and other leadership traits were perfectly captured in the difficult overall process of the war. Henry V gave many speeches in the movie, these speeches showed his wonderful skills of leadership. There was a scene of Henry talking to the city governor of France, he was assertively threaten the French governor of attacking the French citizens if he wouldn’t let English troops get inside the city; but he mentioned that if the governor open the city gate peacefully, they wouldn’t hurt French citizens. Henry V’s speech was just right for the occasion; firstly, he didn’t send ambassadors to talk to the governor, he did it in person; secondly, he talked in details about hurting French citizens and this made an ideal threatening impact; and finally, this...

Words: 689 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

King Henry V

...Kenneth Branaugh’s film version of William Shakespeare’s Henry V is based on the exploration of leadership. Although the film was difficult to follow at times, certain diction and actions of the characters made the film easier to follow. The diction and actions of King Henry V definitely showcased his abilities as a leader. Henry V focuses on leadership development by concentrating on succession, conflict and redemption. In the film, Henry V shows growth through stature and ability all while developing skills and credibility in the eyes of his followers. Because of this growth, Henry V comes to epitomize transformational leadership through his use of key qualities like vision and values, energy and a teachable point of view. It is through his use of vision and values, energy and a teachable point of view that his followers witness not only his growth as a leader, but also his attention to England’s well-being, unifying his realm and achieving organizational goals. When young King Henry V assumed the throne of his father, Henry IV, he was adamant on gaining the respect of the English people and the court. In order to gain this respect, Henry V had to live down his wild adolescent past in which he befriended drunkards and thieves and showed disrespect to the throne. As shown in the film, Henry V was willing to do whatever was necessary to disassociate himself with his adolescent past. If this meant rejecting his former drunkard and thieve friends, then Henry would do...

Words: 1435 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Joan Of Arc Research Paper

...Joan of arc was born Jeanne D’Arc in 1412 AD. It was in the French town of Domremy where her love for the Catholic Church grew. She was not taught to read or write, but instead to love God. Under threat of invasion from the English, Joan’s family, and many others like them, were forced to evacuate their homes in 1422. When she turned 13, Joan started to hear voices telling her to save France. She later determined that these voices were God telling her to deliver France from England, and place Prince Charles of valois in the French throne. She also managed to convince a local court not to arrange a marriage for her at the age of 16. At first Robert de Baudricourt, a local magistrate, didn’t allow Joan to travel with all the men to Chinon,...

Words: 327 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Dfhdjsdjf

...the French army. This famous victory over the French nobility left the country weak and divided. Under Charles leadership, French were without direction and real leader. When Joan of Arc came to the court she overwhelmed Charles with her passion and conviction. She was given control over an army and allowed to lead them into battle. Within a year Joan of Arc had led the French army to victories and many other towns were also liberated from English control. However a year later Joan was captured and sold to the English. The English and members of the French clergy decided to put her on trial for witchcraft. The trial was a very testing experience for Joan, but, her responses were much sharper than her prosecutors expected. As expected, Joan was found guilty and condemned to death by burning at the stake. Joan of Arc achieved a remarkable achievement in her short life of 19 years. In particular she embodied religious devotion with great bravery and humility, her life helped change the course of French history. She was very inspirational to me because she who was a normal peasant from village willing to take up arm and went into a war under the God guidance. She died for her own...

Words: 295 - Pages: 2