VoteKansas.org

From InvisiblePatriots.com

June 4, 2007

This column is archived at http://invisiblepatriots.com/JoanOfArc/JoanOfArc.html

By Norman Chenoweth

Gary Melechinsky inspired me to make a page about Joan of Arc, I hope it lives up to his expectations.

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.

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.

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.

Please visit http://invisiblepatriots.com/.