June 12, 1429 the assault on the fortress at Jargeau by Joan of Arc was accomplished. Its many lulls and "treaties" notwithstanding the Hundred Years War in its ninety-third year. The House of Plantagenet ruling England is occupying a major portion of France. The House of Valois, royal line of France, has for several decades been averse to pushing back to reclaim the country. Comes a seventeen-year-old girl from a country village, sparks the should-be-king to action, raises an army and proceeds to undertake the task of ridding France of England's boot on its neck.
Joan of Arc has lifted the Seige of Orleans and is now in attack mode to drive the English from the Loire valley. Jargeau is the first of four campaigns which ultimately ended the Hundred Years' War. Joan, of course, did not live to see the final victory over the despised English, but she is nevertheless credited with having stirred France to action and making great strides toward freeing her beloved country.
I acquired my history largely from Mark Twain's Joan of Arc. If he is short on any aspect of the story, he is certainly long on interest. The man could write.
See my earlier post about Joan here.
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