What was Joan of Arc really like?

Any creativity based on stories There are many Joans of Arc. This painting depicts her entry into Orleans.
The personality of the "savior of France" Joan of Arc has always attracted much attention, and much literature has been written on this topic. It would seem that what else can be added here? However, telling her story as part of a course in the history of the Middle Ages at school, I began to feel that her generally accepted biography does not at all explain the phenomenal twists and turns of her short but stormy biography, and especially the fact that Charles VII, whom she raised to the throne, did not rescue her from captivity.
Apparently, her biography and especially the characterization of Jeanne, with the exception of a number of events that took place, is a later literary creation, which began during her rehabilitation, which began in 1452, twenty years after her execution on May 30, 1431. That's when her image was greatly embellished, since most of those who knew her personally were already dead, and the living had good reasons to lie. Why? Because this is the history of the king and the royal dynasty, and it must be decent.
I went the other way and tried to imagine what Joan of Arc must have been like to live such a life and go through its twists and turns in such a way. And I came to the extravagant conclusion that she must have been a cavalry girl, but, unlike Nadezhda Durova, of an exceptionally bad and aggressive nature.
There is much in Jeanne's biography that was completely unbelievable by the standards of medieval society and could not have happened, but it did. For example, the girl put on men's clothing, armor, joined the army, personally participated in battles, and was even shot with a crossbow. In a society where gender roles were strictly defined, and for wearing men's clothing a woman was seriously suspected of having connections with evil spirits and witchcraft, this could not happen. Even in her official biography, one can see an inconsistency.
Even her most talented biographers cannot derive the wearing of armor from the religious visions that possessed her. Okay, Jeanne heard the voice of Archangel Michael. So what now, should she put on an iron skirt? Especially since that was a very decent role for a woman in religious ecstasy. That is why I believe that these difficult-to-explain moments in Jeanne's biography point to her real character and the real circumstances of her biography.
Restless childhood
Jeanne was born and lived most of her life in the village of Domremy in the present-day Vosges department in Lorraine. The village was restless, as two borders passed through it: the Meuse River marked the border between the Kingdom of France and the Duchy of Lorraine, which belonged to the Holy Roman Empire, and a stream marked the border between parts of the Duchy of Bar, one of which belonged to the royal lands, and the other was a fiefdom of the empire. Jeanne's family lived on royal lands, were wealthy and personally free, and paid taxes to the king. The inhabitants of the royal lands at that time were subject to the castellany of Vaucouleurs. In 1428, this was the only castellany in eastern France that was subject to the Dauphin (heir to the throne) Charles.
As you might imagine, the border village was full of all sorts of adventures, raids and skirmishes. The Burgundians, who were allies of the English at the time, tried to capture Vaucouleurs, but they failed.
In Domremy, they supported the Armagnacs, one of the parties during the Hundred Years' War, on whose side was the Dauphin Charles, and in the village of Max, on the other bank of the Meuse, already in Lorraine, they sympathized with another party, the Burgundians. The relations between the parties were extremely hostile, they periodically carried out bloody reprisals against their opponents. So fights between residents on political grounds were commonplace.
And another feature. Jeanne's father, Jacques d'Arc, was appointed elder in 1425-1427 and was responsible for tax collection. In the above-described circumstances, this guaranteed a tense life in conditions of constant conflicts. It is unlikely that the family was popular in the local community at that time. Only later, when Jacques obtained a permanent exemption from taxes from the king in 1429, these circumstances were forgotten.
Moreover, not all the children were loved in the family. The eldest son Jacquelot, who married the daughter of the mayor of the neighboring village of Grès, and the younger sister Catherine, who married the son of the same mayor, but died in childbirth before Jeanne's departure, were apparently the parents' favorite children. The other children: Pierre, Jean and Jeanne - were not very favorite, perhaps because of their reluctance to share the inheritance.
That is why I think that Zhanna, who grew up in conditions of constant conflicts, hostility and violence, developed a bad and aggressive character. For example, under the influence of a very pious mother, a pilgrim, Zhanna perceived all attention to herself as a girl negatively, reinforcing her rejection with fists, a stake or a pole that came to hand, combined with choice abuse.
Putting on pants
An interesting question: what did Jeanne need in Vaucouleurs? This fortified town was only 17 km north of Domremy as the crow flies, with the road being somewhat longer. A day's journey, in total. Jeanne's father was often there on tax business.
In general, the very idea of saving France for a 16-year-old girl was completely unbelievable. Both because a girl of that age should have been sitting at home and waiting to get married. And also because they were surrounded by enemies, the Dauphin was somewhere far to the southwest. There had just been an attempt to take Vaucouleurs, in the summer of 1428, when its captain Robert de Baudricourt was forced to sign a capitulation, but did not surrender the fortress. Around this time, Jeanne came to him for the first time, but he drove her away.
Somewhere around January 1429, she came to him again. So why? I think it was because the villagers could no longer stand her character and, given the extremely low chances of marrying her off, they were hatching plans to send her away somewhere. In a more peaceful time, Jeanne would have simply been kicked out and would have become, for example, a bandit. But here the political situation helped her. Someone, apparently, jokingly said something like: "Such a fighting girl will even liberate France!" She heard, she liked the idea. Her brothers, who had no chance of inheriting, followed her. Her parents, I think, breathed a sigh of relief when she left. Later, however, her father went to see his daughter and used this visit to petition King Charles VII for tax exemption, which he received. The inhabitants of Domremy did not pay taxes until the French Revolution, 360 years. Pure profit disguised as paternal feelings.
At Vaucouleurs, I believe, Jeanne began by hurling the most profane language at Captain de Baudricourt. He could not help but receive her, since she was the daughter of his doyen, the headman who collected taxes. But then the exchange of pleasantries, I believe, went on to this level. Jeanne declared that French men were so timid that they should wear skirts. Robert de Baudricourt was 29 at the time, a mature man by the standards of the time, but young enough to be offended. Realizing that he could not escape from such a hold, he prepared a trap for the girl with a dialogue that went something like this:
And I will wear it!
And will you wear armor too?
And I will wear it!
And will you go and fight with the Burgundians?
And I'll go!
Excellent! Pick out some armor for the lady!
Captain de Baudricourt had hoped to make a joke and put the obstinate girl off her guard. Most of them would have been embarrassed by the suggestion that they dress in men's clothes. Jeanne, too, realized that she had been cornered, and if she refused, she would have to go home, curb her wild temper, and wait for marriage. And she made a fateful choice.
There is always some spare equipment in the fortress: trophies, from the wounded, from the killed, so Jeanne was given more or less suitable pieces of armor. She apparently rode a horse well. She had never used a sword before, but she could have been given a few lessons.
Then, apparently, Zhanna took part in the first skirmishes. It was not easy even for many men, and even more so for a girl. But, as one can assume, the first skirmishes showed that Zhanna is not afraid of blood, and she clearly has a tactical sense of the moment when it is necessary to attack and strike in order to win.

After Joan's baptism of fire, Captain de Baudricourt found himself in a difficult situation. A girl on horseback and in armor was a sight to behold once in a lifetime. Her character, correctly applied to the political situation, was gaining growing popularity. De Baudricourt began to consult with the Duke of Bar, René of Anjou, about what to do. It seems that they were the ones who suggested that Joan go straight to the Dauphin Charles.
Why not?
At that time, Dauphin Charles was in the castle of Chinon, southwest of Tours. It was really not a short distance. As the crow flies, 436 km, and with roads, 600 km. A month's journey. And through territory controlled by the English and their allied Burgundians.

Dauphin Charles, in the painting already King Charles VII
Under these circumstances, the plan of the Duke of Bar and his captain was quite obvious - most likely, Jeanne would not make it and would disappear on the way, saving them from trouble. That is why de Baudricourt said to Jeanne at parting: "Go and come what may».
It is believed that they were extremely surprised when they learned that Jeanne had reached the Dauphin. There is evidence that she was able to get there in just 11 days with only five companions. On horseback, at a forced march, this is entirely possible.
Most of what is written about the Dauphin's reception of the girl is apparently a product of literary fantasy. There is testimony from Jeanne herself at the church trial, there is testimony from two witnesses already at the rehabilitation trial 20 years after the execution. About miracles, about voices, about all sorts of things... But the question remains: why did the Dauphin and his entourage need this girl? They could have not accepted her.
The political situation, meanwhile, was precarious. The Dauphin Charles himself, 26 years old in 1429, was declared illegitimate by his mother, and his father Charles VI the Mad signed the Treaty of Troyes with the English King Henry V, declaring him heir to the French throne. Then Henry V died and was succeeded by the underage Henry VI, who was 1429 years old in 8. If the Dauphin Charles had no right to the throne, then he would be succeeded by the Duke of Orleans Charles, who had been captured by the English in 1415 and was in the Tower in 1429.
In fact, the French throne was empty at that moment, the country was split: some supported the English Henry, some supported the French Charles. The English were pressing at that moment, together with the Burgundians they captured the north of France, including Reims, where the French kings were crowned. For some reason, it did not occur to them to bring Henry VI to Reims and crown him; perhaps they were counting on a quick victory over the supporters of the Dauphin Charles.
It was in this situation that an unprecedented miracle appeared in Chinon: a girl in armor.
Jeanne herself hardly had any definite plans at that moment, but among the Dauphin's entourage there may well have been a plan to break through to Reims and hold a coronation there, which would have turned the tide in their favor. However, decisive people were needed, while the Dauphin's entourage and the military leaders loyal to him were in a state of decline. In February 1429, the French lost the "Battle of the Herrings", although they outnumbered the English.
And so the Lord sent them Jeanne, whose determination was worth a hundred points to any knight. After some consultation, the Dauphin and his confidants decided that why not take advantage of this unexpected gift. They had nothing left to lose, and they were morally mature enough for a desperate attempt. But at the same time, they initially intended to use Jeanne as a tool to achieve their goals, and nothing more.
It was then that Jeanne was not only given new armor, but also concocted a new biography for the purposes of propaganda, in which all sorts of religious visions occupied an honorable place. Theologians from Poitiers worked with her, teaching her how to behave, what to say, and in general it was better not to speak out unless necessary. At this time, Jeanne became a symbol.
True, one of the Parisians who kept a diary at the time wrote that the king's army was led by a witch, a "cruel woman" who beat with a stick anyone who dared to express dissent.
The Dauphin probably received her already at the final stage, after the necessary processing, in order to sanction her actions. Her assistant was the Duke of Alençon Jean II, who literally shortly before these events had bought himself out of English captivity for 200 thousand ecus in gold (an ecus is 4,532 grams; 906,4 kg of gold), for this he had sold his possessions and was practically a beggar. He was eager to fight, counting on improving his financial situation with victories. And in general, the same desperate people gathered around her.
Quick march, quick onslaught
Already in the Orleans campaign, Joan's tactical intuition played a major role. Under her influence, the French attacks on the forts built by the English became stubborn and furious. On May 4, 1429, Fort Saint-Loup was taken, on May 6, Fort St. Augustine was taken, on May 7, immediately after morning mass, the storming of the fortress of Tourelles began, which was taken in the evening, after a whole day of fighting. In these battles, Joan was wounded in the leg by a spike and an arrow in the shoulder. On May 8, the English left the fortifications, lined up, stood for a while, and left.

The plan of Orleans at that moment. The fortress of Tourelles was a bridgehead on the left bank of the Loire, protecting the bridge that was destroyed

This is a model of the fortress of Turel. It was a difficult object to attack.
When starting a battle or an assault, Jeanne always demanded the most decisive onslaught and attack, and she led the attack with a banner, which often brought success.
Four further battles took place in June 1429: the capture of Jargeau on June 10-12, the Battle of Meung-sur-Loire and the capture of the bridge over the Loire on June 15, the Battle of Beaugency with the capture of the bridge over the Loire on June 16-17, and finally the Battle of Patay on June 18.
This is all the area around Orleans, with bridges over a large river. The English had captured almost everything except Orleans itself, in order to prepare and carry out an invasion of southern France. But Orleans was a thorn in their side, preventing them from using the bridges over the Loire safely. Joan had eliminated this most serious threat in just two months. At the Battle of Patay, without a break the day after the capture of Beaugency, the French cavalry routed, half destroyed and routed an English army more than three times larger, winning their victory by a sudden, decisive attack. This was her style of war.
On June 25, 1429, an order was issued to gather troops for a campaign against Reims in Gien, 60 km southeast of Orleans. Reims is 200 km as the crow flies in a northeasterly direction, and taking into account the turn to Troyes, it is 250 km. The French army covered this distance from June 29 to July 16, that is, in 17 days. An average of 14 km per day. There were few battles, the cities surrendered and opened their gates. On July 16, Reims opened its gates, and the next day, July 17, 1429, the coronation of Charles VII took place.
The king rewarded Jeanne extremely generously: hereditary nobility for her and her relatives, a coat of arms, exemption from taxes for her native village, and finally, she was entrusted with holding the royal standard at the coronation ceremony - honors unthinkable for an ordinary peasant girl. Life was good, one might say. But the whole problem was that Jeanne had no brakes.
Reasons for elimination
If she fought so well, why didn't the king place his bets on her in the future? The generally accepted version doesn't give any clear answer to this question.
However, plans to eliminate Jeanne definitely arose the very next day after the coronation. There were many reasons for this, but there were two main ones. Firstly, if it was still acceptable to acquire the crown in such an extravagant way, then Charles VII could not make any further decisions under the influence or pressure of Jeanne. Otherwise, he would have completely lost his reputation, already tarnished by past failures. They say that a girl rules for the king. If Jeanne lost faith in the king, then for her to stage a rebellion would be the same as changing her clothes. And the troops would support her. But a rebellion and the deposition of the king could lead to a catastrophe.
Secondly, the king's opponents claimed that his army was commanded by a witch who was closely connected with devils.
And it is not known which is worse: being a weakling or an accomplice of a witch.
In their assault on Paris in late August and early September 1429, Jeanne and the Duke of Alençon acted virtually on their own, and the king clearly did not want to support their initiative. Ultimately, the assault failed, although it had certain chances from a purely military point of view. Jeanne was effectively debunked by this failure. For her last military undertaking, the lifting of the siege of Compiegne, which had sworn allegiance to the king and was besieged by Burgundian troops, Jeanne was able to recruit only about 400 volunteers and most likely set out on her own, without the king's permission. What happened next is known. On May 23, 1430, she was captured at the gates of Compiegne.

The artists also depicted the moment of Joan of Arc's capture
I would not rule out the involvement of Charles VII himself and that the capture of Joan was one of the moves in a complex combination of negotiations with the Burgundian Duke Philip III the Good, whom the king very much wanted to get as an ally. But the details are unlikely to ever become known.
By being captured, Jeanne saved the king from further trouble. Charles VII apparently had no doubt that his opponents would treat her as a witch and a heretic. Historians have often accused the king of treason and unwillingness to help Jeanne. But, in general, it must be admitted that dead Jeanne was much more advantageous to him than alive, for a number of reasons.
Only 20 years later, after winning the war with the English and suppressing a major feudal rebellion, feeling real power in his hands, Charles VII decided to correct the history of his reign to make it more decent. In 1452, he ordered an examination of the legality of Joan's trial, and on July 7, 1456, an acquittal was read. I think that the king still valued her, and if she had been of a calmer disposition, he would have showered her with all sorts of favors. But, alas, Joan of Arc's disposition was such that he had to get rid of her.
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