Promises to the King

Now, at the age of thirteen, Jeanne began to hear voices that she felt were sent by God. These voices presented her with the mission of saving France from it enemies and install Charles as the rightful king. Interestingly, she took a vow of chastity as part of her divine endeavour. She even went to a local court at the age of sixteen to avoid marriage.

In May 1428, Jeanne went to Vaucouleurs, a nearby stronghold of those loyal to Charles. Robert de Baudricourt, the magistrate, rejected her, initially, but she persisted. When Baudricort finally came around, Jeanne cut her hair short and dressed in men’s clothes to set off to Chinon, the site of the crown prince’s palace.

Jeanne promised Charles she would see him crowned king at Reims (the traditional site of French royal investiture) and asked him to grant her an army to lead to Orléans, which was under the English at the time. Against the advice of most of his councellors and generals, Charles granted her request, and Jeanne set off for Orléans in March of 1429 dressed in white armor and riding a white horse.

Jeanne succeeded in lifting the siege at Orléans and coronated the King.



Promises to Remember:

• Chastity
• Dressing up as a man
• Crowing the Dauphin at Reims

Bibliography :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc
http://www.history.com/topics/saint-joan-of-arc
~Sarah Minz

Jeanne's War Techniques

1)Jeanne was known to have an aggressive style in battle

Jeanne D'Arc was an aggressive military commander who always opted for offense instead of defence.  It was this attitude of hers that caused her downfall. For one she had no strategies of defence when she entered Compiegne. Compiegne being a city of defensive mentality managed to survive however Jeanne's strategy of offense caused her to be captured on the very first day of the siege.

2)Jeanne's sword : 

Little is known about Joan's sword. It had five crosses upon it and it's rust was easily removed. Apparently her voices guided her to to the church of  ST Catherine where she found the sword behind an altar. Jeanne mentions two scabbards that were given to her to hold the sword however she chose to construct one out of leather (Being practical) She also recieved two other swords, one from sir robert de Baudricourt and one from a Burgundian soldier. Her sword (the one she found at St Catherine's) was said to have a long and tapered blade but the history is blurred as to if this is accurate. Once she was caught,  she never revealed to anyone what had been the fate of this sword. Also interesting fact: She used to chase away prostiitutes w=from camps with this sword of hers.

3)Cannons:   Jeanne was known to have excelled in gunpowder warfare, that is she was extremely skilled when it came to working with the cannon. It is said that she could not only place and aim cannons but also predict an enemy artillery target.At all of her successful sieges, Jeanne always had superior firepower. The downside of being so reliant on artillery meant that when it was not there, the chances of success diminished. At her four losses: Paris, La Charité, Choisy-au-Bac, and finally Compiégne–Jeanne was outgunned.

4)Jeanne's Armor: 

She  was given a suit of "white armor" by Charles VII  White armor was a type of armor worn in the medieval period that was highly polished and when viewed it looked almost white. Jeanne wore this armor until Paris when after being wounded in the assault upon Paris she left it at the alter of Saint Denis as an offering which she later described at her trial "that is was an act of devotion, such as soldiers perform when they are wounded.

5)The theory that she was the source of morale and didn't actually fight: 

The extent of her actual military leadership is a subject of historical debate. It is believe that she merely provided morale. This type of analysis usually relies on the  her own testimony during her trial, where she stated that she preferred her standard to her sword. Though remembered as a fearless warrior and considered a heroine of the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, Jeanne apparently never really fought in battle but instead provided inspiration for those who were fighting by using her banners. She also outlined military strategies and provided diplomatic solutions.

Sources: 

http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/7-surprising-facts-about-joan-of-arc

http://musee.jeannedarc.pagesperso-orange.fr/sword.htm

http://www.maidofheaven.com/joanofarc_armor.asp

http://www.scottmanning.com/content/joan-of-arc-military-successes-and-failures/

http://www.scottmanning.com/content/joan-of-arc-cannons/

http://www.schillerinstitute.org/educ/joan_ib.html

http://historywarsweapons.com/joan-of-arc/

Many missions, many flags.

WHY?
Jeanne used three ensigns or flags, two of which were for military use (the standard and pennon), and one for religious purposes, the banner.

1. The standard (3 feet in height, 12 feet long, ending with two tails), denoting her command of the battle. 

• Made of a white fabric called 'boucassin', fringed with white silk. 
• Painted in the style of the last Judgement.
• On front the figure of Christ holding the world, and an angel on either side, flanked above by the words "Jhesus Maria".
• On the back, two angels bearing the coat of arms of the Dauphin.
• Numerous fleur-de-lis in the background.

   2. The pennon (triangular in shape), denoting her new knighthood.

• Similar fleur-de-lis background and "Jhesus Maria"
• Painted like the Annunciation
• The archangel Gabriel presenting a natural lily to the Blessed Virgin Mary
• A dove painted over an azure area holding in its beak a streamer with the inscription 'De par le Roy du Ciel' (The King of Heaven commands it)

• If assumed that the dove represented God, the pennon thus implies that the Holy Spirit testified that Jeanne's message came from God.

 








 3. The banner, which served as an identification toward the knight's disposition or character.

• Jeanne's banner carried the scene of the Crucifixion 
• Created for the priests and men of the army
• Used to assemble for morning and evening prayers.

SOURCE:

http://www.stjoan-center.com/2012-frohlick/

http://www.stjoan-center.com/j-cc/