Since the XV century, the person of The Maid of Orleans excites public opinion. She attracts not only historians and philosophers, but also writers, composers, producers and ordinary people.
A simple peasant girl whose merits earned her and her family the title of Earl of Lilies (Fleur-Du-Lis). A 17 year old warrior and leader that created a very strong army basing it on gangs of mere pillagers, liberated half of her country, destroyed three English armies and in a month and a half changed the strategic situation in one of the longest wars in the history, using tactics that later in the XX century have been named "Blitzkrieg".
A peasant girl that crowned king Charles VII, to be betrayed by him to pain and death. An illiterate child that for a number of weeks stood against some ten doctors of theology and, while trying to save her life, found answers to questions some of which were considered at that time as problems without solutions.
"A woman of records" - either in the number of names and nicknames she had in various languages, or in the number of books, melodies and movies she has inspired. An absolutely legendary person whose life is known almost to a single day.
These are the paradoxes we find as soon as we take a very brief look into the biography of Joan.
A widely spread opinion suggests that Joan considered her main goal in replacing the authority of English king Henry VI in France with that of French king Charles VII. That opinion is wrong. As we show below, the English behaved very cruelly in France. Therefore the main, if not the sole, goal of Joan consisted of saving the French from suffering and destruction. As Joan said, she felt pity for her sweet France tormented by aggressors. Crowning of Charles VII was just a necessity, as Joan believed, a means to an end. It is only normal that Joan became a symbol of patriotism and heroism worldwide. During World War II, many partisan detachments in France and in other European countries occupied by Nazi took the name of Joan of Arc.
The memory of Joan does not belong only to France. Many foreign representatives were glad to meet Joan when she was staying with Charles VII. After her tragic death, Joan conquered hearts of people of many nations, including English.
Authors of many nations wrote about her. Many producers made movies about Joan. Her theme permanently appears in Hollywood.
On the other hand, Joan is a subject of hate for people who lie and calumniate about those they cannot understand. In France and in other countries there are multiple absurd myths and calumnies about this heroic girl that saved her country and was paid back with her tragic death. These myths are so much like that same calumny the "judges" of Joan threw upon her when they explored every pretext to condemn her to death on stake.
Some aspects of Joan's biography do not seem impossible today, in XXI century. Victories of Garibaldi and Bolivar were not less spectacular than those of Joan. Bertrand du Guesclin, one of most talented captains of the Hundred Years' war, was illiterate like Joan. Flemish Joan, the wife of Jean of Montfort, successfully commanded the defense of their fortress. After all, why is The Maid of Orleans so special for us? Maybe she is, because she did the impossible, contributed decisively to the cessation of the cruel war and saved French people from foreign aggressors. And maybe she is so special because of the ingratitude France paid to Joan. This paradox between Joan's exploit and the reward for it is probably the main mystery of The Maid of Orleans.
The intention of this book is to analyze the most important mysteries of The Maid of Orleans and seek their possible explanations in the light of the modern science.
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Most important items considered are:
The reasons that caused the Hundred Years' War. The first mystery of Hundred Years' War.
Most important events of Hundred Years' war from 1337 to 1420.
The Treaty of Troyes and the way it changed the character of the war.
From Troyes to Orleans. The siege of Orleans.
"Merlin's prophecy".
Joan in the eyes of the witnesses. The village of Domremy and the Hundred Years' war.
The Mystery of the name of Joan. "The sacred taboo" of her name and image.
The family of Joan. The alternative version of the origin of Joan (revisionism) and its general analysis.
The childhood of Joan . "The Voices", explanations about them. The adolescence of Joan.
From Domremy to Chinon. The events in Chinon. The trial in Poitiers. The first appeal to the English. Arms for Joan; the sword found in the chapel of St. Catherine-de-Fierbois.
Description of the military victories of Joan. Saving of Orleans. The first victory. Preparation to removal of the siege. Removal of the siege.
The strategic situation after the Orleans campaign. Conquering of Jargeau. The battle of Patais. The fatal mistake of Joan. The "Bloodless march" of Joan. The first demand of Joan for her dismissal.
The ending of Joan's mission. The situation in France after the crowning of Charles VII. The Paris campaign. Joan at the court of Charles VII. The restart of fighting. The siege of Compiegne. The last battle of captain Joan.
Who betrayed Joan? The initial period of her imprisonment. The siege of Compiegne after the capture of Joan. Comparison between the Orleans and Compiegne campaigns. Selling of Joan to the English. Why was Rouen chosen for the trial? Could the French release Joan? The way of Joan to Rouen. The role of The Voices in the martyrdom of Joan.
The fatal mistake of the English. Preparation of the trial. The judges of Joan. Violations of the procedure during the Trial of Condemnation in Rouen. Beginning of the trial. The illusion for a chance for Joan. Joan and Saint Catherine: the similarity of the destinies. Could the French stop the Trial of Condemnation? The events of the Hundred Years war during the Trial of Condemnation of Joan. Formulation of the accusation. The abjuration. The final adjudication and the sentence of death. Preparation of the execution of Joan . The execution of Joan. "The white dove" and the heart that was not burnt - a possible explanation of the phenomena.
The events of the Hundred Years war after the execution of Joan . "Was The Maid of Orleans burnt?" - an analysis of the revisionist concept. The nullification of the condemnation of Joan. The historical role of The Maid of Orleans.
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