1429 In May, with Joan of Arc entering the city of Orleans, and then breaking through the British siege of Orleans, the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France began its last major turning point. France seems to have finally got out of the crisis of national subjugation, while the British began to suffer from insufficient troops and too long front after losing the opportunity to seize Orleans when the garrison materials in Orleans were almost exhausted. The French people who saw the "miracle" undoubtedly gained great morale and were originally taken away by the British.
1346' s battle of keresey ended the myth that knights dominated the battlefield in medieval Europe, leading to the decline of chivalry and spirit. In the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 and the Battle of Ginkul in 14 15, the French cavalry was defeated again by the British with a low proportion of cavalry, which resulted in the decline of the whole class.
By 1429, closer to the end of the Middle Ages, with the further improvement of knight's equipment and tactics, and more importantly, the enemy's fatigue, the French knight finally succeeded in revenge in Joan's March and won a brilliant victory.
In the late period of the Hundred Years' War, both sides paid a huge price for this protracted war. Although it was once so close to this goal, it was an almost impossible adventure for the British king to try to win the French throne, because it was even more difficult for Britain, which was relatively underdeveloped and not rich in agriculture, to support a long-term war.
When Henry V invaded France, he was forced to pawn his crown jewels to support military expenditure. However, he still can't afford more expensive knights and heavy infantry, and he can't keep the original number and proportion of these troops in the British army. He had to put all his magic weapons on the cheaper "trump card"-archer. This means that the strength of dismounted knights and heavy infantry, who act as "meat walls" in front of them, is weakened and cannot play the previous protective role.
This is a dangerous signal, although the excellent performance of longbowmen in hand-to-hand combat in the Battle of Ginkul still made the British army win a total victory. In the siege of Orleans, the actual strength of the French garrison was even higher than that of the British (about 5,000 British troops versus 6,500 French troops, not counting the civilians who participated in guarding the city), but the French army, which was repeatedly defeated by the British army, lacked confidence and never dared to take the initiative before the supply was in an emergency. However, after thousands of reinforcements from Joan of Arc arrived, they immediately took the means of forced breakthrough, and the loose siege defense line of the British army collapsed within six days.
1429 After the clearance of Orleans on May 7, many strongholds around Orleans and along the Loire River were still in the hands of the British, and the French army continued to storm these strongholds at the urging of Joan of Arc. Obviously, due to the advantages of French troops and artillery and high morale, the progress is relatively smooth. In these stormy battles, the British lost hundreds of people in each battle, but they were basically irreparable losses, which made the British situation even more unfavorable.
The main force of the army tried to recapture it under the cover of artillery fire, but it ended in failure. At the same time, the news of its fall also spread to the British military camp. Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and John Fastov, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, both thought victory was hopeless and decided to retreat to Paris.
The news of the British retreat reached the French army barracks, and the generals had a heated debate about what to do next. As a result, it is said that Joan interrupted the argument and decided to use the spurs to speed up the March and fully pursue the British army.
As a result, the French army was quickly divided into three parts Two veterans in the late Hundred Years' War rode as pioneers at the speed of 1500, and pursued quickly. China's army was led by Count Dunois, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Arancon and the Duke of Orleans. Joan herself and French director Arthur de Richmond are at the back of the house. Total strength of French army: 8,000.
The British army, exhausted from many battles, could not complete the evacuation task quickly, so they had to stop at the north 18 mile to rest. Talbot deployed his men at the intersection of a Roman-built avenue near Rawls in Leia, southwest of Patai, with some low bushes as cover. There are still many problems in such a place as a defensive position. First of all, the flank of Talbot's position is still relatively open, but he is unable to stop the French army from outflanking, and he doesn't know why. It undoubtedly costs the blood of the British army to put the troops into combat readiness immediately.
The chasing French cavalry arrived in Saint Sigmund, 6 kilometers away, but the British army was still not found. In the afternoon 1, the two sides sent a team of scouts to look for traces of the British army on foot. When the French sentry approached the British camp, it was said that a stag suddenly became angry and rushed into the British position, causing the British to scream. As a result, the French scouts found the position of the British main force and rushed back to report. The British also found the French, but they couldn't catch up. Talbot, who woke up from his dream, quickly ordered more than 500 archers to set up a famous horse-refusing stake, but it was too late.
The agile French cavalry appeared in front of the British. Without hesitation, the two quickly seized the fighter plane and took the initiative to attack. Soon, the French army outflanked the British positions and cut into the British array. Most of the British troops were archers, unable to fight hand-to-hand with heavy cavalry, and were soon cut down like wheat, while those who survived struggled for horses and tried to escape from the battlefield.
However, Fastov of the British rear army witnessed all this. Knowing that the general trend has gone, retreat without a fight and quickly withdraw to the mainland. The resistance of the British main force of China Army quickly collapsed with the continuous arrival of the French army. The battle was over in less than an hour.
The loss of this campaign is that at least 2,500 British soldiers were killed or captured, and two commanders, Talbot and scales, were captured. Talbot was quickly released and took part in many famous battles in the later period. Modern historians who are skeptical about the statement that only five French knights died estimate that the loss of the French army is about 100. No matter which data is more accurate, the French army wiped out the main force of the British army with almost no loss. The knight's attack once again showed the power of terror in the medieval dusk.
Coupled with the losses in Orleans and the Loire Valley, the British army should lose nearly 10,000 people in a short time. So after the battle, Joan of Arc and the French army made amazing progress.
On June 29th, Joan of Arc began to March on Reims for the sake of Crown Prince Charles (Charles VII). On July 3, Osser surrendered. Four days later, the French army captured Trouvat. 16 On July 6th, Lance opened the door of Joan of Arc's army, and Charles was crowned king of France. On September 8, Joan of Arc arrived at the gates of Paris, and a bloody siege battle failed. She received an order from King Charles to retreat. In just four months, Joan of Arc led his troops from Orleans, the southern gate of France, into northern France and recovered a large number of occupied territories. The rapid progress shocked the future militarists!
She was accidentally captured by Burgundy in a small-scale encounter to rescue Compiegne, and the war situation became stable. But Charlie ignored it. For him, the use value of Joan has been fully realized, and her military breakthrough has also won enough political chips for Charlie. Sure enough, duke of burgundy and other former vassals soon thought that the British had lost and returned to the French side. By 1450, the king of England had only his fiefs in Normandy and aquitaine, and a city, Calais.
From the beginning of the campaign, the glory of the French heavy cavalry seems to have begun to reappear. With the extensive use of plate armour, their equipment is stronger than before and their tactics are more flexible. Charles VII then began to form a standing army, replacing the unreliable feudal knights with troops and becoming the main force of heavy cavalry. So World War I can be said to be the last glory of French knights. In the decisive battle of Fermini on 1450, the French cavalry assault once again decided the outcome of the battle. However, they soon met stronger opponents, the Swiss phalanx of spears and the Spanish phalanx. The era of guns and muskets began.