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JOAN OF ARC

CHAPTER 10 - JOAN IS BETRAYED

After Charles became king, he and Joan disagreed on future strategy regarding the English and their allies, the Burgundians. Charles VII wanted to negotiate. Joan wanted to continue fighting.

Unfortunately, "The Maid of Orleans" began to lose some of her battles. In the spring of 1430, she was trapped. While most of the townspeople were safely inside the walls of Compiegne, a town not far from Paris, Joan remained outside the walls, fighting. Forced to raise the drawbridge to protect the people from the enemy, the officials of Compiegne unwittingly left Joan unprotected. She was captured by the Burgundians on May 24, 1430.

The tragedy of Joan's capture was that it was Frenchmen (albeit Burgundians) who et in motion the events that led to her trial and death. Jean de Luxembourg, despite pleas from his wife not to betray Joan, sold Joan of Arc to the English for 10,000 gold livres and an annuity. Joan was ultimately taken to the English-controlled town of Rouen where she was shackled to the wall of a dungeon.

The English had lost more than their pride because of Joan of Arc. How could a mere teenage girl have caused them to lose their highly prized French land? No mere girl could do what Joan did. If the English losses had been caused by witchcraft, the English would have a "reason" for their losses. If Joan were a witch, she would have to stand trial for heresy.

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