The Siege of Orléans

In Our Time

BBC

History

4.6 • 9.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 May 2007

⏱️ 43 minutes

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Siege of Orléans, when Joan of Arc came to the rescue of France and routed the English army with the help of God. The perfidious English then burnt her as a heretic in Rouen marketplace. At least that's the story we're told but the truth involves the murky world of French court politics, labyrinthine dynastic claims, mass religious hysteria and English military and political incompetenceLooking back on the events that followed, the Duke of Bedford wrote to King Henry VI and declared “all things prospered for you till the time of the siege of Orleans, taken in hand God knoweth by what advice”.But what happened at the siege of Orleans, did Joan of Arc really rescue the city and how significant was the battle in changing the course of the 100 Years' War and the subsequent histories of England and France?With Anne Curry, Professor of Medieval History at the University of Southampton; Malcolm Vale, Fellow and Tutor in History at St John’s College, Oxford; Matthew Bennett, Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know.
0:04.7	My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds.
0:08.5	As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality featuring the most knowledgeable experts and genuinely engaging voices.
0:18.0	What you may not know is that the BBC makes podcasts about all kinds of things like pop stars,
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0:39.0	For more details about In Our Time and for our terms of use, please go to BBC.co. UK forward slash radio for I hope you enjoy
0:46.5	the program. Hello in 1422 Henry the 5th Warrior Hero on his way to conquer France, died, as did King Charles VI of France.
0:56.3	The French aristocracy were at war with each other.
0:58.6	English soldiers occupied Paris and Charles's crown was disputed, contested by his own son, the Dauphin and the infant
1:05.2	king of England, Henry the 6th.
1:07.1	But as the English army in 1428 pressed down through France, the only thing that seemed
1:10.9	to stand between the English king and the French crown was the city of O'Léon.
1:15.0	Looking back on the events that followed, the Duke of Bedford wrote to King Henry VI and declared that all things prospered for you till the time of the siege of Olyon taken in hand God know us by what advice.
1:25.6	And in 1429, Joan of Arc made her entrance into Olyo and into history.
1:30.7	But what happened at the Siege of Olyon? Did Genovark really rescue the city and how significant
1:35.4	was the battle in change in the course of the 100 years war and the subsequent histories of
1:39.3	England and France? With me to discuss the Siege of Orleans, are Anne Curry, professor of medieval history at Southampton University,
1:45.8	Malcolm Vale, fellow and tutoring history at St John's College, Oxford,
1:49.4	and Matthew Bennett, senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.
1:54.2	Anne Curry, in 1428 the English Army were camped outside earlier.
	...

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