The Hundred Years' War: Joan of Arc and the Birth of French Identity

This episode of The Story of France picks up after the Revolution and Napoleon, but instead of continuing chronologically, we take a step back to explore a foundational event that shaped French national consciousness: the Hundred Years' War. Lucas and Luna delve into the conflict's origins in the 14th century, the stunning English victories at Crécy and Agincourt, and the fractured French kingdom under the Valois kings. The heart of the episode is the extraordinary story of Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who turned the tide at Orléans and crowned Charles VII at Reims. We examine the political and religious forces that led to her trial and execution by the English, and how she later became a symbol of French unity and defiance. The conversation also touches on the war's long-term impact: the decline of feudalism, the rise of a professional army, and the forging of a distinct French identity separate from English and Burgundian influences. Specific terms like 'Gabelle' tax, the Treaty of Troyes, and the symbolism of the fleur-de-lis are woven into the discussion. #HundredYearsWar #JoanOfArc #CrCy #Agincourt #OrlAns #CharlesVII #HenryV #Valois #Plantagenet #TreatyOfTroyes #Burgundy #FleurDeLis #FrenchIdentity #MedievalHistory #MilitaryHistory #PeasantRevolt #History #FexingoHistory #FrenchRevolution #NapoleonBonaparte Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo