Aftermath

The English did not consider themselves beaten. Although they had suffered a setback and tremendous losses at Orléans itself, the surrounding perimeter of the Orleanais region - Beaugency, Meung, Janville, Jargeau - was still in their hands. Indeed, it was possible for the EnglishThe Kingdom of England was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from about 927, when it emerged from various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Viking invasions of the 9th century upset the balance of power between the English kingdoms, and native Anglo-Saxon life in general. The English lands were unified in the 10th century in a reconquest completed by King Æthelstan in 927.English to reorganize and resume the siege of Orléans itself soon after, this time perhaps with more success, as the bridge was now repaired, and thus more susceptible to being taken by assault. Suffolk's priority that day (May 8) was to salvage what remained of English arms.

The FrenchThe Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe since the High Middle Ages. It was also an early colonial power, with possessions around the world. Colonial conflicts with Great Britain led to the loss of much of its North American holdings by 1763. The Kingdom of France adopted a written constitution in 1791, but the Kingdom was abolished a year later and replaced with the First French Republic.French commanders realized as much, Joan less so. Leaving Orléans, she met the Dauphin Charles outside of Tours on May 13, to report her victory. Joan of ArcJoan of Arc (1412-1431), is considered a heroine of France for her role during the Lancastrian phase of the Hundred Years' War and was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. She gained prominence after the siege was lifted only nine days later. This long-awaited event boosted French morale and paved the way for the final French victory. Joan of Arc »Joan of Arc immediately called for a march northeast into Champagne, towards Rheims, but the French commanders knew they had to first clear the English out of their dangerous positions on the Loire.

The Loire Campaign began a couple of weeks later, after a period of rest and reinforcement. Volunteers of men and supplies swelled the French army, eager to serve under Joan of Arc's banner. Even the ostracized constable Arthur de Richemont was eventually permitted to join the campaign. After a series of brief sieges and battles at Jargeau (June 12), Meung (June 15) and Beaugency (June 17), the Loire was back in French hands. An English reinforcement army rushing from Paris under John Talbot was defeated at the Battle of Patay shortly after (June 18), the first significant field victory for French arms in years. The English commanders, the Earl of Suffolk and Lord Talbot, were taken prisoner in this campaign. Only thereafter did the French feel safe enough to accede to Joan's request for a march on Rheims.

After some preparation, the march on Rheims began from Gien on June 29, the Dauphin Charles following Joan and the French army through the dangerous Burgundian-occupied territory of Champagne. Although Auxerre (July 1) closed its gates and refused them entry, Saint-Florentin (July 3) yielded, as did, after some resistance, Troyes (July 11) and Châlons-sur-Marne (July 15). They reached Rheims the next day and the Dauphin Charles, with Joan at his side, was finally consecrated as King Charles VII of France on July 17, 1429.

• Outline of the Siege of Orléans (1428–1429)
  

  HISTORIC BATTLES

  Siege of Orléans (1428–1429)

  The Siege of Orléans (1428–1429) was the watershed of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. It was the French Royal army's first major military victory while Joan of Arc was with the army and the first to follow the crushing defeat at Agincourt in 1415. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war. View Historic Battle »

  Preparations: The Orléanais region southwest of Paris was of key importance, not only for controlling the Loire river, but also to smoothly connect the English area of operations in the west and the Burgundian area of operations in the east.

  Early stages of the siege: The siege of Orléans formally began on 12 October 1428, and initiated with an artillery bombardment that began on 17 October.

  Battle of the Herrings: The threat to Orléans had prompted the partisans of Richemont and La Trémoille to make a quick temporary truce in October, 1428.

  Joan's arrival at Orléans: For years, vague prophecies had been circulating in France concerning an armored maiden who would rescue France.

  Lifting the siege: During this interlude, Joan went outside the city walls and surveyed all of the English fortifications personally, at one point exchanging words with William Glasdale himself.

  End of the siege: They stood facing each other immobile for about an hour, before the English withdrew from the field and marched off to join other English units in Meung, Beaugency and Jargeau.

  Aftermath: The English did not consider themselves beaten. Although they had suffered a setback and tremendous losses at Orléans itself, the surrounding perimeter of the Orleanais region.

RESOURCES
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Siege of Orléans", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.