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Abjuration
An oath by which one renounces a previous belief or oath -
Domremy
The French village where Joan of Arc was born -
Reims
A city in northeastern France. This was the traditional place where French kings were crowned. Joan of Arc was obsessed with the need for Charles, the Dauphin, to have a formal coronation in Reims, which was controlled by Anglo-Burgundian forces at the time. -
Rouen
French city northwest of Paris, where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake -
Battle of Compiegne
Battle in which Joan of Arc was captured by John of Luxembourg, in May of 1430.
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Hundred Years' War
Period of sporadic fighting between England and France between 1337 and 1453 (actually more than 100 years), over who should rule certain French territories. During Joan of Arc's time the two candidates were the Valois king Charles, supported by the French Armagnacs, and the Duke of Burgundy, who was allied with England. The Siege of Orleans in 1429 was an important turning point in this battle.
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Siege of Orleans
Crucial battle in the Hundred Years' War, from October 12, 1428 to May 8, 1429. The French pro-Charles forces (the Armagnacs) managed to break the stalemate after Joan of Arc's arrival lifted their spirits.
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Battle of Patay
A June 1429 battle in which the French Armagnac forces thoroughly routed the Anglo-Burgundian forces, helping to open the way to Reims for the Dauphin's coronation.