Charles+VII

=Charles VII=

Charles VII, son of Charles VI of France was born on February 22, 1403 in Paris, France. He was the son of the king Charles VI, who was widely known as being mentally unstable, leading to questionable choices during the Hundred Years' War. Charles VI carried on this conflict in his generation, as well as maintaining the fight against the Burgundies. He succeeded (with the help of Joan of Arc) in kicking the English off of French soil and reestablishing the place of the monarchy in France. After initially being disowned by his father, who named Henry V the official King of France in order to stop fighting during the Hundred Years' War, several parties backed him as the official king, and he ascended the throne in 1422. He was the king of France from 1422 to his death in 1461.

Charles VII had a tumultuous relationship with the kingship as soon as he was given the title of dauphin, or heir to the throne. Many people did not support him in his endeavors to become the king, and threats were made on his position almost immediately after his ascension. For a fair amount of time, he did not make any effort to drive the English out of France, but all of that changed on February 23, 1429 when he made the acquaintance of Joan of Arc. Joan and Charles grew very close, and this relationship gave Charles the courage to fight the English. After this encounter, Joan went out to lead the French forces at Orléans, while Charles fought major battles against the Burgundies that eventually led to a peace treaty between him and Phillip the Good, which allied the Burgundies with the French. Over the next two years, he would drive the English out of France completely, with the exception of the port of Calais.

Overall, while the reign of Charles VII is often overshadowed by the accomplishments of Joan of Arc, without his leadership, the French would not have been able to reclaim their land. Charles managed to do what 4 generations of his family could not; end the Hundred Years' war that had been tearing France apart. He also created the first standing French Army since Roman times. If Charles VII had never been king, The Hundred Years' War would have continued to wreak havoc on Europe, which makes him incredibly important in the grand scheme of European history. = =