eastern european eagle

Chapter 627 Warsaw
The battle began at about 4 p.m., and the Milanese began a devastating attack, sweeping away the archers in front of them and cutting straight through the army, and then instead of regrouping and attacking from behind, they looted the luggage in the wagons.

Stephen ordered a counterattack, and he led by example, personally taking up arms to attack, which inspired the English to continue fighting tenaciously, forcing the French defense line back to the Scots behind them, and annihilating all the French troops along the way. The Scottish army, which Charles VII relied on deeply, was almost annihilated and had no successors.

Charles VII could not get over this defeat. He abandoned his plans for coronation in Reims and, by all appearances, for restoration of his kingdom, and settled into a life of idleness and extravagance, leaving those still loyal to his cause without purpose and hope. Stéphane returned to Paris to a hero's welcome.

After this, Stéphane appointed a Paris Patriarch to oversee the church's mission in northern France. And he had already found his next target: Orleans.

Orleans is located on the plain on the north bank of the Loire River, at the top of the river bend. It is the closest stronghold to Paris, only 8 kilometers away. It is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in France, surrounded by ancient walls, 8 heavily guarded gates and more than 30 towers. On the south bank of the river, separated by a drawbridge is the Château de Touré, a small fortress guarding the 12-hole stone bridge built in the 19th century across the Loire River, like an island in the river.

The provocation of choosing Orléans as a target, and the fact that the siege of Orléans was contrary to the interests and wishes of Philip of Burgundy, originally troubled Stephen, but it created a motive for the Earl of Salisbury, who, for different reasons, became an enemy of the duke.

Salisbury laid siege to the city from the south, concentrating all his efforts on the bridge. As a precaution, Gaucourt demolished the convent of the Augustinian monks, which was located directly opposite the Château de Tourré and would have provided a strong base from which to bombard the castle. He also built a massive fortification—or "rampart"—in front of the city gates to mitigate cannon fire and direct assault. Nevertheless, the English turned their guns on the fortifications and began tunneling beneath them. A few days later they attempted to storm the castle, but were repelled by boiling water, burning charcoal, and oil, which the women of Orleans had prepared for the defenders to pour on the attackers. Three days later the French withdrew from the bridge and returned to the city, allowing Salisbury to occupy the Château de Tourré.

This was a victory in name only. While the English attacked the defensive walls and castle, the craftsmen of Orleans were secretly digging up the stone bridge, waiting for the garrison to retreat before removing the last two piers. Salisbury was now stranded on the south bank of the Loire River, and the deep and turbulent current made him still very far from his goal. His position was dangerous, because winter was approaching, and it was not only inconvenient for him to receive supplies from the north bank, but he was also likely to be attacked by Charles VII's hinterland.

But he did not retreat, determined to dig trenches and prepare for a long siege. He set up a headquarters and artillery at the Castle of Touré, trained gunners on the city walls, and began to rebuild and expand the defensive walls. The defenders also stepped up their vigilance, the vulnerable gates and towers were blocked, the suburbs were burned and cleared, at least 23 churches were demolished, and many of the fine houses and buildings belonging to the Orleans people were destroyed. The citizens were trained to guard the fortifications, and weapons, armor, cannons and food were collected and stockpiled from neighboring towns in preparation for the siege.

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Outside the Polish city of Warsaw, the Brandenburg flag was flying in the sky, and what made the defenders even more frightened was that the Romanian purple double-headed eagle was also among them.

Peter and Vlad's armies successfully joined together, and Peter was relieved to learn that the other side had dealt with Wladyslaw. This meant that the Polish royal family was cut off. According to his information, Wladyslaw had no offspring.

In this case, what are we waiting for? Attack. The artillery fired continuously, and the whole Warsaw was plunged into smoke.

In the southern part of the city, after continuous and indiscriminate bombing, the entire southern part of the city was filled with smoke that lasted for a long time.

For the first time, Zajmoski felt how vulnerable Warsaw, a strategic location, was. He had made all the necessary preparations, but he was still powerless in front of the Romanian army. "Sir, their artillery has stopped firing," a general said in surprise.

Zaimoski looked outside the city, but could not see anything because of the smoke and dust raised by the shells. He immediately hid in the battlements and said, "Tell the soldiers to defend well. After the artillery fire, the enemy troops will definitely take advantage of it to attack."

As he expected, Romanian and Brandenburg troops came from all directions. Although they were scattered over a wide area, their target was easy to see: the gap in the south of the city that had been blown down before.

"Be prepared, this may be our last service to this country."

In just a moment, the Romanian army approached the city wall, and the shouts and screams intertwined. As the distance shortened, the roar of boulders, the dull echo of wooden beams hitting the city gates, the painful groans of swords piercing the human body, and the cold sound of weapons chopping bones and flesh continued. There was also a series of sounds of human bodies falling into the moat, which was heart-wrenching. The cruelty and ruthlessness of war were fully revealed at this moment.

The fierce battle of the siege intensified, and the shouts of the attackers could be clearly heard. Brandenburg officers announced loudly outside the city that the first 100 people to enter the city would receive land and wealth, and those who captured important people would be given titles.

After hearing the news, the army launched an increasingly fierce attack. Various sounds were mixed and difficult to distinguish. Four hours later, accompanied by a loud bang, the city gate was finally breached. Desperate screams rang out: "The city is broken! The city is broken! They are entering the city..."

Soon, the sound of dense footsteps drowned out the desperate cries. Soldiers poured into the ruined city like a tide. In various places, some citizens who did not want to be captured resisted these invaders.

However, the gap between the two sides' military forces was too great. After holding out for less than half an hour, the defenders were gradually suppressed and forced to retreat step by step.

Zaimoski led the remaining defenders and citizens to the church, and fought and retreated along the streets, successfully repelling several enemy attacks. But it was only to buy time.

They retreated into the church, and they were desperate after losing even the king. In order to avoid being insulted, they decided to burn themselves to death and become the most loyal believers of God.

In this way, more than 300 people, along with the cathedral, burned under the gaze of the Romanian soldiers. The soldiers heard the voices of prayer in the church, perhaps for the sake of going to the land of lush grass and water.

(End of this chapter)