The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-01-25
A MILITARY STUDY Of JOAN OF
ARC, ~ ':.''>,

We have had Joan. OF Arc written
of from nearly every point of view in
which her miraculous career can be
considered, but only General Canonge,
formerly professor of tactics and mill
tary topographynin the West Point of
France, namely, > ST.. Cyr,. has ), at
tempted a military study of the glori-
GUS Maid. ...,.. H.. 4s.,g q,
According to this veteran, not the
least marvellous of her shining quail
ties was her genuine military mind.
He says:
In considering the course Of her
purely military and victorious career
in, the years 1929 and 1896 adverse
critics have been disposed to show
that her successes were the result of
haphazard plans and conceptions, and
that. she owed her victories more to
the incapacity OF her opponents. and to
their incompetent generalship than to
anything either personal to herself, or
supernatural. Is
AS a matter of common knowledge
and admission, among. soldiers who
have studied her military art. showed
in every way and in every conception,
all the salient features and points
which when Subsequently applied in
French wars, and especially by. Napo-
leon, have COME to be looked upon as
the military doctrine, of the French
army ~: },5s$ g..
,sOn joining the French army for the
| first time, her ey etimm ediately took in
| the! prevailing fault, namely, lack of
discipline. She refused to consider
any project, of advance until definite
laws Of discipline were laid down and
enforced. -, 49,. sss, /:
| When her points were conceded and
measures Of : discipline were estah-
lished, she. was the first; to: point out
| to the nominal chiefs of the French
| army that the only hope of permanent
victory Lay in following up successes,
| and not. after the old fashion of the
soldiers of the Middle Ages In repos.
ing on la1rels already won and scele-
brating their success. Even, the great
Turenne and the victorious Marlbor-
ough- conceded these rewards to their
| troops. The same cannot be said,
however, of the master of modern: war.
fare, Napoleon. His policy was to fol,
How UP. sliccess: ito advance is to
iwin,'' was his motto s
| Rarely. did Joan divide her forces,
Another point of Napoleon's military
doctrine. To divide the enemy, and
beat him in detail, this was part OF
her.military art and, till then, an ,un'
1 known trick in the game of warfare. h
Never once did she lose, touch
with her, enemy, she might, indeed
have been a forerunner of the military
art of scouting, SO perfectly were hel
cavalry "feelers" disposed in advance
of her, forces, Like ], Napoleon, she
never allowed the. enemy time. to re
form, or to recover from his. panic;
but was ever harassing him, ever keep
/ ing him on the move.
| General Canonge, slikef many other
generals of note, sees in this wonder
full prodigy .of "a child of seventeen, q
real minister, from. on high, specially
appointed messenger Of Heaven to dc
| its bidding. Only consider the Mait
of Orleans from this point, says The
4 general. ~ ~, 8, ~.
! Divine inspiration was in all hel
/ acts and actions. To have displayed
| the military genius she. displayed il
1429-14S0, can only be. accounted fol
by accepting her as specially chosen
| by the Almighty, ,rs.4,,