Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc. A national heroine of France, she rose from peasant origins to become a pivotal military leader during the latter stages of the Hundred Years' War. Claiming divine guidance from Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret, and Saint Catherine, she convinced the uncrowned Dauphin Charles to allow her to lead French forces to several key victories, most notably the Siege of Orléans, which marked a turning point in the long conflict. Captured by Burgundian forces and sold to the English, she was tried for heresy and burned at the stake in Rouen, later becoming a Roman Catholic saint and an enduring symbol of French unity and faith.

Early life and background

Joan was born around 1412 to Jacques d'Arc and Isabelle Romée in the village of Domrémy, a small settlement in the northeastern part of the kingdom loyal to the Armagnac faction. Her childhood coincided with the height of the Hundred Years' War, a protracted series of conflicts between the Plantagenet rulers of England and the Valois kings of France over the French throne. The region was frequently raided, and the political situation was defined by the Treaty of Troyes, which disinherited the Dauphin in favor of Henry VI of England. From approximately age 13, she reported experiencing visions and hearing voices of saints, which she said commanded her to support the Dauphin and recover France from English domination.

Military campaigns

In 1428, she traveled to the Dauphin's court at Chinon, where, after rigorous examination by clerics at Poitiers, she was granted permission to accompany a relief army to the besieged city of Orléans. Dressed in armor and carrying a banner, her arrival in April 1429 boosted morale, and the Siege of Orléans was lifted within nine days, a decisive victory that shattered English momentum. Following this success, she escorted Charles VII through hostile territory to Reims, enabling his coronation in July 1429 at Reims Cathedral, a crucial political and religious act that legitimized his rule. Subsequent campaigns included the failed assault on Paris and a minor victory at the Battle of Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier, but her military influence waned after a defeat at the Siege of Compiègne in May 1430.

Capture, trial, and execution

During the Siege of Compiègne, she was captured by soldiers from the pro-English Burgundian faction and subsequently sold to the English for a substantial sum. She was transferred to Rouen, the seat of the English occupation government, to stand trial for heresy. The politically motivated trial, presided over by Pierre Cauchon, the Bishop of Beauvais, aimed to discredit both her and King Charles VII. After a lengthy interrogation, she was convicted on charges including cross-dressing and rejecting ecclesiastical authority. Following a brief abjuration, she relapsed and was handed over to secular authorities. On 30 May 1431, she was executed by burning at the stake in the Old Market Square of Rouen.

Aftermath and legacy

Her execution failed to bolster the English cause; Charles VII retained his crown and eventually expelled English forces from most of France by 1453, ending the Hundred Years' War. A posthumous nullification trial authorized by Pope Callixtus III in 1455-1456 annulled the original verdict, declaring her a martyr who had been falsely condemned. Over centuries, she evolved into a potent national symbol, championed by figures like Napoleon Bonaparte and during the French Third Republic. Her legacy is multifaceted, representing religious devotion, peasant empowerment, and fervent patriotism, with her story invoked during major national crises like the Franco-Prussian War and World War II.

Veneration and cultural depictions

The process for her canonization began in the 19th century, culminating in 1909 with her beatification by Pope Pius X and her canonization as a saint in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV; her feast day is celebrated on 30 May. She is the patron saint of France and has been depicted in countless works of art, literature, and music, from Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 1 to Schiller's play The Maid of Orleans and Tchaikovsky's opera. Modern portrayals include films by directors like Carl Theodor Dreyer and Robert Bresson, and she remains a frequent subject in historical scholarship, feminist studies, and popular culture.

Category:1410s births Category:1431 deaths Category:French Roman Catholic saints Category:People of the Hundred Years' War