Born: 6 January 1412.
Died: 30 May 1431.
Joan of Arc is one of France’s most revered historical figures. A symbol of national pride, her role in the Hundred Years’ War has been debated, with some historians arguing that she was a master tactician while others have relegated her role to that of an inspirational figure. Either way, her brief military career decisively turned the course of the conflict in favour of France despite her premature death. Although declared a heretic by the English and Burgundians, Joan’s reputation was later salvaged in 1455, and the Catholic Church declared her a saint in 1920.
Historical Background
Joan was born on 6 January 1412 to Jacques d’Arc and Isabella Romee in Domremy, France. She was raised a Catholic, and in 1425, began to hear the voices of the angels and saints urging her to leave home to save the French kingdom from the English. Despite being rebuffed by French officials in 1428, she was given command of a French army by Charles VII the following year. Under her leadership, the French won two major victories at the Siege of Orleans and the Battle of Patay, although her attack on Paris proved unsuccessful. In 1430, she was captured by the Burgundians and handed over to the English for trial. Declared a heretic, she was burned at the stake on 30 May 1431 at the age of 19.
Historical Influences
Joan had two fundamental influences on her life: the Hundred Years War and her Catholic faith. The Hundred Years War had begun in 1337 over a dispute between France and England over who would inherit the French throne. When Joan was three years old, King Henry V of England defeated the French army at the Battle of Agincourt – a victory that led the Burgundians to ally with England. In addition, Joan was deeply religious, with a strong affinity for the Archangel Michael and Saint Catherine, who had been adopted as the chief spiritual patrons of the Armagnac region of France. When Joan was thirteen years old, while looking after her parent’s animals out in the field, she began to hear the voices of Michael and Catherine urging her to lead a pious life and save France from the English. In that region, the French saw themselves as the “new Israelites” chosen by God in their struggle against the English.
Key Battle
Joan’s signature battle was the Siege of Orleans (1428-29). When Joan arrived at Orleans on 29 April 1429 with 5,000 soldiers, the siege was in its sixth month. Between 2-4 May, she led a series of assaults against the English forts, which forced the English to encamp on the northern bank of the Loire River. On 7 May, Joan led an assault on Barbican and Les Tourelles, and despite being wounded by a crossbow bolt, her leadership allowed the French to capture and set on fire the drawbridge connecting the two forts. On 8 May, the English army arrayed on the north bank expecting the French to engage them, but when Joan advised against this, the English gave up the siege and withdrew.
Historical Significance
Joan of Arc is historically significant for turning the tide of the Hundred Years War in favour of the French. Had she not broken the Siege of Orleans, the rest of France would likely have fallen to the English. Her inspired leadership freed the French people from their obsession with defeat at the hands of the English. It is because of Joan that French soldiers could believe in themselves again and go on to drive the English almost completely out of France and win the war. In the words of John Payne: “The heroic peasant girl of Lorraine…created the French people…France had at length become a nation” (Regan, 2002, p.77).
Bibliography
Grant, R.G. Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2005.
Grant, R.G. Commanders: History’s Greatest Military Leaders. London, Dorling Kindersley, 2010.
Lynch, Albert. “Albert Lynch - Jeanne d'Arc.” Wikimedia Commons. Last revised May 18, 2015. www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Albert_Lynch_-_Jeanne_d%27Arc.jpg
Regan, Geoffrey. Battles That Changed History: Fifty Decisive Battles Spanning Over 2,500 Years of Warfare. London, Andre Deutsch, 2002.
Robins, Phil. Joan of Arc and Her Marching Orders. London, Scholastic, 2002.
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