Jeanne d’Arc: Savior of France
1429, France. The Hundred Years’ War between England and France has been raging on French soil for decades, and the French find themselves demoralized after suffering catastrophic defeats at Agincourt and Verneuil. English forces now control a significant amount of French territory that includes Paris, putting France on the brink of collapse. The French army must hold the city of Orléans, or else their country will fall. France needs a hero, and Jeanne d’Arc will answer the call.
Born around 1412 to a peasant family in the small village of Domrémy, Jeanne d’Arc came from humble beginnings. Any possibility of having a peaceful life, however, was interrupted by the ongoing English invasion of France. After Domrémy was first attacked by English soldiers, Jeanne received visions of saints at the age of 13, which she interpreted as a message from God to save her country. Repeated raids of Domrémy would eventually motivate her to visit a nearby town and ask the garrison commander for an audience with the dauphin (the uncrowned king of France). Initially, she was refused twice, but the commander approved her request on her third try. As the French war effort was deteriorating at a rapid pace, especially with the English siege of Orléans, perhaps the commander recognized that this 17-year-old peasant girl may be the miracle that France needed.
At the royal court in Chinon, Jeanne would meet with the dauphin, Charles VII. She assured him that she would lift the siege of Orléans and bring him to the city of Reims to be crowned as king of France. Orléans, due to its location on the Loire river, was believed to be the last obstacle to a complete English conquest of France. Although such promises might have sounded absurd, the dauphin was impressed by her during their private conversation. After being thoroughly examined by theologians and the dauphin’s mother-in-law, Jeanne earned his trust. She would be given plate armor, a sword, and a banner to carry, joining a relief army that would help reinforce the French troops protecting Orléans.
Around the same time that Jeanne was asking the garrison commander to see the dauphin, French forces suffered another terrible defeat in the outskirts of Orléans. What was left of French morale died with the soldiers in that battle; the city’s leaders even considered surrendering. This was the situation that Jeanne found herself in as she entered the city. To boost the spirits of the citizens and soldiers of Orléans, she toured the city on her horse as a symbol of hope for the beleaguered defenders. Eventually, French soldiers were able to muster the courage to launch an attack on an English fortification, which initially failed, like so many other French initiatives. But this time, the outcome was different. As soon as Jeanne learned of the ongoing battle, she rode a horse straight to the front lines of the retreating French soldiers and rallied them for one more assault. They would be able to take the fortress and celebrate their first major victory in the Orléans campaign, providing a sorely needed morale boost. With Jeanne at the helm, the French army continued their momentum to win a string of victories that devastated English forces, forcing them to end the siege. After so many years of English dominance, the French finally managed to prevail.
With the myth of English invincibility shattered, the French began their offensive operations to retake the Loire Valley. Jeanne was on the front lines throughout this campaign; while climbing up a siege ladder, she survived a stone projectile that cracked her helmet. Yet she never lost her courage and emboldened her compatriots to continue their onslaught. Multiple French victories ultimately led to the conclusive battle at Patay, where English forces were massacred and suffered irrecoverable losses for the remainder of the war. As the French retook control of the Loire Valley, they were able to secure a safe route to Reims, the traditional city for the coronation of the kings of France. Just as Jeanne promised, Charles VII was crowned king of France.
Unfortunately, the next few years would not be as pleasant for Jeanne. The French army would be unable to reclaim Paris with her leading the charge, and she would be captured by English soldiers at Compiègne. After an unfair trial held by a pro-English court, Jeanne was burned at the stake in Rouen; her ashes would later be thrown into the Seine River. Despite this series of unfortunate events, the French still held the advantage in the war as a result of Jeanne’s triumphs. Twenty-two years later after her death, the French would win a decisive victory at Castillon in 1453, expelling the English from France and ending the Hundred Years’ War.
Hundreds of years later, Jeanne d’Arc is still recognized for her efforts in saving the French nation from collapse. Every year, the city of Orléans holds a festival in her honor; while it was briefly suspended during the French Revolution due to her connection with the monarchy, Napoleon Bonaparte authorized its renewal. She was canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV and was a symbol used by the French Resistance in World War 2 to encourage independence from Nazi Germany. To this day, she symbolizes the defense of the French nation. It is truly incredible that such a young peasant girl, in an age that was especially terrible for women, accomplished what the generals and royalty of her time could not.
Written by Brian Kim, Edited by Koushik Chennakesavan
