Joan of Arc
Chef de guerre (military commander); Maid of Orléans
"I am not afraid. I was born to do this."
Biography
Joan of Arc remains one of the most extraordinary figures in military history — a teenage peasant girl from Lorraine who, guided by visions of saints, convinced the despairing Dauphin to give her command of an army and then actually delivered victories that changed the course of the war. She broke the seven-month English siege of Orléans in nine days, cleared the Loire valley of English forces, and escorted Charles VII to his coronation at Reims. Captured by Burgundian forces in 1430, she was sold to the English, tried for heresy in a corrupt ecclesiastical court, and burned at the stake in Rouen on May 30, 1431. She was nineteen years old. The Catholic Church canonized her in 1920.
Did you know?
At her trial, Joan was asked a theological trap question designed to force a heresy admission: 'Are you in God's grace?' If she said yes, she was arrogant (claiming to know divine judgment); if no, she admitted guilt. Her answer — 'If I am not, may God put me there; if I am, may God keep me there' — so astonished the court that a secretary noted it in the trial record.
Key Battles
Siege of Orléans
France victoryOctober 1428 – May 1429 · 7,000 total casualties
The relief of Orléans was the turning point of the entire Hundred Years' War. It transformed Joan of Arc into a legend overnight, restored French confidence after decades of defeat, and gave the Dauphin Charles legitimacy to march to Reims for his coronation. From this moment, the momentum of the war shifted decisively to France and never returned to England.
Battle of Patay
France victoryJune 18, 1429 · 2,600 total casualties
Patay proved that the English longbow was not magic — it required time, discipline, and defensive preparation to be effective. The French had learned the lesson and exploited it brutally. English military superiority in France was broken. The battle is often called 'the French Agincourt' and cleared the road for Charles VII's coronation at Reims.
Life Journey
Timeline
c. January 6, 1412
🌅 Birth
Born in Domrémy, a village on the border of France and the Duchy of Bar
c. 1424–1425
📍 Posting
First experiences visions of Saints Michael, Catherine, and Margaret urging her to save France
February 1429
📍 Posting
Travels to Vaucouleurs; persuades captain Robert de Baudricourt to escort her to the Dauphin
March 1429
📍 Posting
Meets the Dauphin Charles at Chinon; convinces him of her divine mission
May 8, 1429
⚔️ Battle
Breaks the English siege of Orléans after nine days of fighting
June 18, 1429
⚔️ Battle
Decisive victory at Patay; English army shattered, Talbot captured
July 17, 1429
📍 Posting
Stands beside Charles VII at his coronation in Reims Cathedral
May 23, 1430
🕊️ Postwar
Captured by Burgundian forces at Compiègne during a skirmish
May 30, 1431
✝️ Death
Burned at the stake in Rouen's Old Market Square, age 19