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Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc became one of the most recognisable figures of the Hundred Years War, but her importance lies in more than the legend that developed around her. Her arrival at the French court in 1429 coincided with a critical moment in the war, when the English had occupied much of northern France and the legitimacy of Charles VII remained contested. Her presence helped transform French morale and contributed to a series of military successes that enabled Charles to be crowned at Reims.

Joan’s military career was remarkably short. From the relief of Orléans in 1429 to her capture at Compiègne in 1430, she became a powerful symbol of the French cause. Her subsequent trial and execution at Rouen in 1431 turned her into an even more potent political and religious figure. The later rehabilitation of her reputation and the survival of alternative interpretations of her career demonstrate how rapidly Joan became part of the wider political memory of the Hundred Years War.

Joan of Arc beside Charles VII at his coronation in a medieval manuscript illumination.
Charles VII is crowned at Reims in July 1429, with Joan of Arc shown in armour holding her banner. Medieval manuscript illumination, Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War

France Before Joan of Arc

Joan emerged during a period of severe crisis for the French monarchy. The Treaty of Troyes had recognised Henry V and his heirs as successors to Charles VI, while the Dauphin’s claim was rejected. Following the deaths of Henry V and Charles VI in 1422, the infant Henry VI was recognised by the English as king of France, while Charles VII maintained his own claim.

The English and their Burgundian allies controlled extensive territories, while the French royal government faced military, financial and political difficulties. Joan appeared within this crisis and quickly became associated with the recovery of the French cause.

Joan’s Mission and Arrival at the Dauphin’s Court

Joan claimed that she had received divine guidance instructing her to assist Charles, raise the siege of Orléans and take him to Reims for his coronation. Her claims were investigated before she was permitted to accompany the French forces.

Her importance cannot be separated from the political circumstances of the time. Joan provided a powerful religious and prophetic message for the supporters of Charles VII, while her presence also offered a new focus for French resistance.

The Siege of Orléans

The relief of Orléans in May 1429 was the event that transformed Joan’s reputation. The English had been besieging the strategically important city, but the arrival of Joan and the French relief army was followed by a rapid series of attacks against the English positions. The siege was lifted on 8 May.

Joan did not act alone. Experienced commanders including La Hire, the Bastard of Orléans and the Duke of Alençon played important military roles. The significance of Joan’s presence lay partly in the way her religious authority and determination affected the conduct and morale of the French army.

The Loire Campaign and Patay

Following the relief of Orléans, the French achieved a succession of victories along the Loire. Jargeau, Meung-sur-Loire and Beaugency were followed by the Battle of Patay, where the English army suffered a major defeat.

The campaign demonstrated that the French recovery could no longer be dismissed as a temporary improvement. English forces that had dominated much of northern France were increasingly being forced onto the defensive.

The March to Reims and Charles VII’s Coronation

Joan advocated taking Charles VII to Reims, the traditional coronation city of the French kings. The campaign succeeded and Charles was crowned there on 17 July 1429, with Joan present beside him.

The coronation had significance far beyond its religious ceremony. It strengthened the legitimacy of Charles VII and provided the French monarchy with a powerful political answer to the English claim represented by Henry VI. Joan’s role in bringing Charles to Reims consequently became central to the later memory of her career.

Paris and the Limits of the French Offensive

The French advance did not immediately destroy English power. The attempt to take Paris in September 1429 failed, and Charles VII subsequently pursued a more cautious political strategy. Joan continued to campaign, but the momentum generated by the Loire campaign could not simply be translated into the immediate reconquest of all English-held territory.

This period is important because it demonstrates that Joan was part of a wider French military and political effort rather than the sole explanation for the change in the course of the war.

Capture at Compiègne

Joan was captured by Burgundian forces during the fighting around Compiègne on 23 May 1430. Her capture was a major political opportunity for Burgundy and the English. The English eventually obtained custody of Joan from the Burgundians and arranged for her to be tried for heresy at Rouen.

The Trial and Execution of Joan of Arc

Joan’s trial opened at Rouen in January 1431. The proceedings were conducted by an ecclesiastical court headed by Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, with strong political interests surrounding the case. Joan was condemned for heresy and other religious offences and was executed on 30 May 1431.

The trial became one of the most controversial episodes of the Hundred Years War. The surviving record provides unusually detailed evidence for Joan’s own words, her religious beliefs and the questions posed by her judges.

The Rehabilitation of Joan

More than two decades after Joan’s execution, a new investigation examined the circumstances of her condemnation. The rehabilitation proceedings drew upon evidence from the original trial and testimony from people who had known Joan or had participated in the earlier proceedings.

The verdict overturned the earlier condemnation and declared the original proceedings invalid. The rehabilitation became an important stage in the development of Joan’s posthumous reputation.

Joan’s Legacy and the French Recovery

Joan’s military career lasted only a little more than a year, but her intervention coincided with a fundamental change in the fortunes of the French monarchy. Charles VII survived the crisis of the 1420s, strengthened his legitimacy and eventually recovered much of the territory controlled by the English.

Joan should therefore be understood within the wider French recovery rather than as its sole cause. The work of commanders, administrators and political figures such as Yolande of Aragon was also important, while the eventual collapse of the English position depended upon developments that continued long after Joan’s death.

Joan of Arc’s Place in the Hundred Years War

Joan of Arc occupies a unique position in the history of the Hundred Years War. Her appearance helped alter French morale at a moment of profound political and military crisis, her role in the campaign of 1429 strengthened the position of Charles VII, and her capture, trial and execution created a powerful political and religious legacy.

Her career also provides an important gateway into the final phase of the war: the recovery of the French monarchy, the weakening of the English position and the eventual reconquest of Normandy and Gascony under Charles VII.

Further Reading