Joan of Arc's Rise to Power

A Teenage Girl's Rise to Power

On February 12, 1431, a 14-year-old girl named Joan of Arc stood trial in Rouen, France, accused of heresy and witchcraft. Born in Domremy, a small village in northeastern France, Joan claimed to have heard voices that guided her to lead the French army to victory against the English. By May 1429, she had convinced Charles VII, the King of France, to crown her the leader of the French forces.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that Joan of Arc's story is a simple one: a young girl hears voices, leads the French army to victory, and is eventually burned at the stake. The standard story goes that she was a devout Catholic who believed she was on a mission from God to drive the English out of France. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complex historical context in which Joan lived and the various factors that contributed to her rise to power.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Georges Duby argues in his book "The Legend of Bouvines" that Joan of Arc's success was not solely due to her faith, but also her ability to navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries between the French nobility. By 1428, the Hundred Years' War had been raging for nearly a century, and the French monarchy was in disarray. The fact that Joan was able to convince Charles VII to meet with her, despite her low social status, is a testament to her charisma and determination. According to the eyewitness account of Jean Chartier, a French historian who wrote "The Chronicle of Charles VII", Joan arrived at the court of Charles VII in February 1429, and by April of that year, she had led the French army to several key victories, including the capture of the city of Orleans. Historian Regine Pernoud, in her book "Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses", notes that Joan's military successes were not just due to luck, but also her tactical genius and ability to inspire her troops. By July 1429, Charles VII had crowned Joan the leader of the French forces, and she continued to lead the army to victory until her capture by the English in May 1430. As historian Kelly DeVries argues in his book "Joan of Arc: A Military History", Joan's military campaign was marked by a series of bold and innovative strategies, including the use of artillery and clever tactics to outmaneuver the English. Overall, Joan of Arc's story is one of surprising complexity and intrigue, full of unexpected twists and turns that challenge our standard understanding of this famous historical figure.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Georges Duby and Regine Pernoud deliberately omitted or downplayed the story of Joan of Arc in their accounts of the Hundred Years' War, focusing instead on the military campaigns and diplomatic maneuvers of the time. The French monarchy and the Catholic Church also played a significant role in suppressing the story, as they sought to minimize the influence of a peasant girl who had challenged their authority. A concrete reason for this suppression was the fact that Joan's trial transcripts, which detailed her claims of hearing divine voices, were not widely available until the 19th century, making it difficult for earlier historians to reconstruct her story accurately. Meanwhile, the University of Paris, a powerful institution at the time, actively worked to discredit Joan's mission and undermine her legacy. By controlling the narrative and limiting access to information, these individuals and institutions effectively buried Joan's story, reducing her to a footnote in the history books.

The Ripple Effect

The coronation of Charles VII, which Joan of Arc had facilitated, led to a significant shift in the balance of power in Europe, as the French monarchy regained control over large parts of the country. This, in turn, affected the lives of thousands of people, including peasants, nobles, and clergy, who had to adapt to the new political reality. One specific modern thing that traces directly back to this event is the French national holiday, Bastille Day, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, an event that was, in part, made possible by the sense of French national identity that Joan of Arc had helped to forge. The French people's perception of themselves as a unified nation, rather than a collection of feudal territories, was influenced by Joan's mission to drive the English out of France.

The Line That Says It All

Joan of Arc was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, in the market square of Rouen, her ashes thrown into the Seine River, marking the end of a life that had changed the course of French history.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the life and legacy of Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years' War.