Honestly, if you saw a seventeen-year-old girl today claiming that angels were telling her to lead a national army and put a king on his throne, you’d probably call for an intervention. But in 1429, Joan of Arc did exactly that. She didn’t just talk about it. She actually did it.
Why was Joan of Arc important to the point that we’re still obsessing over her 600 years later? It isn't just because she wore armor or died a tragic death. It’s because she basically reset the entire trajectory of Western Europe at a moment when France was about five minutes away from disappearing off the map entirely.
She was a peasant. She couldn’t read. She had never been to a military academy. Yet, she became the single most effective "PR miracle" and tactical disruptor of the Middle Ages.
The Psychological Shift: Turning "Godons" into Runaways
When Joan showed up, the French were losing. Badly. The Hundred Years' War had been dragging on for roughly 90 years, and the English (whom the French nicknamed "Godons" because of how much they cursed) seemed invincible.
The French army was demoralized, fragmented, and basically waiting for the inevitable. Then comes this teenager from Domrémy.
She didn't just bring extra swords; she brought a brand-new narrative. She convinced an entire nation that God wasn't just on the side of the righteous—He was specifically on the side of the French. That kind of spiritual nationalism was a massive pivot.
The Siege of Orléans
In April 1429, Orléans was the "make or break" point for France. If it fell, the English had a clear shot at the rest of the south. Joan arrived, and within nine days, the siege that had lasted seven months was over.
She wasn't just sitting in the back, either. She was on the front lines, scaling ladders, and taking an arrow to the shoulder. When she kept fighting after being wounded, the English were terrified. They literally thought she was a witch using "dark arts" because a normal human girl wasn't supposed to be able to do that.
Why Was Joan of Arc Important for Modern Politics?
You’ve probably seen her image used by everyone from feminist groups to far-right political parties in France. It’s wild how one person can mean so many different things to different people.
To the monarchy of her time, she was a tool for legitimacy. Without her, Charles VII might never have made it to Reims to be crowned. That coronation was the "official" stamp he needed to be seen as the real king.
But for us today?
- She’s a feminist icon: She shattered every gender norm of the 15th century by refusing to marry, cutting her hair, and commanding grown men in a hyper-masculine environment.
- She’s a symbol of the "Underdog": A literal nobody from a tiny village influenced the fate of empires. It’s the ultimate "started from the bottom" story.
- She represents legal integrity (or the lack of it): Her trial in 1431 was a total sham. It was a political hit job disguised as a religious inquiry.
The "Relapsed Heretic" Trap
The English couldn't just kill her; they had to discredit her. If she was a saint, then Charles VII was a king chosen by God. If she was a witch, Charles was a king chosen by the Devil.
They eventually got her on a technicality: cross-dressing. She had agreed to wear women's clothes in prison but went back to male attire (likely to protect herself from the guards). That "relapse" was enough to send her to the stake.
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Historical Evidence and E-E-A-T
Historians like Helen Castor and Juliet Barker have done incredible work digging into the actual trial transcripts. Unlike most medieval figures, we actually have a massive paper trail for Joan. We know what she said. We know how she handled her interrogators.
When they asked her a "trap" question like, "Are you in God’s grace?" she gave a legendary answer: "If I am not, may God put me there; and if I am, may God so keep me." If she had said yes, it was heresy (claiming to know God's mind). If she said no, she confessed to being a fraud. Her wit was her strongest weapon, even at 19.
The Long-Term Ripple Effect
The war didn't end the day she died in 1431. In fact, it went on for another 22 years. But the momentum she started never stopped. By the time the French finally kicked the English out in 1453, the "Maid of Orléans" was already a legend.
She was eventually retried (the "Nullification Trial") in 1456 and declared innocent. Then, centuries later in 1920, the Catholic Church finally made her a saint. Talk about a long road to vindication.
Actionable Insights: Lessons from the Maid
If you're looking for how to apply her "vibe" to your own life, here’s the breakdown:
- Conviction is contagious. People didn't follow Joan because she was a great general; they followed her because she believed in her mission more than they believed in their fear.
- Disrupt the status quo. Sometimes, being the person who doesn't "fit" the room is exactly why you're the one who can change it.
- Control your narrative. Joan’s insistence on being called "The Maid" (La Pucelle) was a branding masterstroke that signaled her purity and divine protection.
If you want to dive deeper into the real history, skip the Hollywood movies for a second and look up the 1431 Trial of Condemnation records. They are some of the most fascinating primary sources in history. Reading her actual words—snappy, defiant, and strangely modern—gives you a much better sense of why she mattered than any costume drama ever could.