Joan of Arc Lifts Siege of Orleans

Setting the scene

By 1429, the Hundred Years' War was going badly for France. Henry V's victories had led to the Treaty of Troyes (1420), disinheriting the Dauphin Charles. After Henry V and French King Charles VI died in 1422, the English controlled northern France and besieged Orléans, the last major city loyal to Charles, in October 1428. If Orléans fell, the English would likely conquer all France. Charles VII was uncrowned and demoralized, hiding in Chinon.

What happened

Joan of Arc, a 17-year-old peasant girl from Domrémy, claimed that since age 13 she had received visions from Saints Michael, Margaret, and Catherine, telling her to drive the English from France and crown Charles. In February 1429, she traveled to Chinon and convinced Charles to give her troops. Dressed in armor and carrying a banner, Joan arrived at Orléans on April 29, 1429. Her presence boosted French morale. Over the next week, the French, inspired by Joan, attacked English fortifications and lifted the siege on May 8, 1429. Joan was wounded but returned to fight.

Why it still matters

The lifting of the Siege of Orléans was the turning point of the Hundred Years' War. It revived French fortunes and led to Charles VII's coronation at Reims in July 1429, with Joan present. Joan was captured by Burgundians in 1430, sold to the English, and burned as a heretic in 1431 (she was later canonized in 1920). Orléans demonstrated the power of charismatic leadership and morale in warfare. Joan became a French national heroine, symbolizing divine favor for France. The victory began the French reconquest that would expel the English by 1453. Joan's story remains one of history's most remarkable—an illiterate peasant girl who changed the course of a war.

Background

It became a major symbol of French resistance and renewal. Even centuries later, this episode remains a reference point for how empires rise, fracture, and transform.