Joan of Arc
Saint
"I am not afraid; I was born to do this."— Response attributed to Joan when questioned about her mission.
Biography
Joan of Arc was born to a peasant family in Domrémy in northeastern France, at a time when much of the country was occupied by English and Burgundian forces. The French throne was in a state of unprecedented crisis: the previous French King, Charles VI, had suffered from severe mental illness, leading to the disastrous Treaty of Troyes. This treaty disinherited his own son, Dauphin Charles, and instead declared the infant English King Henry VI as the ruler of France. Around the age of 13, Joan began to claim that heavenly voices—whom she identified as saints—commanded her to help drive out the English and lead the ousted Dauphin Charles (the title for the French crown prince) to Reims for his rightful coronation.
She didn't magically become a general overnight. The young peasant girl persistently begged local commanders to take her to Dauphin Charles. Initially dismissed as crazy, she eventually earned their trust by miraculously predicting the outcome of a military engagement. Once at the French court, she had a private conversation with the deeply depressed Dauphin Charles. According to legend, she accurately revealed a secret prayer known only to him and God, which instantly restored his confidence and convinced him to give her command of the army.
Clad in white armor and carrying her own banner, Joan didn't just lead from the rear. At the Siege of Orléans, she fought fiercely on the front lines. In one famous incident, she was struck deep in the shoulder by an English arrow, but she pulled it out herself and returned to the battle, bleeding. This incredible display of courage convinced the French soldiers that a saint was truly with them, inspiring them to fight with fanatical bravery and break the siege. Capitalizing on this momentum, Joan led a daring campaign deep into enemy territory to recapture Reims, the traditional coronation site of French kings. Thanks to her, the ousted Dauphin Charles was officially crowned King Charles VII at Reims Cathedral, solidly establishing his legitimacy.
In 1430, Joan was captured by Burgundian forces and sold to the English. Because executing her for simply winning battles would make her a martyr, the English put her on a highly political trial in Rouen, accusing her of witchcraft, heresy, and illegally wearing men's clothing (armor). She was unjustly condemned and burned at the stake in 1431 at the young age of 19. However, twenty-five years later, a retrial declared her innocent, and in 1920 the Catholic Church canonized her as a saint.