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Joan of Arc was a heroine of France and a Roman Catholic Saint. She was a peasant born in Eastern France who claimed she was guided by god. She led the French army to major victories in the Hundred Years’ War, but was captured by the Burgundians and then sent to the English for money. She died when she was burned at the stake at 19.

At the present, Joan of Arc still remains as a famous figure in our culture, having inspired many famous writers like Shakespeare as well as being depicted in films, music and even video games.

**__Her Life:__** Most of her life was centered around the Hundred Years' War, but she began her life in a small hidden village tending sheep and cattle. Joan was the daughter of Jacque d’Arc, a village official and farmer, and Isabelle Romée, a native from a neighbouring village. Her parents own several hectares of land of a patch in eastern France. Despite being near enemy lands, her family forever remained loyal to France. Joan has stated that she was 19 at her trial, which logically means she was born around the year 1412 (since her trial was around 1431). This is further reinforced when she testified she had her first vision around 1424 when she was 12 years of age. In her visions, holy figures had instructed her to free France from the English. Whether or not this truly happened still remains yet a mystery today. A few years after her first visions, she tried to appeal to the garrison commander Count Robert de Baudricourt. Even though she was put down, she later gained support from two other men of standing and, with their help, she gained a second meeting where she made a rather remarkable military suggestion.

__** Rise ** __

After news had confirmed her prediction, Robert de Baudricourt finally granted her escort to Chinon. She travelled through enemy territory in a male disguise, and impressed Charles VII in a private conference. Coincidentally, Charles’ mother-in-law was planning a peace trip to Orléans, and when Joan had heard of this, she requested permission to travel with the army and her request was accepted. Stephen W. Richey, historian, explains why she had been accepted so easily:


 * ** “ ** || After years of one humiliating defeat after another, both the military and civil leadership of France were demoralized and discredited. When the Dauphin Charles granted Joan’s urgent request to be equipped for war and placed at the head of his army, his decision must have been based in large part on the knowledge that every orthodox, every rational, option had been tried and had failed. Only a regime in the final straits of desperation would pay any heed to an illiterate farm girl who claimed that the voice of God was instructing her to take charge of her country’s army and lead it to victory. || ** ” ** ||
 * —Stephen W. Richey, "Joan of Arc: A Military Appreciation" ||

Her arrival has caused the long-lasting Anglo-French quarrel into a real war. This inflicted many worries to Charles’ advisers. Unless her visions could be proved, the other side could claim that the visions were omens and that they (i.e. Charles’ side) were sent by the Devil. However, later investigations had proved her innocent. Although this was enough for Charles, they still insisted on tests to be absolute.

She had arrived at the siege of Orléans but the head of the Orléans family, Jean d’Orléans, excluded her from many war councils deliberately. This did not deter her at all, and she was at present at many battles and councils regardless.

Sometime during a battle, she had been captured by the Burgundians. She had attempted to escape by jumping out of the cell. Although she survived the 60ft fall, she was recaptured and then sold to the English. There, she was put on a trial, threatened by torture to make her admit her Voices were false, and eventually was burnt on a stake.

It was true that she had led the French army into a series of victories, but <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, there had been some debate about her actual military ability. Information gathered to deduce about her abilities are mainly from trial testimonies. Some historians say that she was based more on moral than tactics, as she stated that she preferred her standard rather than her sword. More recent scholarship states that the army’s commanders respected her as a skilled tactician and strategist. Stephen W. Richey’s opinion reflects this: // "She proceeded to lead the army in an astounding series of victories that reversed the tide of the war.” //
 * __ Actual Military Ability: __**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">__**How we know this today:**__

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We know most of this info mainly from chronicles and the records of her trial. Otherwise, there aren’t many other primary sources that we can draw more info from. Also, some of the chronicles, according to historian Stephen W. Richey, had been altered negatively by those who were bribed. This means that some of the things that she had been recorded to have said may have not been her original words.
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Bibliography: [] <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14px;">[] Note: For anyone who's interested, there's a far better wiki about Joan of Arc on 'heroinesofhistory' section of wikispace: Joan of Arc