Joan of Arc: Salvation Through Mysticism

The appearance of Joan of Arc in 1429 transformed what seemed inevitable English victory into French revival. This peasant girl from Domrémy, claiming divine visions commanding her to crown the dauphin, gained access to Charles VII through a combination of religious enthusiasm, desperate circumstances, and shrewd political calculation by royal advisers who recognized propaganda value even if doubting divine inspiration.

Joan's military impact, though historically debated, proved undeniable at the time. The relief of Orleans, begun before her arrival but completed under her inspiration, broke English momentum. Her presence transformed demoralized soldiers into enthusiastic warriors convinced of divine support. The Loire campaign of summer 1429 cleared the path to Reims, where Charles VII's coronation provided legitimacy that no treaty could override. Sacred anointing trumped legal documents in medieval consciousness.

Joan's capture by Burgundians in 1430 and sale to the English for trial demonstrated her political importance. The elaborate heresy trial in Rouen aimed to discredit Charles VII by proving his coronation depended on diabolical rather than divine intervention. Joan's steadfast resistance, maintaining her visions' validity despite months of interrogation, frustrated this goal. Her burning as a heretic in 1431 created a martyr whose memory inspired continued resistance.

Modern historians debate Joan's actual contributions versus her symbolic importance. Military operations she participated in showed no tactical innovations; success came from morale effects rather than strategic genius. Yet symbolism mattered enormously in medieval politics. Joan embodied the union of religious sanction and monarchical legitimacy that sustained French resistance. Her posthumous rehabilitation in 1456 confirmed the monarchy's interpretation of her mission as divinely inspired royalism.