Joan of Arc was a French military figure, a Catholic saint, who was regarded as a national hero by the French.
Joan of Arc was born in 1412, in the middle and late parts of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. At that time, the French were fighting the British on the battlefield, losing soldiers, losing and retreating, and losing territory frequently. At this time, a character who can inspire people need to appear, boost morale, and launch a counterattack. Joan of Arc appeared in this situation.
Joan of Arc, a former French country girl, claimed to have received "God's revelation" at the age of 13 and asked her to lead the French people to win the war and recover lost ground.
At first, the French generals were not convinced of Joan of Arc, after all, Joan of Arc was just an ordinary girl from the countryside.
But as Joan of Arc's predictions of the battle were correctly verified on many occasions, the French generals paid more and more attention to her claims. Joan of Arc later became more famous and was recommended to the future King Charles VII of France, eventually conferring the title of Commander-in-Chief of Joan of Arc in 1429 to fight against the English army.
Joan of Arc did not live up to his mission and led the French army to crush the British army besieging Orleans in one fell swoop. Since then, Joan of Arc has been thoroughly convinced by the French people, and has won many battles in the future, becoming a figure of the level of the god of war.
Joan of Arc, however, became a thorn in the english side. In 1430, the English colluded with the Duchy of Burgundy to capture Joan of Arc and accused joan of being a witch. In 1431, Joan of Arc was executed and burned at the stake in Rouen, France. Her ashes were thrown into the Seine. At the time of her death, Joan of Arc was not yet 20 years old.
Then she was not forgotten by the people. In 1456, Charles VII rehabilitated Joan of Arc at Notre Dame. He was canonized by the Vatican 500 years later. There are many statues of Joan of Arc in France today, and she is used as a symbol of freedom and justice.
Ben is a peasant girl, why is Joan of Arc called a saint and a symbol of the national spirit?
Because she is seen as a messenger of God? Because she was brave and good at fighting, and her achievements were outstanding?
For France, the emergence of Joan of Arc gave the French people in history a sense of national and national sacredness for the first time. For hundreds of years before, the French had lived in small city-states in a scattered manner, without the concept of a nation-state.
Joan of Arc's role in inspiring and enhancing national cohesion at an important moment in French history is why Joan of Arc was later called the Virgin of France.