Joan of Arc Captured by Burgundians at Compiègne
During the Hundred Years' War, French forces under Charles VII sought to reclaim territories from English and Burgundian allies. Joan of Arc, the young visionary who had helped lift the Siege of Orléans and led to the king's coronation at Reims, arrived at the besieged town of Compiègne in mid-May 1430 with a small volunteer force. On May 23, she led a sortie against the Burgundian camp but was outflanked during the retreat; unhorsed near the city gates, she surrendered to Burgundian captain Lionel de Wandomme rather than risk capture by English troops. Her Burgundian captors quickly transferred her to Jean de Luxembourg for safekeeping in their castles. The loss of France's most effective military leader stunned her supporters and strengthened enemy morale.
Why it matters: Her capture ended Joan's active military role and led directly to her trial and execution the following year, yet it failed to halt French momentum toward eventual victory in the war. The event underscored the intense personal and political stakes of the conflict, with Burgundian and English factions viewing her as a dangerous threat to their claims. Her story later inspired centuries of national identity and resistance narratives in France.