Key Facts
- Date of capture
- November 4, 1429
- Key attacker
- Joan of Arc, alongside Charles d'Albret
- Forces assembled at
- Bourges, before marching to the town
- Reward granted
- Charles VII granted Joan of Arc noble status
- Commemoration
- Statue of Joan of Arc unveiled August 24, 1902
Strategic Narrative Overview
The initial French assault on the town failed against its vigorous defenders, and a retreat was sounded. Joan of Arc, whose bodyguard Jean d'Aulon had been wounded in the heel during the first attack, rallied the troops for a second assault. According to d'Aulon, this second assault was met with little resistance, and the attackers pressed through the town's formidable defences to take it by storm.
01 / The Origins
The siege of Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier took place within the broader Lancastrian War, a phase of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. French royal forces under Charles VII sought to reclaim fortified strongholds along the Loire river banks held by opposing forces. Joan of Arc and Charles d'Albret assembled their combined army at Bourges before advancing on the heavily fortified and moat-encircled town of Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier.
03 / The Outcome
The town fell to the French forces on November 4, 1429. Following the capture, Charles VII rewarded Joan of Arc by granting her noble status, reflecting her critical role in the victory. The taking of Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier was part of a broader campaign to eliminate enemy strongholds along the Loire, strengthening the French royal position in the ongoing conflict with England.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Joan of Arc, Charles d'Albret, Jean d'Aulon.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.