In 1472, She Was Only 18 When She Picked Up Two Hatchets And Helped Defend Her City Against 80,000 Troops
When she was just 18-years-old, Jeanne Hachette courageously took up a hatchet to defend her city of Beauvais from an attack. She played a key role in rallying the citizens to fight and prevent the city from becoming captured.
Her fearlessness in the face of turmoil caused her to become a symbol of patriotism and female heroism. It just goes to show that it only takes the bravery of one individual to change the course of history.
Jeanne was born in 1454 in the city of Beauvais in northern France. Her father was a butcher, so she was well-acquainted with blades. After he died, she was sent to live with one of the city guards.
In 1472, the Duke of Burgundy was revolting against King Louis XI. He led a siege and advanced upon Beauvais with an army of 80,000 troops. At that time, Jeanne was 18-years-old.
Workers on the cathedral roof first spotted the oncoming army and alerted the rest of the city. High walls surrounded Beauvais, but those were no match for an army of this size. The Burgundians had brought ladders and were able to climb over the walls.
One of the suburbs was taken and pillaged. Buildings were burned, cattle were slaughtered, and a huge, gaping hole was left in one of the city gates.
Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beauvais refused to surrender, thanks to the inspiration that Jeanne sparked.
Initially, the people did the best they could to ward off the Burgundians. Men and women guarded the gate and attacked the invaders with whatever they had available—hot water, oil, molten lead, or even their own fists.
But the soldiers just kept on coming, and the citizens of Beauvais were slowly losing their ground and their courage.
cyberian94 – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
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In the middle of the chaos, Jeanne grabbed two hatchets and scaled the city walls with a group of women.
She hurled herself at one of the soldiers climbing the walls. The blade of one of the hatchets sunk into his neck.
Then, she kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying off the wall. The rest of the women followed suit, their bravery restored.
At one point, the broken gate was set on fire. The people of Beauvais kept the fire burning for two weeks so their enemies couldn’t enter.
After nearly a month of fighting, the Duke had to retreat. He lost around 3,000 men, and his remaining fighters mostly consisted of women and average citizens.
King Louis XI recognized the efforts that the citizens of Beauvais contributed to the defense of the city.
He thanked them by granting the city with special privileges, such as a lower tax rate. He was also aware of the role that women played in this defense and suspended certain laws, allowing women to wear whatever clothing they wanted.
The king was especially impressed by Jeanne, the teenager who stepped up to save the town. She was rewarded with gold, and her descendants were spared from ever having to pay taxes.
She was even permitted to marry Collin Pillon, the man she loved, which was a big deal then. Some say the king himself held the marriage ceremony.
Jeanne’s memory lives on in the form of a statue that was erected in her honor. The bronze statue can be found in the town square today. It shows Jeanne in the process of swinging her hatchets.
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