1988 en literatura

At the 15th century, the duchy of Brittany is a great independent principality, which enjoys the prerogatives of an Irrefutable fact and right. The French chancellery disputes certain signs of sovereignty to him, but this one is recognized by the States with which Brittany is in diplomatic relation (the Holy See, England, Holy roman Empire…)

Circumstances of the union

The Neighboring states of Brittany sometimes tried to control it, if not for itself, at least to obtain stakes within the framework of an other conflict: it was the case at the 11th century of Henri II Plantagenêt which conquered Brittany surrounded by all shares by its possessions; in XIVe of the English and the French at the time of the War of succession of Brittany which for them was an episode of the Guerre One hundred Year old; at the end of XVIe of the Spaniards during the Guerre of the League during whom they tried to obtain at the same time a stage on the sea route of their Netherlands, a catholic base vis-a-vis the king protesting Henri IV and a duchy for the infante Isabelle. The widening of the royal field made of king de France an immediate neighbor of Brittany as from 1203 and more still in 1328 and 1482. Consequently, the setting under supervision or the direct control of the peninsula became a feature dominating of the policy of the kingdom with respect to the duchy. That will become a constant as from 1341, at the beginning of the War of succession of Brittany. The victory of an enemy prince of the king will never be accepted of gladly and the baffles or the wars will follow one another until the final success of the kingdom (in 1491,1532 or 1598 according to the designs).

Historically the armorique one formed integral part of the Celtic Gaulle quoted by Jules César and, during the fall of the Roman Empire, it was integrated into the Gallo-Roman field directed by Syagrius with the support of Ambrosius Aurelianus, chief of migrants come from the island of Brittany (current Great Britain), without however that those did not conclude least the foedus with the Roman empire authorizing their installation in Armorique. Syagrius proclaiming king and émancipant imperial capacity, its territory was allotted by the emperor to Clovis after its victory to Soisson. Clovis accepted the Honorary title of Consul and Patrice ensuring the legitimacy of his authority on the old Gallo-Roman field. Armorique was then incorporated in the kingdom of Childebert Ier. Chaos being spread in Brittany, kings Francs, according to their policy of delegation of part of the capacity to local representatives (system ancestor of feudality), named administrators of Brittany. Thus Nominoë is indicated Missus Imperatoris by the king Louis the Piles then Ducatus Ipsius Gentismissus of Breton before returning in rebellion against the royal capacity and obtaining a certain autonomy for Brittany.

Thus the French chancellery drew the justification of its suzerainty on Brittany on these historical facts, in particular by the existance of a foedus which would have been passed between the Breton ones and the francs of Clovis, of the reconquest of Armorique by Charlemagne, of the vassalisation of Brittany to the Normandy at the 11th century, Brittany becoming of this fact a sub-fief of the king.

The Breton chroniclers and the chancellery of XIVe, XVe and XVIe century defended the opposite thesis, asserting mainly anteriority of the installation of Breton on the Francs as a Gaulle (but ommettant the absence of foedus with the Romain Empire authorizing the establishment in Armorique and the installation of the Francs in the area of Valves, as well as the agreements made with the kings Francs agents of the authority following the advent of Clovis), of the sovereignty of Brittany due to its statute of old kingdom whereas Nominoë which obtained a broad autonomy for the administration of Brittany forever have the title of king, of the simple homage “of alliance”, and not liege, that the dukes returned to the kings. This last point being a recent fact and not recognized by the king of France.

In the prolongation of this secular policy, the kings of France will find in the circumstances of the end of XVe and the beginning of XVIe the means of bringing back the duchy in their bosom:

England, allied traditional of Montfort, cannot act any more as force on the continent since it was driven out by it into 1450/52 and since it was limed in the Guerre of the Two-Pinks. At the conclusion of this war, the new Tudor dynasty does not have yet the average interiors to be risked with an operation of scale overseas.
the Brittany loses another important ally with the death of the duke of Burgundy Charles Bold the in 1477, which has a girl for heiress.
the end of the dynasty of Anjou in 1482 gives to the king the control of the border brito-angevine.
the Breton nobility has many interests in the kingdom and touch, like other noble kingdom, pensions associated with their titles.
François II irritates the nobility of Brittany, because prince of the Loire Valley, it preserved of his childhood at the court of France of solids fasteners with princes de Valois (from where the unhappy coalitions at the time of the feudal revolts against the king). Moreover the noble ones jalousent the influence of Valois and that of the simple middle-class man who is the Landais treasurer. This lack of authority on its high aristocracy and its government in general will deprive François II, then Anne of supports. The nobility preferring to respect the royal capacity and joining only slightly the revolt the large feudal ones at the time of the insane War.
François II does not have a legitimate male descent. His/her daughters (Anne and Isabeau) are proclaimed heiresses in front of the States of Brittany, but of other potential heirs claim with the succession: The Viscount of Rohan, the Orange prince, Alain d' Albret and the king of France (which had bought the rights of the family of Penthièvre).

The survival of the Breton State passes then by the marriage of Anne from Brittany in which it is necessary to find a husband. The consequence of the defeat of Saint-Aubin of Cormier, the treaty of Sanded known as “Treated Orchard” signed with Charles VIII, king de France, imposes on François II, duke of Brittany the August 19th 1488 which it cannot marry his daughters without the agreement of king de France.

Louis XI (who tests for the duke of Brittany one “grant hayne” following his participation in all the great plots), then his children the regent Anne de Beaujeu and Charles VIII want:

to break the threat of the surrounding of the kingdom between Burgundy (then Austria) and the Netherlands in north and the east, and Brittany in the West.

To strengthen the royal capacity vis-a-vis François II who usurps signs of sovereignty: seal in majesty, crown with high florets, ducal use of the principle of lese-majesty, erection of a Parliament (of justice) sovereign, creation of a university in Brittany (in Nantes), diplomacy independent and direct with the powers of time, ousting of the royal tax officials, quarrels of levels…

To punish the noble ones having taken part in the hostile coalitions with the king; François II having taken part in the League of the Public property (1465), the conquest of Normandy for Mr Charles (1467-68), the war of 1471-73, the insane War (1484-85) and the free-Breton War (1487-1488).

Comparison with other States

In the book the union of Brittany in France Dominique the Page and Michel Nassiet insist on the differences existing at the time between the Brittany, the Portugal, the Netherlands of North. The two last choose the way of the rebellion against the central capacity, Brittany not having neither the assets of the Portugal (the trade winds, the great discoveries) nor the force of conviction of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (persecution of Protestantism by Spain).

On the level European, Brittany is however regarded at that time as a powerful duchy, equipped with an important fleet. It is one of principal the trading country with the United Provinces. It is under François II that the rise of the trade began and continued to reach the apogee with the first French colonial empire with the trade towards North America and the company of the Indies.

Political and economic factors

The duchy of Brittany can only be subjected, in spite of resistances vis-a-vis the one of the strongest armies of Europe. It should be added that the Breton elites were attracted by the court of the King de France and the commercial Bourgeoisie of Saint-Malo ignored the interests of the Ducs of Brittany.

According to Bertrand d' Argentré, Dom Lobineau, Dom Morice, J.P. Leguay and the majority of the historians who are leaning on the question, certain members of the States of Brittany having been intimidated or bought by France, the request for union was actually inspired by François {{Ier}}.

The doctor Louis Melennec, doctor in right, goes even until affirming that these operations blame the legal validity of the treaty of union.

Treaty of union

1532: signature of the treaty of union enters Brittany and France, voted by the States of Brittany, after forty years of matrimonial unions between the duchesses of Brittany and the kings of France. It thus acts, at this time, of a union wanted by the representatives of the two parts, and formally solicited by the States of Brittany. The Treaty of 1532 signs the union of Brittany and France.

Currently certain Breton nationalist mediums try to make pass in the public opinion an arranged version of the history. Among their leaders, Louis Melennec defends the thesis that treated would be struck of nullity. However, the Claude duchess yielded of it usufruct to her husband, the king François Ier, then on a purely perpetual basis in 1515. His/her son junior, Henri, was the last Duc of Brittany before it reaches the throne of France died of François Ist.

Under these conditions it appears that François Ier, usufruitié of the Duchy of Brittany had all to be able to engage the meeting of Brittany in France and that independently, Henri, Duc of Brittany, reaching the throne of France integrated in fact the Duchy into the royal field.

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