Duchy of Brittany

The duchy of Brittany is the political unit which succeeds the kingdom of Brittany of the Early middle ages in Brittany.

The kingdom of Brittany

Together of kingdoms independent until the end of the 8th century, the Brittany is invaded in the name of Charlemagne by the count Gui in 798 - 799. At the end of the 8th century, Brittany enters the orbit of the Carolingian Empire and its social and political institutions are similar to those of the kingdom of Francie Western. Brittany is not integrated into the Empire but becomes Tribut surface about it. It is of this old legal situation that the dukes of Brittany draw their legitimacy to refuse (refusal never total) the homage to kings de France, at the end of the Middle Ages. Indeed, they do not hold their grounds of the Emperor, who recognizes their sovereignty (see Histoire of Brittany).

After several risings which put an end to the short domination Francs and which involve franques forwardings in 801, 811, 818, 824 and 837, Nominoë proclaims single king of Brittany in 844, overcomes Charles the Bald person with the Bataille of Balloon (845) and obtains in 846 the recognition of the total independence of Brittany. Thereafter (towards 856), Brittany remains a kingdom unified until in 907, date of died of Alain Large the (or 919, beginning of the domination Norman). In 939, when Alain known as Bores-Torte is crowned, it gives up under king for not clarified reasons. The majority of its successors make in the same way.

The duchy of Brittany

Until the 10th century, Brittany is touched hard by the attacks of the Vikings and of Norman and the authority of the kings and the dukes is almost non-existent. The dynastic fights cause the bursting of the duchy in counties, and the authority of the duke is still weakened by the persistent claims of the neighbors, duke of Normandy and count d' Anjou. This process of political fragmentation is stopped and reversed by marriages which lead to invest ducal title only one individual, Alain IV '' Fergent ''.

The long and stable reign of Alain allows the increase in the Breton possessions, of which the attribution of the county of Richemont by the king Guillaume Ier of England. His/her son Conan III '' the Large '' continues his work of re-establishment of the central authority. A crisis of succession opens with its death, which cancels progress carried out and allows to the king d' Angleterre Henri II to assert suzerainty. Between 1158 and 1166, Henri II joins together Brittany with his continental possessions, and Marie his third wire, Geoffroy, with Constance, heiress of the duchy. The domination of Angevins in Brittany ends in 1203, when the king Jean-without-Ground kills his nephew Arthur, wire of Geoffroy and Constancy.

The marriage of the heiress Alix in Capétien Pierre de Dreux inaugurates a new dynasty, that of Dreux. That makes it possible Brittany to find a certain autonomy, although the dukes lend homage without interruption and recognize the sovereignty of Capétiens. In 1297, the Duc Jean II obtains the even title of of France. After the war of succession of Brittany, Brittany continues to maintain the bonds with the Crown D `England thanks to the county of Richmond, until the Guerre of the Two-Pinks. Brittany, closed and disorientated, is integrated into the kingdom of France during the successive reigns of the House of Montfort.

In 1465, the duke François II confiscates the county of Penthièvre to the Nicole heiress of Blois, which weakens the position of Penthièvre in the duchy. In 1488, after the death of the last male duke, the chief of the house of Penthièvre is Jean de Brosse (death in 1502), grandson of Nicole of Blois, and he asserts the heritage of the duchy, but the girl of François II, Anne of Brittany, is crowned duchess. Contrary to the treaty signed by François II in 1488, this one proposes the marriage of Anne of Brittany with the heir to the Habsbourg. The king of France intervenes then to make respect this treaty what leads to a new conflict and a cancellation of the marriage by the pope. Anne of Brittany then refuses any marriage with the princes whom the king proposed and asks that be the king him even which married it. She is successively the wife of two kings de France (Charles VII and Louis XII). The heirs to the Duchy of Brittany are by marriage contract the male descendants of Anne of Brittany or by defect its descendants of female sex. The administration of the Duchy is allotted to king de France. Without male descendant, it is thus his/her daughter Claude wife of François I {{er}} which becomes duchess of Brittany. His/her son, dolphin of France, are crowned under the name of François III duke of Brittany (1518-1536), but he dies at the 18 years age. It is then his/her brother, the future Henri II, which becomes the duke of Brittany. In 1532: a treaty of Union of Brittany in France is voted by the States of Brittany, after forty years of matrimonial unions between the duchesses of Brittany and the kings of France. The heirs to the family of Brush are governors of Brittany, and it is considered that the brother of François III, Henri II is the last duke of Brittany in 1536. When it assembles on the throne of France in 1547, Brittany in fact is joined together with the Crown of France because belonging to the royal field.

French Brittany

Although the duke of Brittany is now confused with the king of France, part of the Breton nobility, in particular the descendants of Jeanne de Penthièvre would wish to be seen allotting the stronghold of Brittany or all at least the county of Penthièvre annexed by François II. With died of Henri III, the last descendant in male line of Claude, the theoretical heiress of his rights in Brittany and Auvergne is the infante Isabelle-Claire-Eugenie de Habsbourg, Spanish sovereign last of the Netherlands, and Henri II, duke of Lorraine; the first is the oldest daughter of the oldest daughter of Henri III, but a woman, the second is a man but the son of the girl junior. Brittany has an illogical system to give a certain preeminence (but not all) to the male heirs, even if they inherit their rights by the women. Moreover, the treaties regulating the succession of the end of the 15th century are rather vague.

Nevertheless, Philippe II of Spain, principal enemy of France at that time, offers to both to support them in order to divide France. But in Brittany, nothing came to support this. On the contrary, the duke of Mercœur, one of the chiefs of the League, governor of Brittany since 1582, asserts the rights of his/her minor son, going down in hot line from the duchess Jeanne de Penthièvre. It organizes in 1588 (immediately after the assassination of the duke of Own way) a government in Nantes, supported by Spain, which makes its rendering with Henri IV only in 1598, concluded by the marriage from his daughter with one from bastard from Henri IV, which confirms the direct control of France on Brittany. It is thus in the last province where the League resisted to him, that Henri IV signs an edict of tolerance, the edict of Nantes.

Subdivisions

The duchy of Brittany included/understood the counties of Rennes, Nantes, Vannes and Cornwall, as well as the Viscounts of Leon and of the Penthièvre.

The Penthièvre and its misadventures (County of Goëllo or County of Guingamp) is a Apanage dismembered ducal field.

At the time of the First war of succession of Brittany, there was a project to divide Brittany into two duchies, one in north, the other in the south.

The duchy is definitively attached to the Crown of France in 1532. The title of duke of Brittany disappears with the king Henri II. Brittany is one of the most autonomous areas of the Old Mode until August 4th, 1789 when it loses its Constitution with the abolition of the privileges. This abolition is regarded as illegal by the Maury deputy, in a speech of January 9th, 1790, whereas this one tried to defend the magistrates of the room of vacations of the Parliament of Rennes.

The Château of the dukes of Brittany is located at Nantes, city which does not form part of the administrative area Brittany, created in 1972.

See too

History of historical Brittany
Brittany
List of the dukes of Brittany

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