The war of succession of Brittany (1341-1364) - or war of both Jeanne - is one of the secondary wars which took place during the Guerre One hundred Year old.

First steps

The successional problem

The April 30th 1341, dies the duke Jean III of Brittany. In spite of three marriages, with Isabelle de Valois, Isabelle de Castille and Jeanne of Savoy, Jean III did not have the least child. And he never managed to decide to indicate one of the two candidates for his succession. There is on the one hand Jeanne de Penthièvre, girl of her brother Guy de Penthièvre, married since 1337 with Charles of Blois, relative of the king, on the other hand his half-brother Jean de Montfort, count de Montfort-l' Amaury, wire of the second marriage of Arthur II of Brittany with Yolande de Dreux, countess of Montfort-l' Amaury.

Alliances

By his birth, Charles of Blois is the nephew of the new king Philippe VI of Valois, selected for king with depend on the claims of Edouard III of England, under the terms of the Salic law. Charles of Blois moreover inherited the claims of the house of Penthièvre on the duchy of Brittany.

In reaction, Edouard III approaches Montfort which can have to wait little of the king. This alliance is matched county of Richemont, English stronghold entered the inheritance of the dukes of Brittany.

The Parisian judgment

The competitors do not start legal procedures but present both to Paris to return Hommage to the king Philippe VI - Brittany is a duchy-peerage since 1297. The difference in their reception lets appear that Charles of Blois is recognized like the legitimate heir.

The situation is paradoxical: the rights of Charles of Blois are based on the succession by the women, which recently is not any more recognized in France but is in conformity with the Breton Right, whereas Jean de Montfort rests on a salic law become expensive with king de France…

The fantastic ride of Jean de Montfort

Knowing that the situation is played in advance and that Charles will be received in the homage, therefore recognized officially, Jean de Montfort would have left Paris precipitately in May 1341.

He would have then entered Nantes and would have taken again the control of the main city of the duchy, would have precipitated with Limoges, city whose Jean III had been the Vicomte by heritage of his mother, to recover the treasure of his brother who had been stored there.

Of return to Nantes, always in May 1341, it would have joins together an assembly of the nobility and clergy, but many large lords and ecclesiastics are lacking. In the months which follow (June-July) it would have carried out a great ride in its duchy to make sure control of the fortified towns (Rennes, Malestroit, Vannes, Quimperlé, the Rock-Piriou, Quimper, Brest, Saint-Brieuc, Dinan and Mauron before returning to Nantes). He would have managed to take the control of a score of places.

Finally it would have gone in England, where Edouard III would have promised a military aid to him and would have recognized it Count de Richmond, before returning to Paris for an interview with Philippe VI at the end of August.

This overlapped “fantastic”, told by the Flemish chronicler Jean the Beautiful one and begun again by Froissard, does not resist the fact proof: during all this time, Jean de Montfort remained in Paris region with his legal advisers to work out his sales leaflet in front of the council of the king.

The French judgment

Lastly, Jean de Montfort is convened in Paris by the court of the even S. His contacts recent with England are reproached to him like his attempt for forcing the hand with the king. Jean de Montfort is surrounded nevertheless French lawyers, calls upon the salic law however foreign with the Breton Right and request the arbitration of the Council of the Pars of the Kingdom. The King slices in favor of his Charles nephew of Blois. Jean de Montfort ends up escaping. In reaction, by the Stop of Conflans, the September 7th 1341, Philippe VI accepts the liege Hommage of Charles of Blois. Jean de Montfort sees himself confiscating his French strongholds: county of Montfort-l' Amaury, Viscount of Limoges.

The war

This war, intersected with truces, is held in three periods: at the end of 1341- January 19th, 1343/1345-1362/1362-1364

First phase (1341-1343)

Charles of Blois and his ally, Jean Duc of Normandy - the future Jean II the Good - join together an army and penetrate in Brittany. After two weeks of seat, they take Nantes and capture Jean de Montfort. The cities are not long in recognizing Charles of Blois. However with the winter the duke of Normandy completes the countryside without to have destroyed the last montfortists. On the contrary, Jeanne of Flanders, wife of Jean de Montfort, revives the flame of resistance and rejoins its partisans with Vannes.

At the end of November 1342, Edouard III unloads with his army in Brest and besieges Vannes. The French who awaited it Calais had withdrawn their forces because of successes of Charles of Blois. A French Army is gathered to face him. But Jean de Montfort being prisoner and Jeanne of Flanders having sunk in the madness, a truce is signed on January 19th, 1343. In fact English occupies and manages the fortified towns still faithful to Jean de Montfort. A broad English garrison will occupy Brest. Valves will be managed by the Pope.

Second phase: the status quo

Jean de Montfort is released on September 1st, 1343. Helped by the English it takes again the control of Valves. Charles of Blois besieges Quimper in 1344 to isolate Jean de Montfort from his English allies. The catch of the city is bloody: 2000 civilians are massacred. Jean de Montfort dies in 1345, his Jean son is not in age to control. The Franco-English conflict will move towards Normandy and North. French defeats with Crécy in 1346, then the capture of the king to the Bataille of Poitiers will neutralize the French and the situation turns to the status quo to Brittany where the English control Brest, Quimper and Vannes. Charles of Blois, holds the remainder of the duchy to him. It is during this period that took place celebrates it Combat of the Thirty, great moment of the Knighthood. He opposes 31 Anglo-Breton to 31 Breton Blésistes (favorable to Charles of Blois) with semi-way between Josselin and Ploërmel, on March 26th, 1351. Breton Blésistes under the orders of Beaumanoir are victorious. Under the pressure of the Innocent pope VI, English, French and Breton negotiate peace in the Guerre one hundred year old and in the War of succession of Brittany. The Breton conflict is indeed in a phase of statuquo: Jean de Montfort supported by the English died and his/her Son is only 4 years old; Charles of Blois supported by the French is prisoner in London and negotiates his ransom. Edouard III obtains with the treaty of Wesminster of March 1st, 1353 that against the recognition of Charles of Blois like Duc of Brittany, it is committed pouring a ransom of 300.000 ecus and so that Brittany signs a treaty of perpetual alliance with England this alliance having to be concealed by the marriage of Jean de Penthièvre (the son of Jean de Montfort) with his Margareth daughter. The husbands being cousins the marriage require letters of canonical exemption that the pope will grant only with the approval of king de France. However Charles of Cerda married in March 1352 with Marguerite of Blois (the girl of Charles of Blois). Very near to king de France, it has its word to say in this negotiation and fact part of the plenipotentiary ones. Charles the Bad one decides to pass to the action, makes assassinate the constable of France. The peace agreements hood.

Third phase

The year-even of his sacring, the new king Charles V takes again the hostilities.

In September 1364, Jean de Montfort and the English John Chandos overcome Charles of Blois and Bertrand of Guesclin to Auray.

Guy XII of Laval was also requested by Urbain V to bring back peace between Jeanne de Penthièvre, Duchesse of Brittany and Jean de Montfort. It is a fact to raise to specify the role of Guy XII in this long fight where undoubtedly, according to the instructions of the pope, the lord of Laval sought, but unnecessarily, to pacify the two parties, December 10th 1364.

The battle of Auray marks the end of this long conflict, peace is endorsed in 1365 by the first treaty of Guérande.

The treaty establishes Jean IV like legitimate heir. It does not completely push back the claims of Penthièvre, since it thus establishes the successional law in Brittany:

• the duchy will be transmitted of male in male in the family of Montfort;

• in the event of male absence of descent, it will pass to the males of the family of Penthièvre.
  
  
  
  

Resolution of the conflict

Jean IV, who marries a sister then a daughter-in-law of the Prince Noir, is an ally of the English and thus enemy of Charles V who mêne a patient reconquest of all the French territory. Once removed from the English who do not control any more that some fortified towns on the continent and do not have any more the control of the seas since the Bataille of the La Rochelle, the king of France takes again the hostilities and confiscates the duchy of Brittany in 1378. Supported by the Breton people and the will of independence of the barons, Jean IV is maintained in fact.

He will have better relationship with Charles VI and the regent Philippe Bold the, and controls in peace his duchy, but must face the rebellion of Olivier de Clisson. He manages to repurchase with the English the place of Brest in 1397. The second treaty of Guérande is signed on August 4th, 1381. The duke Jean IV of Brittany recovers his goods, against the homage lent to king de France, the payment of an allowance and the reference of the English advisers.

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