History of Brittany

The Brittany is a Péninsule in the extreme west of the France. The first to evoke it in writing is Jules César. It is then populated from Gallic people, therefore Celtes. But they are other Celtes, come from Great Britain, which gives him its name: Breton .

Prehistory

  • Paleolithic Era , until in 5000 av. J. - C.: Sparsity of the population driving out the Mammoth, the Bear, the tiger and the stag.

  • Mesolithic Era , 5000 av. J. - C. - 3500 av. J. - C.: The man known as of “Treviec” lives the southern part and saw shells and fishing.
  • Neolithic Era , 3500 av. J. - C. - 1500 av. J. - C.: New people come from the Mediterranean and having undoubtedly passed by the Iberian peninsula settle; he introduces a new religion, new funerary uses. It is the age of the megaliths, it covers Brittany of monuments during 2000 years.
  • Towards 3000 av. J. - C.: construction of the Tumulus of Saint-Michel with Carnac.
  • Towards 2000 av. J. - C.: construction of the Tumulus of Kermene in Guidel (statue of goddess-Mother).

Antiquity

See also: Armorique

At the time Celtic, one does not speak yet about Brittany. The territory of current the Brittany belongs to the Armorique, vast federation of Celtic people brought together under the name of Armorican Confédération extending from Pornic close to Nantes to Dieppe in north to the Pays to Caux. One finds there the current departments of the Loire-Atlantique, the Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, the Finistere and the Coast-with Armor, plus almost the whole of the current Normandy with his littoral since the Mount-Saint-Michel, the Cotentin until the Pays of Caux (departments of the Manche, of the Orne, the Calvados, the the Eure and the Seine-Maritime) more the Anjou with the the Sarthe, the Mayenne and their territories bordering. No identity thus between the Armorique and the Brittany , in spite of the confusion which is frequently made.

Jules César is expressed as follows:

(…) All the Armorican cities close to the Ocean which give each other the name of Armorican (Aremorici) and with the number of which appear Coriosolites, them Redones, Ambibares, Calètes, Osismi, Vénèti, Unelli, were to provide 6000 men. |César, War of Gaules , VII, p.35

The Armorique was populated several Celtic nations (see detailed article) of which the Vénètes - Celtique Veneti, which impressed César:

By their considerable navy, their nautical superiority good recognized and their commercial relations with the Island of Brittany, Vénètes had become very powerful people, whose authority extended to far on all the littoral from Gaulle and insular Brittany. They had a small number of ports located on this sea open and stormy with long distances from/to each other and made tributary almost all the navigators obliged to pass in their water |César, War of Gaules , III, 8

Vénètes, powerful and influential maritime city of tradesmen and sailors, like later Venice or Holy Malo, had a strong organization, were equipped with a Sénat and had in particular an important fleet to trade with the British Isles and the Italy of which it diffused the Vin and the Huile (that the Romans convoyaient in Armorique since Bordeaux), in Armorique and insular Brittany starting from Vannes and of the current area inhabitant of Saint Malo, in particular with Hengistbury Head not far from Bournemouth in the current Dorset) and with which it sold inter alia productions the Salaison S and the already well-known and appreciated Armorican Charcuterie S with Rome and the tin, the Plomb and the Cuivre of the large island. The Vénètes - Veneti - resided in the current Morbihan and gave their name to the town of Vannes; they bear curiously the same name (Vénètes) that the people which founded another powerful commercial and maritime city: Venice.

the Pictons were hostile with the Vénètes as one can deduce it from their connection with the proconsul Jules César as of his first countryside (César, Guerre of Gaules , VIII, 26.) and of the ships built or provided to the Romans by them, the Santons and others Gallic People to facilitate the ruin of Vénètes to them. |César, War of Gaules , III, 11
In 56 av. J. - C., the ships of Jules César provided by other Gallic people destroy the fleet vénète during the Bataille of Morbihan. The Parliament passed through the weapons and the women and the children sold like slaves.

All the Cité S Armorican (at the time Roman, the city is the administrative unit corresponding to the territory of people) have the statute of mercenary colonies.

In 380, the Romains gave the name of " Tract Armoricanus and Nervicanus " with a great military command extending from the Gironde in Pas-de-Calais and embracing a considerable group people, of which much had been formerly members of the Armorican Confederation.

Early middle ages

See also: Armorique with the Early middle ages

Migrations of the Britto-Romans

They take place towards Armorique and are the founding document of Brittany (Appearance of the toponym Breizh).

To the call of the Romans, Breton quotas ( fœderati ) come from the island of Brittany, current Great Britain and are initially installed on the littoral fringe of Armorique in order to defend it against the German pirates who prevail in Handle then penetrate the earths to subdue the revolts of the indigenous Bagaudes .

When the last Roman legions leave the island of Brittany in 411, they entrust the defense of the island to the Britto-Romans. Quickly, the raids of Pictes since the Calédonie (current Scotland, beyond the Wall of Antonin) and especially of the Irish (since the Hibernie ) multiply against the Wales, at the same time as settle with the east of the island of the Germanic tribes, and in particular the Angles and the Saxons which push back the Breton ones in the west. It would even seem that they are the raids and the colonization of the Irish which would have been a deciding factor in the departure of certain Breton migratory waves towards the continent.

Then, of the whole communities of Bretons (city-clan) emigrate in part of the Armorique since the areas of the west of the insular Brittany (especially since Devon and the Cornouailles) under the control of their religious leaders and laic. These emigrants bring with them them culture, their organization and probably their language, although it is difficult to say if the Breton of the time were similar or not with the language of the Gaulois Armoricains. It is also difficult to quantify the Armorican population at the time of the emigrations.

For this period of migration, the history of the Brittany recovers at the same time Great Britain, from which come the migrants and largest from both Péninsule S of the Armorique (the other Armorican peninsula being the Cotentin) which one will end up calling Petite Brittany , then simply Brittany .

Let us note that the Breton emigration coming from the British Isles also took place on all the Norman territory of Armorique, in particular the Cotentin and the Département of the Apple-brandy particularly the area around Caen, like confirmed it research of the professor Leon Fleuriot. The bonds of the territory which became later the Normandy with the island of Brittany always were of narrowest. The Normandy was particularly rich in Breton saints: its coast facing that of the Great Britain, it would be incredible that the immigrants of 5th and 6th centuries avoided its shores systematically. Saint Patrick holy Irish of Breton origin (born in insular Brittany) is honoured in more than six parishes Normans. Holy Méen in three of them. The “exemption” of Holy-Mother-Church is an enclave of five parishes of the diocese of Bayeux survival of an old monastery of Saint Mewen, form Breton modern Méen, Cornique Mewan. Holy Anne, Holy Armel, Holy Aubin, Holy Méen, Saint Samson are honoured in many places with Normandy. The density of the Breton toponyms in Normandy is also remarkable. Four Breton parishes with the mouth of the the Seine, in addition to the monastery of Pentale-Saint-Samson (Pental=Talben, penn=tête, will tal=front) and in his vicinity: Saint-Maclou-with-the-Brière, - Saint-Maclou = Saint-Malo -, Saint-Maclou-with-Folleville, Saint-Maclou-of-Rouen - the Eure, Saint-Thurien (Holy Turioult in 1376), remained like Breton entities until the Middle Ages and remained dependant on évêché on the Breton Métropole of Dol as a Enclave S of Neustrie and on the edges of the Seine of the Évêché of Fraud-of-Brittany until 1790. The Breton Metropolis of Fraud-of-Brittany was oldest and most important Abbaye - évêché Breton of type Celtique dating from the first times of the emigration.

Parcelling out and large extent of possessions and dependences of Diocese of Fraud, which is only the Breton Diocèse in this case - what proves its seniority and its importance - is explained by the dispersion of the first Breton colonies of the first times of the emigration of 5th and 6th centuries, of which it had the load and for which it was to be a great spiritual center, on the coasts of the Brittany and the current Normandy. Le Havre, with the mouth of the the Seine, was also, curiously a great center of Breton emigration in second half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, in particular by Steamer at the beginning of Morlaix. Alain IV of Brittany in the Bataille of Hastings and the conquest of the England with the army Norman of William the Conqueror the October 14th 1066, that makes a whole of historical links and cultural common very old and very many between the two greatest parts of old the Aremorica which are the Brittany and the current Normandy. participation in a battle in XIe century is a little thin to constitute " a whole of historical links and cultural common very old and very nombreux" , or then to pack considerably-->

The Breton chiefs cross insular Domnonée before slipping in the English Channel. It is necessary to have for the spirit that the sea was in general a factor of unit: it linked more than it did not divide. In the traditions relating to the Colonisation of Brittany by the Breton ones we find kingdoms double of this kind. Many places will be named name of the chiefs of these clans (plou-, tre-, lan-,…). The Seven saints founders of Brittany (holy pol. Aurélien (bishop of Leon), holy Corentin (bishop of Cornwall), holy Patern (bishop of Valves), Holy Samson (bishop of Fraud), holy Brieuc (bishop of Saint-Brieuc), holy Malo, bishop of Aleth, évêché transferred to Saint-Malo) and Saint-Tugdual, also called Tudy , Tutuarn and Pabu (bishop of Tréguier), are probably the version christianized of these chiefs of clan invested of religious capacities.

Largest of the two peninsulas of Armorique minor Brittany then , or Petite Brittany becomes the , then only Brittany is called more.

It seems that about the year 600 the emigration is completed.

Evolution of the situation in Great Britain

See also: Anglo-Saxon Conquest of the island of Brittany

After the departure of the Romans, the Britto-Romans carry out a military fight against the Saxon ones under the direction of “lords of war” resulting from the romanized aristocracy. Only the whose history keeps name is Ambrosius Aurelianus (the “Riothamus” of Gregoire de Tours?) who also fought on the continent against the Francs and the Visigoths in particular. It was combined with the Magister militum Ægidius (the father of Syagrius).

These events will give rise to the myths of Cadwaladr and Emrys among Welsh and to the saga of Arthur at the Breton ones.

In the South, little by little the Saxon Angles, , the Jutes, the Clippings and the Francs determine of number.

In 493 with the Mount-Badon (Bannesdowne, nowadays, close to Bath), a Breton large army inflicted a severe defeat with Saxon whose Breton ones made a great massacre. This Breton victory stopped Net the advance of the Anglo-Saxons and was followed from one period of peace.

Starting from the Battle of Deorham (577), balance is broken and their kingdoms extend little by little towards the west, isolating the Breton ones from the south-west of those of north ( Strathclyde ,…), then Welsh of Cornouaillais.

To north, the fusion of the kingdom of the Pictes, kingdom Irish of Dal Riada and people britonnic of north gave rise to the Scotland.

In the south, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms started to be linked, the union being completed during the Danish occupation then Norman.

Principalities with the duchy: Breton and Frank

See also: Armorique with the Early middle ages #Chronology

The Breton ones and the Mérovingiens

Before the 8th century, the territory of Breton on the continent extends only on the Western part of current Brittany. Rennes and Nantes is thus frank counties, joined together thereafter in the Marche of Brittany, in order to prevent the frank kingdom Breton incursions.

  • 497 : after a long war, Clovis concludes a treaty with the Armorican cities (of which some mainly populated of Breton)  : those recognize the supremacy of the Francs, will fight under its orders, but will not pay a tribute. Moreover, the Breton colonization, which was done on all current Brittany and Normandy, is limited to the cities Osisme, Coriosolite and Vénète

  • 559 - 560: forwardings of Clotaire against Conomor, which supports his/her Chramme son revolted against his authority. Victoire in 560 with the Mounts of Arrée
  • 578: Valves taken by the Breton ones. Franques forwardings are led in 579, 585 and 590 to take it again, without success.
  • 590 : first Breton text of language arrived to us. It is about a treaty of Botanique. This Breton document is former to the oldest text French-novel which goes back to 843. It is about the treaty of Leyde. It is currently preserved in the town of Leyde at the Netherlands.

The constitution of the kingdom of Brittany

  • 753 : raid of Pip the Brief and taken again Valves by the Francs.

  • 786 : raid of Charlemagne, carried out by the Seneshal Audulf.
  • 798 - 799: first conquest of Brittany by the count Gui in the name of Charlemagne.
  • 801 and 811: risings. New raids of Charlemagne.
  • 818, 824 and 837: risings and forwardings of Louis the Piles
  • 840: died of Louis the Piles, his sons tear on the question of the succession. Breton Missaticum, entrusted by Louis to Breton Nominoë, is found among the stakes.
  • 841 : Nominoë lends oath to the king of Francie Western Charles the Bald person.
  • 843 : Battle of Messac: victory of Erispoë, wire of Nominoë, against Renaud, count d' Herbauge and prefect of the Walk of Brittany, which tried its own initiative an attack against sick Nominoë. Mark the release of the hostility between Charles the Bald person and Nominoë.
  • 845 : Battle of Balloon. Victoire of Nominoë on Charles the Bald person; a treaty is concluded in 846. Nominoë is then the sovereign of Brittany. Resumption of the hostilities in 849: with the deposition of the bishops and their replacement by the Breton ones, Nominoë seeks to make its clergy independent of the franque church. In-depth raids in Francie Western (Maine, Anjou, Poitou), taken cities of Rennes and Nantes.
  • 851 : died of Nominoë in shift close to Vendôme. Erispoë, his/her son, succeeds, and crushes the franque army with the to him Bataille of Jengland. With the Treated of Angers, Charles the Bald person concedes the badges of the royalty with Erispoë, with the counties of Rennes and Nantes as well as the country of Retz.
  • 856 : Treaty of Louviers.
  • 857 : the king of Brittany Erispoë is assassinated by his cousin, Solomon, is crowned king in his turn.
  • 863 : Treated of Entrammes. Charles the Bald person concedes the Western fringe of the Maine and Anjou with Solomon in exchange of peace.
  • 867 : Treaty of Compiegne. Concession of the Peninsula of Cotentin and the Avranchin in Solomon. Maximum extension of Brittany.
  • 868 : with Clowns, Charles the Bald person recognizes the royal title with Solomon and its descent.
  • 874 : the king Solomon is assassinated in his turn. A civil war follows where up perishing the two applicants end, Gurvant and Pascweten, leaving Brittany again torn between Judicaël and Alain.
  • 888 : with died of Judicaël to the hands of Norman, Alain is crowned king de Bretagne under the name of Alain Ier says “the Large one”, and crushes the Norman ones.
  • 907 : died of Alain Ier “Large” the.

Decline of Brittany vis-a-vis the Norman ones

After 907, the quarrels of the large lords weaken Brittany. With the detriment of the two wire (Rudalt and Derien) and two sons-in-law of Alain the Large one, Gurmaëlon, count de Cornouaille is made recognize king. The conflicts between lords cause insecurity and anarchy. The raids Viking S begin again, carried out by the chiefs Ohtor, Hroald and especially Ragenhold. Groups settle in various sites (in particular in the area of Nantes).

In 909, following the death of Alain Large the, Foulque Ier of Anjou receives the Comté of Nantes. It is charged to fight against the Normands and the Bretons. Nevertheless Nantes is taken by the Norman ones in 914. In spite of this raid Norman, the count of Anjou, Foulque Ier will preserve however the title of count de Nantes, but this title was definitively recognized only in 930, when its suzerain Hugues Large the qualified it like such in one of his charters. Foulque Ier passed most of its life to fight the raids Vikings. The county of Nantes will be then closely related to the dynasty angevine Plantagenêts until the beginning of XIIIesiècle.

Starting from 919 the majority of the religious communities flee in England or France, imitated soon by the nobility and the notable ones. To this exodus the veneration goes back from the relics of saints carried by the monks in the places of their exile: those of holy Corentin with the abbey of Marmoutier of Turns, holy Gwenaël with Courcouronnes, of Holy Samson in Saint-Symphorien of Orleans and holy Magloire in Paris.

In 936, Alain known as Bores-Torte, wire of Mathuédoï, count de Poher and grandson of the king Alain Ier known as '' Large the '', returned of England to the call of the abbot Jean de Landevennec, gathers the Breton ones. The Norman ones are beaten with Nantes in 937, then with Trans the 939, date which became the national festival.

An argument is not long in being born between the dynasty rested by Alain Barbetorte, duke and count de Cornouaille, and that of Juhel Berenger, count de Rennes. By alliances the Thibaldiens, counts de Chartres and of Blois, control the county of Rennes, the counts d' Anjou the county of Nantes.

In 987, the count de Rennes Conan Ier the Wrong, beats the Nantes ones and takes the control of Brittany, under the nominal suzerainty of the Capétiens. This victory of Conan will be of short duration. The new count d' Anjou, Foulques Nerra worrying about his political ascendance proclaims the defender of the interests of the house of Nantes and it delivers combat to him. Conan Ier is killed in the defeat, at the time of the second Bataille of Conquereuil in 992.

In 1156, the Comté of Nantes is detached, during one period of internal divisions of Brittany, and is annexed to the Anjou. Indeed, whereas Conan IV is proclaimed duke of Brittany, the Nantes ones drive out his/her uncle Hoël count de Nantes and choose for count the younger brother of Henri II, Geoffroy Plantagenêt, already count of Maine and Anjou since 1156. The county of Nantes leaves the duchy. In died of Geoffroy, in 1158, Conan believes capacity to take again the County of Nantes, but must restore it with Henri II Plantagenêt which will preserve it in its hand during more than 30 years (1156-1189).

The median Middle Ages

The participation in the conquest of England

October 14th, 1066, William the Conqueror begins the conquest from the England with an army from 7.000 to 8.000 men including 3.000 Norman. It includes/understands approximately 2.000 Breton, primarily of the juniors without grounds, but also of the Flemish and the French. Among the Breton knights, were the puînés wire of Eudon de Penthièvre, Alain the Russet-red and Brient, the Viscount of Leon, Robert Baron of Vitré, Raoul wire of Hand, baron of Fougères, the son of the lord of Dinan, the lord of Chateaugiron, Raoul Ier de Gaël (Gaël-Montfort), Judicaël of Lohéac etc

William the Conqueror allots in reward of their assistance of many grounds and English strongholds to these Breton. In particular it, which was given to Brient wire of Eudon de Penthièvre which then transmitted it to his/her brother Alain the Russet-red: Alain Ier the Russet-red , ordering rear-guard lasting the Bataille of Hastings was created count de Richmond between Christmas 1069 and 1071, by William the Conqueror and was count de Richmond of 1070 with 1089.

(England) occupying the north-western point of vast the Province which was known later under the name of Duché of York was large a Seigneurie of fifteen Lieue S length on ten broad and was often allotted to the dukes of Brittany, until the marriage of Jeanne of Brittany, countess of Richmond, with Raoul Basset of Drayton in 1399.

Another baron de Bretagne, Raoul Ier de Gaël accepted a whole kingdom: one of the States of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchie, the East Anglia, including/understanding two of the best counties of the current England, Suffolk and Norfolk, with the towns of Ipswich, Newmarket, Norwich and all the littoral bathed by, the mouth North Sea of the Stoure to the gulf of Boston. Guéthénoc de Porhoët (of Rohan) will receive grounds in the Bedfordshire, the Buckinghamshire and the Gloucestershire of which the town of Caerwent. Well of others Breton made handsome fortunes there.

In 1076, William the Conqueror makes the seat of Dol. The King de France, Philippe Ier, assists from the Duc from Brittany and obliges it to raise the seat.

Henri II Plantagenêt detaches from Brittany the county of Nantes during a third of century (1156-1183), then takes the duchy under its cut, the Breton counts proving to be unable to fight against the Naufrageur S which harmed the trade between the other fields of the Empire Plantagenêt. His/her son Geoffroy II of Brittany, been engaged to the heiress of the duchy, revolts against his father, just like his son Arthur (1186 - 1203), taken refuge at the court of Philippe Auguste, against Jean without Ground.

In 1185, Geoffroy II of Brittany sign the Sitting of the count Geoffroi , which prohibits the dismemberment of the Fiefs, which reinforces the Breton feudal mode.

Brittany capétienne

In 1209, Philippe-Auguste (Philippe II of France) made establish a convention to regulate the marriage of the young duchess Alix de Thouars (9 years) with the small Henri (5 years), wire of Alain, count de Penthièvre. The Breton barons pay homage to the child Henri de Penthièvre.

But in 1213, with an aim of reinforcing its capacity in Brittany, the king of France Philippe Auguste imposes the prince capétien Pierre Mauclerc like Baillistre , i.e. administrator of the duchy and tutor of his son, the duke Jean I {{er}} of Brittany. It was Pierre Mauclerc who introduced the hermines into the blazon of Brittany. He marries the cause of his stronghold and defends his independence vis-a-vis the king of France.

War of succession of Brittany

Of 1341 - 1364, the war of succession of Brittany or war of Both Jeanne, sees to clash the half-brother of the last duke, Jean de Montfort, father of the future duke Jean IV, (supported soon by the king of England) and his niece, the countess Jeanne de Penthièvre married with the nephew of king de France, Charles of Blois.

At the conclusion of the war, a moderate form of the Salic law is introduced in Brittany.

  • 1351 : Combat of the Thirty.

  • 1352 : the States of Brittany, which will constitute the Parliament of Brittany, are set up.

  • September 29th, 1364: Battle of Auray: victory of Jean IV and the house of Montfort which was the Breton party opposed to the candidate (Charles of Blois) of king de France. Peace is concluded by the first Traité of Guérande on April 12th, 1365 and abdication of the Jeanne duchess.

  • 1373 : Given up by his nobility, Jean IV sets out again in exile in England. The king of France Charles V names his brother the duke of Anjou (husband of a girl of Jeanne de Penthièvre and Charles of Blois) lieutenant-general in Brittany.

  • 1378 : The king of France tries to annex Brittany, which causes the recall by the Breton ones (including Jeanne de Penthièvre!) of Jean IV. The second treaty of Guérande (January 15th, 1381) rule Breton neutrality in the Anglo-French conflict but Jean IV cannot avoid lending the liege homage to Charles VI.

The final Middle Ages

  • February 12th -4 July 1420: Attack of Champtoceaux, the duke Jean V is removed by the count de Penthièvre, wire of Jeanne de Penthièvre. Jeanne de France, duchess of Brittany, besiege the rebellious places and make release her husband who confiscates the goods of Penthièvre.

  • François II takes part in alliances with the Burgundian States, the duke Charles of Normandy, the duke of Alençon and the count of Armagnac against the king of France Louis XI, without success.

  • 1464 : Publication of the Breton Catholicon, Dictionary Breton-Latin-French of Jehan Lagadeuc which is the first trilingual dictionary of the world, the first Breton dictionary and the first French dictionary of this scale.

  • 1485-1488: insane War; the duke of Brittany takes part in a rebellion against the royal capacity, during the regency of Anne de Beaujeu

In 1487, the French Army completes the tender of the kingdom and penetrates in Brittany. The places of Chateaubriant, Glazed, Ancenis and Clisson open with it. The French Army reaches Vannes: it is strong of 12.000 men. Ploërmel, which resists, is taken and put at bag. The royal army fails the head office of Nantes: the garrison and the population, helped by volunteers cornouaillais led by the merchant Michel Marion, of Rennes and guérandais, supported by mercenaries English, German and Dutch, the blockade breaks. The French Army must evacuate Cornwall where the peasants raise themselves. The baron de Rieux rejoins the camp of the duke and Vannes is released in March 1488

In 1488, the war begins again, and on July 28th, 1488, takes place the Bataille of Saint-Aubin of Cormier. The French Army, strong of its Swiss mercenaries and an artillery actuated by Italian and Swiss specialists, takes cities and castles. After the catch of Ferns, the battle of Saint-Aubin of Cormier opposes the army of the duke of Brittany, of 11  500 men, with the French Army of 15  000 men. The royal victory is decisive.

  • August 1488: François II must accept the Traité Orchard, signed on August 19th, 1488. The duke commits himself moving away from the duchy the princes and all the foreigners who had mixed with the war against the king of France; he will not marry his daughters without the opinion and the approval of king de France  ; Malo saint, Ferns, Dinan and Saint-Aubin are given in guarantee to the king of which the rights on the ducal succession are reserved for the case where the duke would die without male child.

  • September 1488: the duke François II dies of a fall of horse. In thirty years spite of policy of independence, the reign of François II leads to a failure. The Breton army was weakened by the double game of several of its chiefs, in particular at the borders. The middle-class although activates, the administration, although correctly organized, could not sufficient release means to counter more strong France.

  • 1490 : Anne Marie by procuration with Maximilien of Austria, which causes a new war with the king of France. Charles VIII makes recognize the nullity of this marriage in accordance with the treaty of 1488, and marries Anne in 1491 at the request of this one which refused to be plain with others that the king.

Modern time

  • 1498 : Louis XII breaks his own marriage with Jeanne de France to marry the duchess and queen dowager Anne, widow of Charles VIII.

  • 1514 : Claude of France, girl of Anne and Louis XII, inherits Brittany and wife François I {{er}}, in spite of the opposition of his/her mother, Anne, and after the death of the latter. It bequeaths the duchy to her husband.
  • 1524 : With his death, Francois, sons of Claude and François Ier, inherit the duchy. It is crowned in Rennes and is recognized duke under the name of François III, his father king François Ier preserving the usufruct of the duchy.
  • 1532 : union of the Brittany and the France required by the States of Brittany, the edict of union being preceded and being followed other documents:
    • the first document published is the Lettre of Valves in August,
    • it is followed signature of the Édit of Union between Brittany and France,
    • to reassure the Parliament, the king François I {{er}} confirms the privileges of Brittany by the Édit of Plessis-Macé in September.

  • 1536 : François III dies, well before his father. His/her Henri brother succeeds to him like dolphin of the kingdom of France and duke of Brittany, but will not be crowned.

  • 1547: The Henri dolphin-duke goes up on the throne of France under the name of Henri II. Any allusion to a duke of Brittany disappears, but the special fiscal and lawful advantages remain, defended by the States of Brittany against the royal encroachments.

  • 1590-1598 War of the League: Of the chief of his wife the countess of Penthièvre, the duke of Mercœur (governor of Brittany) ambitionne to be made proclaim duke of Brittany and is combined with the king Philippe II of Spain. This one has other sights and thinks of installing his/her Isabelle daughter (downward elder of Anne, Claude and the Valois last) with the head of a duchy of Brittany reconstituted. Henri IV brings Mercœur, scrambled with Philippe II, with a honourable tender. It is the last Member of a league to be joined, which allows

  • in 1598 the signature of the Édit of Nantes, which definitively pacifies France at the end of the wars of religion
  • 1675: Revolt of the stamped paper: the Breton cities unite with the revolt of Bordeaux in spring, and the red Bonnets of Cornwall follow in summer. The revolt is repressed by the duke of Chaulnes.

The insurrectionists were in contact with Holland and awaited helps which did not come. Repression is wild. Hundreds the Breton ones are hung or coiled. Sebastien Balp, one of the chiefs of the insurrection is fortuitously assassinated blow of sword by the marquis de Montgaillard, noble of Languedoc, former colonel of the French Army to the Champagne regiment, chief of the reaction of the nobility against the popular insurrection, which was then prisoner of the Red Bonnets. Madam de Sévigné told in its letter dated January 5th, 1675 with Mrs. de Grignan, her daughter, that French soldiers in garrison in Rennes spit a Breton child to roast it! : " They have fun to fly; they reflect the other day a small child with the pin! ". A street of Rennes is evacuated of its inhabitants, and partially demolished.

  • 1720 : Conspiracy of Pontcallec: members of the minor nobility, in contact with Spain, carry out a anti-tax rising against the Regent, Philippe of Orleans. The marquis de Pontcallec and six others entreated are stopped, considered and carried out on the place of Bouffay in Nantes on the order of the abbot Dubois, minister.

  • August 4th, 1789, known as “Night of August 4th”: in Paris, the constituent Assembly unanimously proclaims the abolition of all the feudal privileges, which includes those of the provinces, partly on the initiative of the Breton deputies and angevins of the Breton Club. Brittany “province considered foreign” thus loses its legal existence, its autonomy, its Parliament, and its characteristics administrative, tax and legal, guaranteed by the edict of Union of 1532. This decision is one of the causes of the Chouannerie.

The cutting of Brittany in department S, in 1790, recuts the existing division of the province into présidiaux. Évêché and the Présidial of coinciding Nantes about, the Loire-Inférieure takes again of it almost exactly the influence except for some installations, in particular at its southern border on the separating Marches between Brittany and Poitou. The definition of the Morbihan is done without difficulty on medium term between the limits of the présidial and those of évêché of Valves, this city while remaining naturally the chief town. The Finistere is established on the présidial of Quimper a little improved, in spite of the counter-projects of the deputies Brest-native who claimed to obtain the chief town around a Finistere entirety or reduced to his northern half. Large the présidial of Rennes inherited old the Domnonée is divided between Saint-Brieuc and Rennes. The departments of the Coast-of-North and Ille-et-Vilaine which results by it are rounded at the expense of their neighbors. A rough negotiation between cities ruins the project of a department around Saint-Malo. NB: the présidiaux ones were them-even resulting from the evolution of the medieval Baillage S.

Contemporary time

In 1870 bursts the scandal of the Camp of Conlie, where an army raised to Brittany, which making fear at the French government, was abandoned under terrible sanitary arrangements.

Movements separatists and freedom fighters develop at the end of the 19th century and at the 20th century, never not obtaining a strong audience (see the article Emsav ). In the number, some take terrorist actions . During the Second world war, the organized, very weak regionalistic movement and half-compartment of the population, collaborates with the occupant Nazi. Maquis (of which the Maquis of Saint-Marcel) organize themselves in Brittany, and play a crucial role at the time of the Libération, in 1944.

Following a movement initiated since 1917, with the " areas Clémentel " (to see the article concerning historical Brittany), in 1941, the French State decides the creation of the administrative areas. A named area administrative Brittany appears, which takes again the four-fifths of the territory of the old province, the Loire-Atlantique being excluded. This exclusion makes debate.

Brittany of post-war period faces a rural migration and to a massive emigration, because of a general underdevelopment of the infrastructures and economic fabric. In 1950, under the impulse of local politicians, CELIB (Study committee and of connections of the Breton interests) is created. Quickly, this movement succeeds in federating the whole of the Breton political clouts and exerting an active lobbying at the State to obtain the means of opening-up, with in particular the installation of the Plan Breton truck driver. Brittany leaves there deeply transformed.

Years 1950 and 1960 see appearing a musical and cultural movement which takes part in the popularity of Brittany, by the creation and the development of the Bagad where, the revival of the Kan ha diskan , the revival of the Celtic toothing-stone and the Breton fight, of new experiments of Enseignement of Breton the at the school. In the years 1970, the singer and musician Alan Stivell become an international reference, participant in a new perception of Brittany by Breton themselves and theBreton ones (see the article " Breton Music ").

In the Sixties, EDF builds an experimental nuclear plant with Brennilis, in the Monts of Arrée, exploited jointly by EDF and ECA. Stopped since 1985, it is in dismantling (déconstruction) since 1997 and should be completely déconstruite in 2016. It is the first case of dismantling of nuclear plant in France.

In March 1972, the workmen of the “French Joint”, a factory of Saint-Brieuc, strike to obtain a pay rise. The strike lasts eight weeks.

March 16th, 1978, the Amoco Cadiz makes shipwreck to a few hundred meters of the shore of the small port of Portsall in Ploudalmézeau. It follows an oil slick which very seriously pollutes the coasts of the north and the North-West of Brittany.

In February and March 1980, the population of Plogoff, commune of the Point of the Strong current, is opposed to the establishment of a nuclear plant on its commune, in spite of the sending of a police force charged to protect the building site. The protest receives a broad media support in France and Europe. The project of power station is abandoned after the presidential elections of 1981.

See too

Related articles

  • Economy of historical Brittany
  • List of historians of Brittany

External bonds

  • Ti Istor Breizh - House of the History of Brittany
  • Istor Breizh - History of Brittany
  • Gwalarn-Istor Breizh - History of Brittany
  • Levrioù Istor Breizh - biblio. History of Brittany
  • Pontig-Istor Breizh - Sources of the History of Brittany
  • Personelezh Breizh- Identity of Brittany
  • rear Ofis brezhoneg - Office of the Breton language
  • Keleier Breizh - Brittany Agency Presses
  • An Tan Turn Dorioù Breizh - Breton Gate
  • Sevenadur Breizh - Breton Culture
  • Dorioù Breizh - Breton Gate
  • Dorioù Breizh - Breton Gate - E saozneg - in english
  • Géographie of Brittany - geographical and cartographic gate Breton
  • Manuscrit of Leyde
  • electronic Dossiers of the general Inventory. Architectural heritage and furniture in Brittany

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