A BRIEF HISTORY OF BRITTANY

Compiled By Judy Drew

.

ANCIENT AMOR

B.C

Peninsula inhabited by little known people who erect Megaliths

600

Arrival of the Celts who call the peninsula AMOR (the country of the sea)

56

Caesar destroys the fleet of the Veneti tribe, conquers Amor and for the next 4 centuries, Roman civilization does its work

A.D.

Barbarian invasion returns the province to near savagery

460

Immigration of the British Celts who are driven from Britain by the Angels and the Saxons. Over the next 2 centuries, the Celts convert the area to Christianity and rename the peninsula LITTLE BRITAIN

799

Charlemagne subjugates Brittany

.

THE DUCHY OF BRITTANY

826

Louis the Pious creates Nominoe of Vannes Duke of Brittany.
Nomino brings all Brittany under his authority and defeats Charles the Bold near Redon, ending Frankish suzerainty. He founds independent Duke Dynasty which lasts for over a century.

851

Erispoe (son of Nominoe) takes the title King of Brittany. He is assassinated by his cousin Salomon who reigns from 857. He extends Brittany to include Anjou and Cotentin. Salomon was assassinated in 874

919

Norseman invade. The area is subject to violent robbery, rape and pillage.

939

King Alain Barb-Tort drives out the Normans

952

King Alain Barb-Tort dies. Local nobles defy his successors and the peninsula returns to disorder and poverty which lasts nearly into the 14th century

1066

William the Conqueror invades England

1215

The Mangna Carta is signed

1337

Start of the Hundred year war, ending in 1453

1341

The War of Succession begins on the death of Duke Jean de Monfort III. Jean ne de Penthiévre, wife of Charles of Blois, supported by the French fights her brother Jean de Monfort, ally of the English for the Duchy

1364

Charles of Blois defeated and killed at Auray. Brittany is ruined once again by war.

.

THE MONTFORTS

1364
to
1468

The house of Montfort restores Brittany and there follows a brilliant period. The arts flourish and the Dukes pay homage to France in theory only. They are regarded as sovereigns. Constable de Richemont, the companion in arms to Joan of Arc, succeeds his brother as Duke of Brittany

1483

Duke Francois II who has entered into the coalition against the regent of France is defeated at St Aubin du Cormieu and dies. His daughter Anne of Brittany succeeders him.

.

BRITTANY REUNITES WITH FRANCE

1491

Anne of Brittany marries Charles VIII but remains Duchess and sovereign of Brittany

1499

Charles VIII dies and Anne returns to the Duchy

1499

Louis XII repudiates his wife and marries Anne of Brittany, who remains Duchess of Brittany, which remains separate from France

1514

Anne of Brittany dies and is succeeded by her daughter Claude of France. She marries Francois of Angoulmême, later Francois I of France

1532

Claude cedes her Duchy to Francois I who has this permanent reunion of Brittany and France ratified at the Parliament of Vannes

.

FRENCH BRITTANY

1588

Brittany rebels against its Governor, The Duke of Mercoer, who attempting to profit from the League tries to seize the province. Bandits like the famous La Fontenelle ravage the country

1598

Henry IV ends religious strife by issuing the Edit of Nantes.

1675

Stamped Paper Revolt. Colbert decreed all legal transactions should take place on stamped paper. The revolt was suppressed with great violence. Pont L'Abbe suffered greatly, its castle was pillaged.

1711

The Revolution draws near. The Rennes Parliament and its Public Prosecutor, La Chalotais oppose Governor Aiguillon.

1773

Birth of Surcouf the Breton Pirate

.

.

1793

Thousands drowned in the River Loire near Nantes by Carrier. Nantes had many Royalists. Carrier was guillotined for his brutality in December 1793

1793
to
1804

The Laws against Priests and the punitive Mass Levies give rise to the Chouannerie revolt of Breton Royalists.

1795

The landing at Quiberon of Royalist exiles is defeated

1804

Cadoudal who tried to revive the Chouannerie is executed.

1832

The Duchess of Berry attempts to organise a revolt which fails.

1909

Strikes & riots with the cannery workers at Concarneau

1914
to
1918

The First World War. Brittany pays a heavy price as denoted on every village war memorial

.

MODERN BRITTANY

1927

Le Brix an aviator from Morbihan, accompanied by Costes are the first to fly around the world.

1942

Anglo-Canadian commandos raid the submarine base at St Nazaire

1944
to
1945

The end of the second world war and the German occupation. A trail of devastation is left across Brittany, with Brest, Lorient & St Nazaire almost razed to the ground.

1951

The organisation of the Comité d' Etudes et de Liasons des Interests Bretons (CELIB) is formed to safeguard the Breton interests. This is the first step to the rejuvenation of the Breton economy

1962

The fist transatlantic transmission by satellite of a television signal from the station at Pleumeur-Bodou

1966

The Rance tidal power station and the Arreé Mountains nuclear power stations are opened.

1967

The Torrey Canyon, an oil tanker runs aground off the English coast and contaminates the Brittany beaches.

1970

The creation of the Armorique National Park

1975

Oil exploration in the Iroise Sea of the Finistere coast.

1985

Brittany introduces bi-lingual road signs in French & Breton languages

1994

The Law Courts at Rennes, the home of the Breton Parliament are burned to the ground by rioting French fishermen

Celtic Link

The Breton Flag
A relatively recent design by Morvan Marchall in 1926. Its Breton name is Gwenn (white) ha du(black). The 5 black stripes representing areas of east or upper Brittany and the 4 white stripes representing areas of the west or lower Brittany

.	ANCIENT AMOR
B.C	Peninsula inhabited by little known people who erect Megaliths
600	Arrival of the Celts who call the peninsula AMOR (the country of the sea)
56	Caesar destroys the fleet of the Veneti tribe, conquers Amor and for the next 4 centuries, Roman civilization does its work
A.D.	Barbarian invasion returns the province to near savagery
460	Immigration of the British Celts who are driven from Britain by the Angels and the Saxons. Over the next 2 centuries, the Celts convert the area to Christianity and rename the peninsula LITTLE BRITAIN
799	Charlemagne subjugates Brittany
.	THE DUCHY OF BRITTANY
826	Louis the Pious creates Nominoe of Vannes Duke of Brittany. Nomino brings all Brittany under his authority and defeats Charles the Bold near Redon, ending Frankish suzerainty. He founds independent Duke Dynasty which lasts for over a century.
851	Erispoe (son of Nominoe) takes the title King of Brittany. He is assassinated by his cousin Salomon who reigns from 857. He extends Brittany to include Anjou and Cotentin. Salomon was assassinated in 874
919	Norseman invade. The area is subject to violent robbery, rape and pillage.
939	King Alain Barb-Tort drives out the Normans
952	King Alain Barb-Tort dies. Local nobles defy his successors and the peninsula returns to disorder and poverty which lasts nearly into the 14th century
1066	William the Conqueror invades England
1215	The Mangna Carta is signed
1337	Start of the Hundred year war, ending in 1453
1341	The War of Succession begins on the death of Duke Jean de Monfort III. Jean ne de Penthiévre, wife of Charles of Blois, supported by the French fights her brother Jean de Monfort, ally of the English for the Duchy
1364	Charles of Blois defeated and killed at Auray. Brittany is ruined once again by war.
.	THE MONTFORTS
1364 to 1468	The house of Montfort restores Brittany and there follows a brilliant period. The arts flourish and the Dukes pay homage to France in theory only. They are regarded as sovereigns. Constable de Richemont, the companion in arms to Joan of Arc, succeeds his brother as Duke of Brittany
1483	Duke Francois II who has entered into the coalition against the regent of France is defeated at St Aubin du Cormieu and dies. His daughter Anne of Brittany succeeders him.
.	BRITTANY REUNITES WITH FRANCE
1491	Anne of Brittany marries Charles VIII but remains Duchess and sovereign of Brittany
1499	Charles VIII dies and Anne returns to the Duchy
1499	Louis XII repudiates his wife and marries Anne of Brittany, who remains Duchess of Brittany, which remains separate from France
1514	Anne of Brittany dies and is succeeded by her daughter Claude of France. She marries Francois of Angoulmême, later Francois I of France
1532	Claude cedes her Duchy to Francois I who has this permanent reunion of Brittany and France ratified at the Parliament of Vannes
.	FRENCH BRITTANY
1588	Brittany rebels against its Governor, The Duke of Mercoer, who attempting to profit from the League tries to seize the province. Bandits like the famous La Fontenelle ravage the country
1598	Henry IV ends religious strife by issuing the Edit of Nantes.
1675	Stamped Paper Revolt. Colbert decreed all legal transactions should take place on stamped paper. The revolt was suppressed with great violence. Pont L'Abbe suffered greatly, its castle was pillaged.
1711	The Revolution draws near. The Rennes Parliament and its Public Prosecutor, La Chalotais oppose Governor Aiguillon.
1773	Birth of Surcouf the Breton Pirate
.	.
1793	Thousands drowned in the River Loire near Nantes by Carrier. Nantes had many Royalists. Carrier was guillotined for his brutality in December 1793
1793 to 1804	The Laws against Priests and the punitive Mass Levies give rise to the Chouannerie revolt of Breton Royalists.
1795	The landing at Quiberon of Royalist exiles is defeated
1804	Cadoudal who tried to revive the Chouannerie is executed.
1832	The Duchess of Berry attempts to organise a revolt which fails.
1909	Strikes & riots with the cannery workers at Concarneau
1914 to 1918	The First World War. Brittany pays a heavy price as denoted on every village war memorial
.	MODERN BRITTANY
1927	Le Brix an aviator from Morbihan, accompanied by Costes are the first to fly around the world.

1942	Anglo-Canadian commandos raid the submarine base at St Nazaire
1944 to 1945	The end of the second world war and the German occupation. A trail of devastation is left across Brittany, with Brest, Lorient & St Nazaire almost razed to the ground.
1951	The organisation of the Comité d' Etudes et de Liasons des Interests Bretons (CELIB) is formed to safeguard the Breton interests. This is the first step to the rejuvenation of the Breton economy
1962	The fist transatlantic transmission by satellite of a television signal from the station at Pleumeur-Bodou
1966	The Rance tidal power station and the Arreé Mountains nuclear power stations are opened.
1967	The Torrey Canyon, an oil tanker runs aground off the English coast and contaminates the Brittany beaches.
1970	The creation of the Armorique National Park
1975	Oil exploration in the Iroise Sea of the Finistere coast.
1985	Brittany introduces bi-lingual road signs in French & Breton languages
1994	The Law Courts at Rennes, the home of the Breton Parliament are burned to the ground by rioting French fishermen