Breizh Atao

Home Forum News Photos Products About us Contact

The
Embassy
of

Brittany

History

Language

Dictionnary

Identity
Celts I
Celts II
Tourism
Investment
Business
Retirement
Health
Sports
Meteo
News
Shops
Souvenirs

HISTORYY
prominent dates of the Breton history

Before

???

Palaeolithic Era until to 5000BC

A population, without sparse doubt, resides the Armoric.

Mesolithic Age (5000-3500 BC )

The told race « of Téviec» resides the south coast.

Neolithic Age (3500-1500 BC )

A new people appears in Armoric, come from the Mediterranean, without doubt by the Iberian peninsula.
They introduce a new religion and new funeral customs.
The civilisation of megaliths: during 2 000 years, these monuments are going to cover the ground of the peninsula.
To 3000: construction of the tumulus of Saint Michel to Carnac.
To 2000: construction of the tumulus of Kerméné, in Guidel (statue of the goddess - mother). Alignments of Carnac date this period.

(see Stonehenge)

Bronze Age (1500-625 BC )

The introduction of the metal opens the mining period. The tin, indispensable to the manufacture of the bronze, abounds in Armoric and in Great Britain: ships come, fort far, to seek it in these countries. Corbilo (Saint -Nazaire) is the main port where arrives the tin of the Cornwall and the neighbour region of Piriac.
Iberian boats insure some the transportation until the Mediterranean.

(see Beaker Culture)

Iron Age (625-56 BC)

Since the year 1000 BC, Celts arrive in Occident and, little by little, demonstrate in Armoric.
However, 'Osismes' and 'Vénètes' occupy the west and the south of the peninsula, not the East of the Armoric, that feebly undergone the Celt influence. On the other hand, Celts would have better implanted to 11th century BC.

(More about these strange people...)

Roman Conquest (56-43 BC)

56: Revolt and naval defeat of the 'Vénètes'.
52: Armoricans participate in the revolt and to the defeat of Vercingétorix. Beginnings of the Gallo-Roman Armoric. In the island of Brittany
55: First expedition of Caesar.
43: Southern conquest of the island (Brittany).

(More about these poor Romans...)

1st century BC

In the island of Brittany
61: Revolt of the queen Boudicca.
84: Expedition of Agricola.

IInd-IIIrd-IVth centuries

First trace of some Christianity in Great Britain to the IIIrd century.
The Heresy of Pélage.
257-273: the Armoricans participates in the Gallic Empire of Tétricus. They spreads there at the end of the IVth century.

Vth - VIth centuries

Briton emigration in Armoric
429 and 447: Saint Germain trip to Auxerre, and Saint Loup in Great Britain.
The invasion of the island by Celts from England and Cornwall chased by Saxons is already begun since Saint Germain, ancient Roman officer, contributes to make achieve on them the victory of the Alleluia.
To 450: first trace of some Christianity in Armoric.
461: a bishop of Breton of Armoric, Mansuetus, assists the Council of Tours.
The emigration is therefore already important enough. It will continue all to the long of the Vth and VIth century.
Britons escaping ahead the victorious Saxon installation.

VIIth - VIIIth centuries

Period of independent principalities.
Reign then,
in Cornouaille: Gradlon, Reith, Miliaw, Riwod, Budik;
in Domnonée: Riwal, Deroch, lona, Conomor, Judual;
in Bro-Werek: Warok 1st, Konoo, Warok II.

IX century

The unity of Brittany.
818-822: Morvan Lez Breiz (Hip of Brittany) holds head to Louis the Debonair.
822-825: Gwiomarc'h continues the work of Morvan.
825-841: Nominoë governs Brittany in the name of the Emperor.
841: revolt of Nominoë.
845: History of Ballon. Charles the Bald is beaten by Nominoë.
846: new victory of Nominoë. Charles the Bald recognises the independence of Brittany: Nominoë, king.
7 March 851: Nominoë dies in Vendôme, then, that having conquered the Maine and the Anjou he walked in direction of the river Seine.
851-857: reign of Erispoë. He is recognised sovereign king by Charles the Bald.
857: assassination of Erispoë.
863: treaty of Entrammes: Charles the Bald recognises to Brittany a part of the Anjou.
868: treaty of Compiègne: the Emperor abandons to Brittany the country of Avranches and the Cotentin.
868-888: dynastic quarrels between houses of Nantes and Rennes.
875: Gurvan repels Norsemen under Rennes.
888: defeat of Norsemen to Questembert.
888-907: reign of Alain 1st the Great.

Xth century

After 907: Norsemen ravage Brittany.
To 931: John, abbot of Landévennec, returns Montreuil-sur-Mer to Brittany. He is followed by Alain Barbe Torte, who secures Nantes.
937: Alain II Barbe Torte, duke of Brittany. Victory of Kerlouan on Norsemen.
1st August 939: victory of Trans on Norsemen.
944: defeat of Dol.
952: death of the duke Alain II.
952-958: reign of the duke Drogon.
958-992: rivalry between houses of Nantes and Rennes. Conan 1st the Wrong, count of Rennes; Hoël, then Judicaël to Nantes.

XIth century

House of Rennes
992-1008: Geoffroi 1st, son of Conan the Wrong, duke of Brittany.
1008-1040: Alain III.
1040-1066: Conan II. The Bretons participate in the conquest of England.
House of Cornouaille
1066-1084: Hoël.

XIIth century

1084-1112: Alain IV Fergent. Guillaume Le Conquérant invades Brittany, but has to escape (1086).
1112-1148: Conan III.
1148-1156: quarrels of succession between �‰on of Porhoët, Hoël and Conan.
1156-1166: Conan IV the Small.
1158: Henry II Plantagenêt, king of England invades Brittany and submits it. Conan IV has to abdicate.
House of Plantagenêt
1166-1182: English domination. Henry II.
1182-1186: Geoffroi II son of Henry II, duke of Brittany.
1186-1203: Arthur I, son of Geoffroi II, duke of Brittany, under the regency of his mother Constance.

XIIIth century

April 1203: Arthur 1st is captive at the siege of Mirebeau, while he combated 'Jean Sans-Terre', his uncle, to make cost his rights to the crown of England, he is assassinated in a dungeon of Rouen.
1203-1213: Alix of Thouars, duchess of Brittany.
House of Dreux.
1203-1341: The Ermine appears as the herald of Brittany. Period of prosperity. Five dukes : Pierre the lst; Jean the 1st; Jean the 2nd; Arthur the 2nd; Jean the 3rd.
House Capétienne
1213-1237: Peter 1st Mauclerc, spouse of Alix of Thouars, duke of Brittany, struggle against his feudal and against the clergy. Saint Louis invades Brittany, he is beaten.

XIVth century

1237-1286: John 1st the Redhead.
1286-1305: John II.
1305-1312: Arthur II.
1312-1341: John III Good.
1341-1364: war of succession of Brittany.
Two pretenders: John of Montfort, son of Arthur II and stepbrother of John III; Charles of Blois, husband of Jeanne of Penthièvre, granddaughter of Arthur II by his father Guy of Penthièvre, brother of John III. 1343: John of Montfort captured, is liberated little after.
During his detention, his woman, Jeanne the Flame, defends victoriously Hennebont against Charles of Blois.
An English army comes to the help of Montfort. A truce, signed at Malestroit for three years, is broken little after.
1344: Charles of Blois, to the head of a French army, takes Quimper.
1345: John of Montfort disembarks with an English army, he can not resume Quimper and dies little after.
1346: Charles of Blois is beaten and captive fact to the Peter Derrien.
26 March 1351: combat of the 'Trente' (30).
1352: victory of English at Mauron. Du Guesclin at the service of Charles of Blois.
1363: John of Montfort, second of the name, disembarks in Brittany with an army.
29 September 1364: John of Montfort, victor to Auray. Charles of Blois is killed.
12 April 1365: John of Montfort is recognised duke of Brittany by the peace of Guérande (John IV).
House of Montfort
1365-1399: reign of John IV the Conqueror. Under the French pressure, the duke has to exile 1373 to 1379.
He returns triumphantly in Brittany in 1379.

XVth century

1399-1442: reign of John V the Sage. War against English. Bretons, in 1405, send an army of help to their Welsh brothers, in struggle against English. Particularly favourable reign to arts. Notre-Dame of the Kreisker, Our Lady of Folgoët, the church of 'Saint - du - Doigt' and many others are constructed in this period.
1442-1450: François 1st. New struggle with English.
1450-1457: Peter II the Simple.
1457-1458: Arthur III the Justicier.
1458-1488: François II. War against France (League of the 'Bien Public' against Louis XI).
8 February 1486: States of Brittany recognise rights of Anne, daughter of François II to succeed his father. French invasion.
28 July 1488: defeat of Saint -Aubin-de-Cormier.
10 August 1488: treaty 'du Verger'. The duke recognises to have the homage liege to the king of France and authorises the call of justice courses to the Parliament of Paris.
9 September 1488: death of François II.
1488-1514: Anne, duchess.
1491: she marries Charles Vlll, king of France.
1498: death of Charles VIII.
1499: Anne marries Louis XII, king of France, in Nantes, the union remains personal.

XVIth century

1514-1524: Claude of France, daughter of Anne of Brittany, duchess.
1524-1532: François III, dolphin of France, duke of Brittany.
1532: treaty of Union, end of the Breton independence. 4 August: States of Sluices vote clauses of the Union. September: edict of the Plessis-Macé, by which François 1st, king of France, ratifies clauses of the Union.
1588-1598: wars of the League in Brittany, revolt of Mercoeur.

XVIIth - XVIIIth century

1675: told revolt of the 'Papier timbré'(Stamped Paper), to Rennes and in low Bretagne. �‰poque of Breton corsairs.
1718: revolt of Pontkallek.
1758: English landing to Cancale and to Saint Cast.
1764-1774: affair of the Parliament of Brittany, in open rebellion against the royal power.
1789: 4 August abolition of privileges. In spite the very numerous mentions focused on notebooks of grievances requesting the maintenance of liberties conceded by the treaty of Union, these frankness are abolished.
1790: 6 September: suppression of the Parliament. The viscount of Botherel, proxy - syndic of States, pupil in vain a protest solemn. End of the autonomy of Brittany.
1792-1793: royalist conspiracy of the Rouërie (the Breton Association).
1793-1799: the chouannerie.
1795: landing and defeat of them emigrated to Quiberon.

XIXth century

1804: conspiracy of Cadoudal.
1821: publication of the dictionary celto - Breton of Le Gonidec.
1839: publication of the Barzaz Breiz of The Villemarqué. These two last date mark the beginning of the Breton Rebirth.
1870: constitution of the Army of Brittany that is abandoned then without arms in the mud of the camp of Conlie by fear that this is an army of chouans.
1898: foundation of the Breton Regional Union (Kevrenn Broadel Breiz).

XXth century

1901: foundation of the Gorsedd of Bards.
1914-1918: Great War, 300 000 Breton killed.
1919: the marquis of the Estourbeillon, with the approval of the marshal Foch and bishops of Brittany, advertising, to the opportunity of the treaty of peace, the renewal of the treaty of Union of 1532 and the possibility for Brittany to express in international conferences.
1925: Creation of the modern flag the " Gwenn ha Du ", meaning White and Black.
1930: foundation of the Breton national Party.
1932: the Monument representing Duchess Anne kneeling to the king of France as token of submission, is blown up in Rennes, by the clandestine organisation " Gwenn ha Du ".
1940: proclamation, to Pontivy, a Breton national Council, decided to act in a separatist senses.
1940-1945: resistance of Brittany to the Nazi occupation. An advisory board of Brittany is constituted by the government Pétain. The Vichy Government cuts the "département de Loire Atlantique" off Brittany.
But Brittany signals by his heroism and his spirit of resistance.
1945-1965: considerable development of the folk movement: Celtic Circles, Kevrennou, Breton reviews.
1958: the French constitution rules out the Breton language, only the French can be used in France...
1961: agricultural social movements. The Movement of Organisation of Brittany (M.O.B. ) directs manifestations against the government.
1961-2001: social movements seen as crimes by the French authorities.

1996 Creation of the Embassy of Brittany in Great Britain.
2011: you are reading this page... and social movements are still seen as crimes by the French authorities.

XXIst century

2020 : ???

This page has been made from the excellent work of Mr Bernard BAILLY

Brittany today:

Legal
All wording, all pictures are copyrighted JPR Kraffe �2011 @IDDN.
No copy without prior authorization

The Embassy of

Brittany

The
Embassy
of