History of Brittany Explaned

Bretons... If anyone does not know, that people belongs to the Celts. At first glance the people inhabited in the British Isles, but they were pressed by the Angles and Saxons there. In the period of the great migration German people migrated massively where one's feet would take one, and one of these places were the British Isles. It is why the unlucky delegation of the Celtic population had to move across the Channel to the mainland. There fellows occupied vast territories along the strait. The next wave of migration to the continent occurred in the 9th century and the fellows were already the baptized Brits. That time laid a legend of several Celtic saints. After the borders of feudal Europe began to be drawn in the Middle Ages, Brittany became divided into some kingdoms: Domnonee, Cornouai, and Bro Waroc'h. Two former were named after the territories, from where the people inhabiting this lands came, and the third was named in honor of one stern fellow, a leader of the Bretons that time.

These some provinces were subsequently united into the Duchy of Brittany. This duchy was located near the Norman duchy, so during the Norman conquest of England, the Bretons took a direct part in the campaign of William the Conqueror. And after the conquest, many of the Bretons received bonuses and presents in the form of rich land allotments and every sorts of titles. In 1166, the Duchy of Brittany became the issue of a dispute among some great powers such as England and Kingdom of France, and shortly after lost its sovereignty. In the 14th century, the Duchy of Brittany regained its sovereignty, but still attracted great interest from outside its borders.

Anna of Brittany, who received her post of duchess in 1488, became the last ruler of the independent Brittany. Despite the peace agreement, signed by the ruler of England Henry VII and German emperor Maximilian I to aid the duchy, the French king Charles VIII forced Anna to marry him, taking all the land of Brittany. After his sudden death, Anna quickly proclaimed the sovereignty of the duchy, but shortly after was forced to marry the next French ruler, Louis XII. After her death, provoked by kidney stones, her heart was transferred to the chapel of Nantes, and the duchy lost all hope of regaining the sovereignty.