The Battle of Conquereuil was fought on June 27, 992 AD between the
Bretons
The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celts, Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Common Brittonic, Brittonic speakers who emigrated from Dumnonia, southwestern Great Britain, par ...
under
Conan I, Duke of Brittany
Conan I (died 27 June 992) nicknamed ''Le Tort'' (The Crooked) was the Duke of Brittany from 990 to his death.
Life Count to Duke
Conan was the son of Judicael Berengar, succeeding his father as Count of Rennes in 970.
Conan assumed the title ...
and the
Angevins under
Fulk the Black
Fulk III, the Black ( 987–1040; fro, Foulque Nerra), was an early count of Anjou celebrated as one of the first great builders of medieval castles. It is estimated Fulk constructed approximately 100 castles, along with abbeys throughout the Lo ...
.
Siege of Nantes
Duke Conan had the Breton city of
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
under siege, when he learned that Fulk was marching with an army to relieve the city. Conan raised the siege and began marching his troops back in the direction of
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
to face Fulk.
Once Conan realized that his army could not outrun Fulk, Conan halted at
Conquereuil
Conquereuil (; br, Konkerel) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department
The following is a list of the 207 communes of the Loire-Atlantique departm ...
and prepared the battlefield, digging pits and ditches which were flooded by the water of nearby swamps and then hidden by covering them lightly with sod, and behind this prepared earthworks which had their flanks secured by the swamps.
Uncertain Outcomes
The Angevins attacked, and Breton troops lured the Angevin knights into the flooded pits by feigning flight. The Bretons then counterattacked and drove the Angevins back in disarray. The Bretons apparently considered the battle won, but this was premature. Fulk reorganized his army, attacked the Bretons again, and routed them, killing Conan in the process.
Another version of the story suggests that the Breton counterattack was successful and drove the Angevins back in disarray. In the midst of a Breton pursuit, Conan removed his armour because it was hot, and some Angevin knights in a wood saw him, charged the unarmoured duke, and killed him, turning the battle decisively in the favor of the Angevins.
Notes
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conquereuil, Battle of
992
Battles involving France
10th century in France
990s conflicts
Battles of the Middle Ages
Battles in Pays de la Loire
History of Loire-Atlantique
Military history of Brittany