The first treaty of Guérande, signed on 12 April 1365, ended the

Breton War of Succession The War of the Breton Succession (, ) was a conflict between the Counts of Blois and the Montforts of Brittany for control of the Sovereign Duchy of Brittany, then a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was fought between 1341 and 12 April ...

. In this war, two heirs of

John III, Duke of Brittany John III ''the Good'' (in Breton ''Yann III'', in French ''Jean III''; 8 March 128630 April 1341) was Duke of Brittany, from 1312 to his death and 5th Earl of Richmond from 1334 to his death. He was the son of Arthur II, Duke of Brittany, and h ...

disputed each other's claim to be

Duke of Brittany This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...

. Joanna de Penthievre and her husband

Charles de Blois Charles of Blois-Châtillon (131929 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalist Duke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage to Joan, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Penthièvre, holding the title against the cl ...

were supported by the King Charles V of France in the contest against

John of Montfort John of Montfort ( xbm, Yann Moñforzh, french: Jean de Montfort) (1295 – 26 September 1345,Etienne de Jouy. Œuvres complètes d'Etienne Jouy'. J. Didot Ainé. p. 373. Château d'Hennebont), sometimes known as John IV of Brittany, and 6th E ...

, his son John IV and their English allies. Montfort died during the war after a period of imprisonment. Charles de Blois died in the

Battle of Auray The Battle of Auray took place on 29 September 1364 at the Breton-French town of Auray. This battle was the decisive confrontation of the Breton War of Succession, a part of the Hundred Years' War. In the battle, which began as a siege, a Bre ...

in 1364, which decided the war. While John IV and his English allies won a military victory, this treaty was viewed as a diplomatic victory for the French. John V won the undisputed right to rule as Duke of Brittany. Joanna de Penthievre was permitted to retain the title Duchess of Brittany for the remainder of her life (her title was transformed into a titulary). Joanna was also permitted to retain her title of Countess of Penthièvre with full rights.

Subsequent Events

In 1381, after the death of King

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

there was a second Treaty of Guérande. It was signed between

John V John V may refer to: * Patriarch John V of Alexandria or John the Merciful (died by 620), Patriarch of Alexandria from 606 to 616 * John V of Constantinople, Patriarch from 669 to 675 * Pope John V (685–686), Pope from 685 to his death in 686 * J ...

and King

Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...

. This treaty confirmed Brittany's neutrality in continuing military conflicts between France and England, it granted Joanna de Penthièvre a pension, and it established that if the

House of Montfort House of Montfort was a medieval French noble house that eventually found its way to the Kingdom of England and originated the famous Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester; although his father Simon de Monfort the Elder, leader of the French ...

failed to produce a male heir to the Dukedom, the senior most male heir of Joanna de Penthièvre would become Duke of Brittany. It had been the insistence by the House of Montfort on male inheritance to the Ducal crown that was at the center of their dispute with Joanna of Penthièvre. This provision settled the rights of inheritance to the Ducal crown of Brittany. However, before any member of the House of Penthièvre could benefit from it, the ducal crown was merged into the crown of France. The provision was likely moot because of the events of 1420. In 1420, descendants of Joanna of Penthièvre, attempted to regain the Duchy by imprisoning

. The imprisonment failed and upon his release, the Duke forced the surrender of Penthièvre to the Ducal crown, thereby ending one aspect of the Treaty of 1365 meant to favor Joanna and her descendants.

References

1365 in England 1360s in France Military history of Brittany Guerande Guerande (1365) Treaties of the Hundred Years' War War of the Breton Succession {{France-hist-stub

Subsequent Events

See also

References