The sieges of Vannes of 1342 were a series of four sieges of the town of

Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who live ...

that occurred throughout 1342. Two rival claimants to the

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean t ...

, John of Montfort and

Charles of 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 c ...

, competed for Vannes throughout this

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

from 1341 to 1365. The successive sieges ruined Vannes and its surrounding countryside. Vannes was eventually sold off in a

truce A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...

between

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, signed in January 1343 in

Malestroit Malestroit (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department of Brittany in north-western Francebr>INSEE commune fileThe town is on the river Oust and part of the Nantes-Brest canal. It has several half-timbered houses. Twinning Malestroit, whose i ...

. Saved by an appeal of

Pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Bl ...

, Vannes remained in the hands of its own rulers, but ultimately resided under English control from September 1343 till the end of the war in 1365.

Context

In the beginning of the 14th century, the Sovereign

was culturally close to Celtic portions of the British Isles and this made it part of a sphere of economic influence with England, to which it supplied salt. In the 12th century, the Plantagenets reigned Brittany and the House of Anjou benefited from conflicts between the counties of Nantes and the Dukes of Brittany, taking control of the Duchy by 1156. Between 1189 and 1204, the Plantagenet Richard Ist the Lionheart and then his brother,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

opposed attempts for

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

's autonomy, and increased a crisis which culminated in the alleged murder of

Arthur of Brittany Arthur I ( br, Arzhur 1añ; french: link=no, Arthur 1er de Bretagne) (29 March 1187 – presumably 1203) was 4th Earl of Richmond and Duke of Brittany between 1196 and 1203. He was the posthumous son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, and Const ...

. This was further complicated when

Philip II of France Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), byname Philip Augustus (french: Philippe Auguste), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks, but from 1190 onward, Philip became the first French m ...

managed to place Peter Mauclerc as Duke.

Competing ducal claimants in the 14th century

The

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 ...

, John III, died on 30 April 1341 without a direct heir or a will to declare his succession. Charles de Blois, husband of the niece of the late Duke Jeanne de Penthievre, and Jean de Montfort, half-brother of John III, both claimed the Duchy. In the larger geographical scheme, the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

itself was engaged in the Hundred Years' War. Blois therefore allied himself with the French, and Montfort with the English. The two pretenders decided to defer to royal judgement. Sensing that the judgment of the King of France would be in favor of Charles de Blois, his nephew, Jean de Montfort, did an about-face. He captured the Ducal home in Limoges and moved to Nantes, where he convened the nobility of Brittany for recognition as the Duke. This attempt failed – the Breton Barons did not come for fear of reprisals, so on 1 June he embarked on a tour throughout the Duchy to ensure control of strongholds. Vannes declared allegiance to him.

The year 1342

First siege

At the beginning of 1342, Charles de Blois appeared before the walls of Vannes, having looted and destroyed part of the suburbs outside the walls. The City Council began discussions with Charles, leading to the surrender of Vannes. Geoffrey of Malestroit, governor of the city, who had favoured Jean de Montfort.According to an older source (Joseph-Marie Le Led 'historical topography of the city of Vannes'', 1897), an attack took place on the eve of negotiations. This is after a truce, was decided, during which a decision to take Vannes was taken. escaped to

Hennebont Hennebont (; ) is a commune in the Morbihan department in the region of Brittany in north-western France. Geography Hennebont is situated about ten miles from the mouth of the River Blavet, which divides it into two parts: the ''Ville Close'' ...

while Charles de Blois entered Vannes. He stayed for five days before returning to

Carhaix Carhaix-Plouguer (; br, Karaez-Plougêr ), commonly known as just Carhaix (), is a commune in the French department of Finistère, region of Brittany, France.

Second siege

In October, Robert III d'Artois arrived in the Vannes district at the head of about 10,000 soldiers. At the same time, Joanna of Flanders, accompanied by

Walter Manny Walter Manny (or Mauny), 1st Baron Manny, KG (c. 1310 – 14 or 15 January 1372), soldier of fortune and founder of the Charterhouse, was from Masny in Hainault, from whose counts he claimed descent. He was a patron and friend of Froissart ...

, Guillaume of Cadoudal, Yves of Trésiguidy, a hundred men-at-arms, and a hundred archers, left Hennebont to join Artois. The assault on the ramparts of Vannes occurred on three sides by Artois,

and Treziguidy. The besiegers had to retreat in the face of resistance led by

Olivier IV de Clisson Olivier IV de Clisson (1300–1343), was a Breton people, Breton March (territory), Marche Lord and knight who became embroiled in the intrigue of Vannes and was subsequently executed by the King of France for perceived treason. He was the husba ...

. At night, Artois, accompanied by William Montagu, Earl of Salisbury, lit two fires in front of two of Vannes gates and attracted the city garrison there. During that time, a small group led by

and the Count of Quenfortalso named Kenfort attacked a section of the wall abandoned by the defenders. The troops made a racket to make it appear that Vannes had been invaded. Vannes' garrison was flanked, a part of the city's defenders managed to escape while the rest was massacred. The city then returned to the control of Monfort. A day after the capture of Vannes, Countess de Montfort arrived with her captains. She remained there for five days then returned to Hennebont with

, leaving Robert d'Artois in charge of the Anglo-Breton garrison. In turn, William Montagu and Yves de Trésiguidy went to Rennes.

Third siege

Clisson Clisson (; br, Klison), is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It is situated at the confluence of the Sèvre Nantaise and the Moine southeast of Nantes. The town and the celebrated ...

, who was absent during the capture of Vannes by Artois, was angered by the loss. Clisson raised about 12,600 men, in addition to those of Robert II of Beaumanoir, Marshal of Brittany, and headed towards Vannes. D'Artois did not have time to gather reinforcements and had to fight with the forces left to him in November. He could not prevent the loss of Vannes – troops from Blois entered the breaches that had occurred from the previous siege, that had not been repaired in time. Vannes was once again looted. During the siege, D'Artois received a wound from which he died some time after he was ferried to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

for treatment. Vannes was returned to the control of Blois.

Fourth siege

Learning of the loss of Vannes,

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...

decided to avenge D'Artois. He went in person to Brittany and laid siege to three towns ( Rennes,

and Nantes). At the same time, Louis of Spain and

Antonio Doria Antonio Doria (died 26 August 1346) was one of the leaders of Ghibellines and Genoa, who became an Admiral of France, in 1339. Biography Antonio Doria was one of the leaders of Ghibellines and Genoa, whilst Charles of Monaco was in the Guelph ...

, admirals of France at the head of one hundred galleys and thirty ships, attacked all vessels carrying arms and supplies to the English. After losing several ships, Edward III, dispersed his fleet in order to save it: a portion was sent to

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

and another to

. All English efforts were concentrated on the siege of Vannes that began on 5 December 1342. In a letter to his son, Edward described the city as "the best city in Brittany after the city of Nantes .. on the sea and well defended." Arriving before the ramparts, he launched an assault, which was resisted by the defenders for six hours. The besiegers settled in for the duration and therefore decided to systematically pillage the surroundings of Vannes. During one of the daily sorties by the besieged, Clisson was taken prisoner. On the English side, Ralph, Earl of Stafford, was also taken prisoner by the defenders of the city. Meanwhile, Philip VI of France assembled a 50,000-man army under the command of his son, the future

John II John II may refer to: People * John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455–1499) * John II Casimir Vasa of Poland (1609–1672) * John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch (died 1302) * John II Doukas of Thessaly (1303–1318) * John II Komnenos (1087–1 ...

. This army advanced into Brittany and halted near the town of

Ploërmel Church Saint-Armel Ploërmel (; ; Gallo language: ''Pieurmè'') is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, the former commune Monterrein was merged into Ploërmel. Character of the town The ...

Papal intervention

Two legates of

intervened, avoiding confrontation between the two armies: they obtained a three-year truce signed in Malestroit on 19 January 1343. The siege of Vannes was then lifted and the city was handed provisionally to the legates.

Aftermath

In accordance with the stipulations of the Treaty of Malestroit, signed in January 1343, Vannes was temporarily handed over to the Cardinal Legates of

pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens VI; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Bl ...

, who installed governors. For Philip VI, the decree of Conflans regulated the question of the succession of John III. The treaty was therefore, for the court of France and that of Rome, favourable to Charles de Blois. The legates therefore determined to subsequently give the fortress back to the King of France.

English occupation

The citizens of Vannes as well as the local clergy were however loyal to John de Montfort and drove out the Papal agents a few months after the signing of the treaty. English troops reoccupied the town in September 1343. They stayed there for the next twenty years, until the treaty of Guérande of 1365. Vannes Remparts Feteshisto2009

For Vannes, the occupation marked a slowing down of activity. The surrounding villages and countryside had been destroyed by the succession of sieges. The reconstruction could not take place as long as the war continued. Nevertheless, Vannes however profited from the preponderant situation of the English in France and of a significant trade with the occupied ports –

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...

and

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. Wi ...

, for example, but also with the ports of England. Furthermore, the town council strengthened its autonomy and they were allowed to send representatives to the 1352

Estates of Brittany The Estates of Brittany was the States Provincial for the province of Brittany. It gathered members of the high clergy, a large number of nobles and delegates from the 42 towns and cities of Brittany. In 1788 it included nearly 1,000 nobles as opp ...

. From 1365, under the authority of Duke John IV, Vannes began to prosper again. The scars of the past war however were still very present in the townscape. The Duke decided to rebuild the destroyed walls, to repair the gates and to enlarge the town wall. The enclosed town area was enlarged towards the south as far as the port, so that the area within the walls was doubled by it. Wanting to profit from the more central situation of the town in his Duchy (compared to the towns of Rennes or Nantes), he also constructed his new ducal residence there – the castle of l'Hermine. In 1379, after the return from exile of the Duke, Vannes became the seat of ducal power for several decades.

The execution of Olivier IV of Clisson

Exécution d'Olivier IV de Clisson (1343)

had been the military governor of Vannes on the side of Charles de Blois and the King of France when the English took the town after the fourth siege of Vannes in 1342. A prisoner, Oliver IV was taken to England and set free for a relatively small amount. Due to the perceived small amount of that ransom, Philip IV of France and his counsellors suspected Clisson of having intrigued with

. Drawn by treachery to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, Olivier IV was executed by beheading by order of the French sovereign on 2 August 1343. This hasty execution shocked the nobility, his guilt of treason not having been publicly demonstrated at the time, since the decision had been taken by the King,According to Bordonove, Philippe Georges VI held concrete elements against Olivier IV proving its turnaround. without process. Moreover, the notion of treason was not at the time understood in the same manner by the nobles.. They claimed the right to choose whom to render homage to, without thereby being undignified. Olivier IV's execution was accompanied by a posthumous humiliation. His body hung by the armpits from sinister-looking forks on the scaffold of Montfaucon in Paris, and his head was exposed on the Sauvetout Gate at Nantes, while the rest of his corpse was exposed on the gates of Paris. These were outrages reserved for the remains of great criminals. Olivier IV's widow, Jeanne de Belleville, urged their sons, Olivier and Guillaume, to avenge their father.. Many lords of Brittany supported her cause and, with them, she started a guerilla war on the French King and Charles de Blois. She devoted her fortune to raise an army to attack French garrisons in Brittany. Threatened on land, she armed two ships and was accompanied by her two sons. She led a war of

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

against the French ships. This saga ended when some warships of the King of France seized the ships of Jeanne de Belleville, who managed to escape with her two sons on a lifeboat. The five days adrift were however fatal to Guillaume, who died of thirst, cold, and exhaustion. Olivier and his mother were eventually rescued and taken to

Morlaix Morlaix (; br, Montroulez) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Leisure and tourism The old quarter of the town has winding streets of cobbled stones and overha ...

by some supporters of Montfort, enemies of the King of France at the time..

Notes and references

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vannes Sieges of the Hundred Years' War 1342 in England 1340s in France Edward III of England Conflicts in 1342 Military history of Brittany History of Morbihan War of the Breton Succession

Siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...