John III ''the Good'' (in Breton ''Yann III'', in French ''Jean III''; 8 March 128630 April 1341) was

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

, from 1312 to his death and 5th

Earl of Richmond The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of Peerage of England, England. The earldom of Richmond, North Yorkshire, Richmond was initially held by various Breton people, Breton nobles; sometimes the holde ...

from 1334 to his death. He was the son of Arthur II, Duke of Brittany, and his first wife Marie, Viscountess of Limoges. John was strongly opposed to his father's second marriage to Yolande and attempted to contest its legality. In 1297, John married Isabella of Valois, eldest child of

Charles, Count of Valois Charles, Count of Valois (12 March 1270 – 16 December 1325), was a member of the House of Capet and founder of the House of Valois, which ruled over France from 1328. He was the fourth son of King Philip III of France and Isabella o ...

and his first wife Margaret of Naples. At the time of their marriage John was eleven years old and his bride five. She died childless in 1309. In 1310, John married his second wife, Isabella of Castile. She died childless in 1328. In 1329, John married his third wife Joan of Savoy. He predeceased his third wife by three years and died childless. He was unwilling to cede the

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany (, ; ) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of France, bordered by the Bay of Biscay to the west, and the English Channel to the north. ...

to his half-brother John of Montfort, son of his hated step-mother Yolande. He wished to leave the duchy to the French King Philip VI, but his nobles objected. The marriage of his niece Joanna of Dreux to Charles of Blois gave Charles a plausible claim to the duchy, but the matter was unresolved at John's death. After his death, John of Montfort claimed his rights as duke of Brittany, but King Philip VI supported the Blois faction, and the

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

(1341–1364) was triggered. The Breton Civil War was fought between the

House of Blois The House of Blois () was a noble family that arose in the West Francia, Kingdom of West Francia in the early 10th century, and whose prominent members were often named Theobald (''Thibaud'', ''Thibault'', ''Thibaut'' in French language, French). ...

and the House of Montfort. It became part of the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England and Kingdom of France, France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy ...

, as England supported the Montfort faction, which won, against the House of Blois, which was supported by France.

Arms

file:Arms of Pierre Mauclerc.svg, Coat of arms as duke until 1316 File:Arms of Jean III de Bretagne.svg, In 1316, he simplified his coat of arms to plain ermine. This is still the arms of Brittany.

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Inquisition Post Mortem
#355, dated 1341. {{DEFAULTSORT:John 03, Duke Of Brittany 1286 births 1341 deaths 13th-century Breton people 14th-century dukes of Brittany 14th-century peers of France 14th-century English nobility Dukes of Brittany Earls of Richmond (1268 creation) House of Dreux

Arms

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