Breton War of Succession - The Tide Turns Against Charles

The Tide Turns Against Charles

At this point events outside Brittany started to have an effect on the war. The French suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, and at Calais in 1347. Without French support Charles de Blois gradually began to lose ground to the English captains. The memory of the massacre at Quimper increased his unpopularity, and Breton traders had an economic interest in strengthening links to England due to Brittany's strategic position between Atlantic and English Channel. At the Battle of La Roche-Derrien (1347) Charles was taken prisoner as he tried to recapture the town, which had just been taken by the English. He was jailed for five years at the Tower of London. The English controlled Brest, Quimper and Vannes.

Under pressure from Pope Innocent VI, the English, French and Bretons negotiated a peace, while both factions maintained an uneasy balance of power within the duchy. It was during this period that the Combat of the Thirty took place, a famous episode in medieval chivalry. Conflicts between the French and English strongholds of Josselin and Ploërmel were resolved in a duel between thirty Montfortist knights led by Robert Bramborough, and thirty supporters of Charles de Blois led by Jean de Beaumanoir. The combat took place midway between the two towns on March 26, 1351. By nightfall the Anglo-Breton Montfortists had lost nine dead against six of the pro-French knights; the surviving Montfortists were forced to surrender. Though renowned at the time, and later highly romanticised, the combat had no effect on the outcome of the war.

Edward III signed the Treaty of Westminster on 1 March 1353 accepting Charles de Blois as Duke of Brittany if the latter undertook to pay a ransom of 300,000 crowns, and that Brittany signed a treaty of alliance "in perpetuity" with England, this alliance to be sealed by the marriage of the Montfortist claimant John de Montfort (son of the earlier John de Montfort) with Edward's daughter Margaret. The marriage required the approval of the King of France and a papal dispensation. Charles de la Cerda, the Constable of France negotiated the deal, but Charles II of Navarre, who needed continuing war between England and France to maintain his own power, decided to intervene by assassinating the Constable. He then switched his support to France in exchange for territory. The treaty was negated, but Charles de Blois had been freed, and returned to Brittany as duke.