Battle of Champtoceaux - Dynastic Conflict

Dynastic Conflict

The dynastic conflict over the Duchy of Brittany was highly political and revolved around conflicting claims following the death of John III, Duke of Brittany on the 30 April 1341. His inheritance was claimed by both his half brother John de Montfort and his niece Joanna of Dreux whose husband Charles of Blois was the nephew of King Philip VI of France. The French king was bound to support his nephews claim by the politic of family dynastics in medieval Europe. He was not prepared to endure an expanded war on the distant and foreign Breton peninsula where travel was fraught with difficulties and the language alien unless he had to, and encouraged John and Charles to come to terms on the issue. At this stage, Edward III stepped into the conflict offering troops and financial support to John de Montfort in exchange for homage from John for the ownership of Brittany and thus confirming Edward's claim to be the rightful ruler of France. Ironically, in supporting John whose claim to the ducal throne rested on salic law, Edward was jeopardising his own claim to the throne of France which deliberately ignored the same laws. The idea of English troops rampaging through Brittany and from there into Normandy and other parts of Northern France terrified Philip and he resolved to win the war before Edward's troops could arrive. John too was not idle, fleeing Paris days before his arrest for treason with Edward and arriving in Nantes to raise an army from his supporters.