Chapter I, Rule of Jean V.
Act I, The land of the Bretons
The ruler of Brittany, Duke Jean IV of the house of Dreux was getting old, he looked out from his lords hall towards the sea. In his mind nothing was more beautiful than Brittany during the autumn. The cold winds blew right in his face and he could almost taste the sea as the waves crashed towards the harbor of Nantes. The old duke had, however, not been able to enjoy his beloved homeland all his life, he had spent many years in exile, only after the nobles in Brittany revolted against the French was he called back. He retook his rightful place as duke and assumed the title "le Conquéreur". Some years later he yet again faced off against the French. The French king Charles VI. invaded Brittany, however he suffered a fit of madness while leading his army and the campaign collapsed. With this easy victory Jean had kept his duchy of Brittany safe.
(Jean V. and Jean's victory over the French at Auray in 1364)
Now in 1399, at the turn of the century, he was 60 years old. A veteran of major conflicts, and his military skills were among the best you could find in this time. The same could not be said about his other skills, he was a fool when it came to diplomacy, and when he had to deal with governmental business he preferred to give the task to someone else.
(Western Europe 1399)
That was why he had recently employed some very competent men as his new advisors. First there was Jean d'Ancenis, a man whom Jean had known since boyhood, he was a highly competent government official, having learned his skills in Milan. The next was Sklaer de Halgoet, and odd choice, he was not much to look at, one of his legs was longer than the other, because of this his manner of walking was strange, it was also said that he did not enjoy company with the fair sex. But when it came to production he was a very competent man, he was originally from Flanders and here he had learned how to manage cloth industry to a degree which there was no equal rival to in Europe. He had also been central when it came to forming the alliance between Burgundy and Brittany. Lastly there was Charles the Craon, a french merchant from Ile de France, he was young and inexperienced. He was, however, from a prestige's merchant family and his uncle was responsible for shipping wine from Bourgogne to Paris. He also looked the part, in stark contrast to Sklaer, he was tall, blonde and very muscular built. It was said that he had once sold a very bad vintage of wine to a duke, simply because the duchess fancied his looks.
Jean's head of government, Jean d'Ancenis had advised him to invest most of his budget in the government, Jean, being easy to persuade, agreed. The reason for this was that his adviser believed that events like the Breton civil war could have been avoided if the government was more centralized. His advisers also advised him to order a tapestry, his deeds of liberating the country should be immortalized forever, Jean, not being of the modest kind, agreed.
(the regions that make up Jean's kingdom, the capital's salt production is vital for the economy)
When Jean looked out of his castle window he could not help being afraid of the future. His son was far from the perfect replacement, and Jean also feared France. He had avoided a confrontation with Charles VI, but that was only because the French king was insane, and thought he was made of glass. His successor would probably not be so inefficient. Then there was England, a nation that had helped Jean, and this was also the place where he had spent his exile. Even so, he feared the English, he knew that they would stop at nothing to achieve their aims, and if their aims included "adding Brittany to their nation" then he would likely be in dire troubles. Jean could comfort himself that he had an alliance with Burgundy, and if the French attacked him they would be caught in a vice between Brittany and Burgundy.
Jean's thought where interrupted by his head of diplomacy, the baron of Nantes. He informed the duke that the kingdom of Navarre was without an heir. Jean's eyes flared up, he told his advisor to move quickly so that he could arrange a marriage with Navarre. He also asked his advisor to arrange marriages with Burgundy, France, England and Castille. This was the nations which Jean feared the most. He hoped that a marriage with Burgundy would secure his rather fragile alliance for the next years.
Some weeks passed before his diplomatic minister came back with word. Navarre had agreed to a royal marriage, and a Dreux was now next in line for their throne, all Jean could hope for was that the king of Navarre did not produce an heir before he died. England and Burgundy also accepted marrying into the Dreux family. When the diplomatic minister continued it sent shivers down the back of the old duke, France and Castille had both rejected, the duke hoped for the best, but he was smart enough to fear for the worst.
Jean decided, against the advice of his senior nobles, that the army had to be reformed, his predecessors had preferred quantity over quality. Jean knew that he could not match Frances manpower reserves and he therefore thought it would be best if his troops had the advantage of being better trained and equipped. When it came to military matters no one dared to question Jean's judgment, he was simply too qualified. His nobles, however, demanded that Jean should increase the size of his army, he currently fielded 3000 poorly equipped infantrymen, they demanded that the size should be doubled, Jean agreed.
When Jean's new policy was instituted they soon ran into a problem, 1000 of the old soldiers were found to be inadequate for the new standards of the army, and they all had to be replaced, in the long term it would give his army better discipline, and that was what Jean really wanted.
(Breton militia at the battle of Auray)
A few days later, as Jean was busy with his head of naval affairs the diplomatic minister, stormed into the room. Jean looked up from his collection of maps, he did not like being interrupted, especially when people did not knock on his door before entering the room. The Baron of Nantes did, however, have good reasons for bursting in. Burgundy was at war with the small states of Liege and Bar, and they requested that Brittany joined them in their war of conquest. Jean got a look of excitement on his face, he thought that he was not ever going to engage in battle because he feared that death would soon get him. Now he had an opportunity to lead his army against an enemy, one last time. He jumped to the task, and immediately assembled the army.
The next week he rode in front of thousands of Breton soldiers, marching in long columns towards their new enemies. As the army moved eastwards, the autumn rain started, and the roads turned into mud tracks. The soldiers of other armies would have deserted at this moment, but not the Bretons, not when Jean le Conquéreur was with them every step of the way.
The ruler of Brittany, Duke Jean IV of the house of Dreux was getting old, he looked out from his lords hall towards the sea. In his mind nothing was more beautiful than Brittany during the autumn. The cold winds blew right in his face and he could almost taste the sea as the waves crashed towards the harbor of Nantes. The old duke had, however, not been able to enjoy his beloved homeland all his life, he had spent many years in exile, only after the nobles in Brittany revolted against the French was he called back. He retook his rightful place as duke and assumed the title "le Conquéreur". Some years later he yet again faced off against the French. The French king Charles VI. invaded Brittany, however he suffered a fit of madness while leading his army and the campaign collapsed. With this easy victory Jean had kept his duchy of Brittany safe.
(Jean V. and Jean's victory over the French at Auray in 1364)
Now in 1399, at the turn of the century, he was 60 years old. A veteran of major conflicts, and his military skills were among the best you could find in this time. The same could not be said about his other skills, he was a fool when it came to diplomacy, and when he had to deal with governmental business he preferred to give the task to someone else.
(Western Europe 1399)
That was why he had recently employed some very competent men as his new advisors. First there was Jean d'Ancenis, a man whom Jean had known since boyhood, he was a highly competent government official, having learned his skills in Milan. The next was Sklaer de Halgoet, and odd choice, he was not much to look at, one of his legs was longer than the other, because of this his manner of walking was strange, it was also said that he did not enjoy company with the fair sex. But when it came to production he was a very competent man, he was originally from Flanders and here he had learned how to manage cloth industry to a degree which there was no equal rival to in Europe. He had also been central when it came to forming the alliance between Burgundy and Brittany. Lastly there was Charles the Craon, a french merchant from Ile de France, he was young and inexperienced. He was, however, from a prestige's merchant family and his uncle was responsible for shipping wine from Bourgogne to Paris. He also looked the part, in stark contrast to Sklaer, he was tall, blonde and very muscular built. It was said that he had once sold a very bad vintage of wine to a duke, simply because the duchess fancied his looks.
Jean's head of government, Jean d'Ancenis had advised him to invest most of his budget in the government, Jean, being easy to persuade, agreed. The reason for this was that his adviser believed that events like the Breton civil war could have been avoided if the government was more centralized. His advisers also advised him to order a tapestry, his deeds of liberating the country should be immortalized forever, Jean, not being of the modest kind, agreed.
(the regions that make up Jean's kingdom, the capital's salt production is vital for the economy)
When Jean looked out of his castle window he could not help being afraid of the future. His son was far from the perfect replacement, and Jean also feared France. He had avoided a confrontation with Charles VI, but that was only because the French king was insane, and thought he was made of glass. His successor would probably not be so inefficient. Then there was England, a nation that had helped Jean, and this was also the place where he had spent his exile. Even so, he feared the English, he knew that they would stop at nothing to achieve their aims, and if their aims included "adding Brittany to their nation" then he would likely be in dire troubles. Jean could comfort himself that he had an alliance with Burgundy, and if the French attacked him they would be caught in a vice between Brittany and Burgundy.
Jean's thought where interrupted by his head of diplomacy, the baron of Nantes. He informed the duke that the kingdom of Navarre was without an heir. Jean's eyes flared up, he told his advisor to move quickly so that he could arrange a marriage with Navarre. He also asked his advisor to arrange marriages with Burgundy, France, England and Castille. This was the nations which Jean feared the most. He hoped that a marriage with Burgundy would secure his rather fragile alliance for the next years.
Some weeks passed before his diplomatic minister came back with word. Navarre had agreed to a royal marriage, and a Dreux was now next in line for their throne, all Jean could hope for was that the king of Navarre did not produce an heir before he died. England and Burgundy also accepted marrying into the Dreux family. When the diplomatic minister continued it sent shivers down the back of the old duke, France and Castille had both rejected, the duke hoped for the best, but he was smart enough to fear for the worst.
Jean decided, against the advice of his senior nobles, that the army had to be reformed, his predecessors had preferred quantity over quality. Jean knew that he could not match Frances manpower reserves and he therefore thought it would be best if his troops had the advantage of being better trained and equipped. When it came to military matters no one dared to question Jean's judgment, he was simply too qualified. His nobles, however, demanded that Jean should increase the size of his army, he currently fielded 3000 poorly equipped infantrymen, they demanded that the size should be doubled, Jean agreed.
When Jean's new policy was instituted they soon ran into a problem, 1000 of the old soldiers were found to be inadequate for the new standards of the army, and they all had to be replaced, in the long term it would give his army better discipline, and that was what Jean really wanted.
(Breton militia at the battle of Auray)
A few days later, as Jean was busy with his head of naval affairs the diplomatic minister, stormed into the room. Jean looked up from his collection of maps, he did not like being interrupted, especially when people did not knock on his door before entering the room. The Baron of Nantes did, however, have good reasons for bursting in. Burgundy was at war with the small states of Liege and Bar, and they requested that Brittany joined them in their war of conquest. Jean got a look of excitement on his face, he thought that he was not ever going to engage in battle because he feared that death would soon get him. Now he had an opportunity to lead his army against an enemy, one last time. He jumped to the task, and immediately assembled the army.
The next week he rode in front of thousands of Breton soldiers, marching in long columns towards their new enemies. As the army moved eastwards, the autumn rain started, and the roads turned into mud tracks. The soldiers of other armies would have deserted at this moment, but not the Bretons, not when Jean le Conquéreur was with them every step of the way.
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