Bretagne AAR (1.8) Using IGC 1.7c

Baston · 26-03-2001, 10:18

In 1488, Anne became a orphan at the age of eleven and a half, and then Duchess. Her father left her a country which had been weakened by wars and occupied by France. She decided to marry Maximilian of Austria. The ceremony took place by mandate, the 19 December 1490 in the Cathedral of Rennes. The Austrian committed himself to protecting the independence of the Duchy of Brittany and maintaining the privileges, rights and freedom of its inhabitants. Not only, the did the Roumanian King never see his young wife, but he never came to its rescue either. Brittany thus became a subject of France. Anne has no other choice but to marry with the king France Charles VIII. The ceremony took place the 6th December 1491 at the Langeais Château. The French Sovereign was already married. The irony of it all, was that he was married to Maximilian's own daughter, Margarat of Austria. However, this union had never been consummated, because the young Marguerite, who married at the age of three, had not yet celebrated her twelfth birthday.

In 1494, the young seventeen year old duchess, at the advice of her effecient parlement began organising the creation of a sizable breton force. She, like her people, were keen to be free of the ever encroaching french interference of breton society and independance. Although still bound as a vassal the young duchess wove the small duchy out of its alliances and obligations with france. In april that year anne arranged for several prominent royal marriages with various minor english nobles, re-strengthening the ties unfortunately severed shortly ago. Scheming and corruption of the nobles caused some problems in 1497 but the real test was to come the following year.

Charles VIII of france died on 7th April 1498 and according to a clause in the marriage contract made with the deceased, Anne was obliged to marry the upcoming King, that is to say Louis XII, born Louis d'Orléans. However events took an unforseen turn for the better. Only a mere few months later the most powerful nation in europe and its strong allies declared war on france. It was a disaster for france but a real opportunity for bretagne to secured its independance when french forces were deserted elsewhere. Brittany declares its independance and state of war with France on July the 23rd, 1498. The war is concluded on May 8th, 1500 without a single life lost by a breton thanks to france being ravaged by war elsewhere. Louis is forced to abandon his marriage to the now grown duchess and confirm the independant nation of Bretagne. Louis however was not a pleased man and he and his country continued to watch bretagne. In 1501 france is again drawn into conflict with spain and bretagne is soon forgotten, especially when france goes to war against england two years later... calais is regained by france in 1506 and the war with spain comes to an end.

The duchess continues to rule bretagne as an efficient and compassionate ruler until her sudden and unexpected death in 1513. At her request some years before, her heart was separated from her boday and placed in the Carmes crypt in Nantes, set in a very fine gold reliquary. Her daughter Claude was to take over from her mother and proved equally as respectable but lacking in the presence her mother had. By 1516 she was already a practising protestant, and sought to make it the state religon. Most of the barons had already converted over so enabling this was no problem. In 1517 bretagne officially became the first european nation to convert over to protestantism earning the wrath of the catholic world. The next few years proved tricky as bretagne was fortified in the face of a popular rebellion in the south, It was easily crushed. In 1521, the standing of the new nation increased its reputation within europe and except for the building of seven larger warships in bretagne all remained quiet until the death of claude in 1524. Her son, the offspring of claude and a well respected breton baron became francois II of bretagne and for the first time referred to himself as the king of brittany. He overseas the conversion of the people in bretagne itself to protestantism as well as the securing of a powerful new alliance that included several new protestant nations, most notably being England in 1534... however this was done posthumously as he died in 1532 in a hunting accident. His son, Francois III took over, but being too young to rule was helped by a council connvened at Rennes.

It was decided that bretagne needed a new province and vendee seemed to be the perfect choice, however france was not the perfect opponent. All that was needed was a distraction, and it didnt take long for one to arise in the form of france declaring war on spain in 1540. To the surprise of france bretagne declared war and all of her allies followed soon embroiling all of western europe in a massive armed conflict. In 1542 breton armies successfully captured both Vendee and Caux but were unable to secure either province, especially when the powerful english were bought out of the alliance, and were forced to an unhappy peace in 1545.

* More to come...

Hartmann · 26-03-2001, 14:22

Great mixture of real and alternate history, keep it up!

Hartmann

P.S. And I also like the fact that people enjoy the IGC opportunity of playing Bretagne (which is usually diploannexed by France in 1502 when ruled by the AI).

The Big Cheese · 27-03-2001, 02:54

Very well wrtitten

Looking forward to the next part!

27-03-2001, 02:54	#3
The Big Cheese Second Lieutenant Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: London, England Posts: 115	Very well wrtitten Looking forward to the next part! __________________ Ich bin ein Berliner. - John F. Kennedy

26-03-2001, 10:18	#1
Baston Second Lieutenant Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 136	In 1488, Anne became a orphan at the age of eleven and a half, and then Duchess. Her father left her a country which had been weakened by wars and occupied by France. She decided to marry Maximilian of Austria. The ceremony took place by mandate, the 19 December 1490 in the Cathedral of Rennes. The Austrian committed himself to protecting the independence of the Duchy of Brittany and maintaining the privileges, rights and freedom of its inhabitants. Not only, the did the Roumanian King never see his young wife, but he never came to its rescue either. Brittany thus became a subject of France. Anne has no other choice but to marry with the king France Charles VIII. The ceremony took place the 6th December 1491 at the Langeais Château. The French Sovereign was already married. The irony of it all, was that he was married to Maximilian's own daughter, Margarat of Austria. However, this union had never been consummated, because the young Marguerite, who married at the age of three, had not yet celebrated her twelfth birthday. In 1494, the young seventeen year old duchess, at the advice of her effecient parlement began organising the creation of a sizable breton force. She, like her people, were keen to be free of the ever encroaching french interference of breton society and independance. Although still bound as a vassal the young duchess wove the small duchy out of its alliances and obligations with france. In april that year anne arranged for several prominent royal marriages with various minor english nobles, re-strengthening the ties unfortunately severed shortly ago. Scheming and corruption of the nobles caused some problems in 1497 but the real test was to come the following year. Charles VIII of france died on 7th April 1498 and according to a clause in the marriage contract made with the deceased, Anne was obliged to marry the upcoming King, that is to say Louis XII, born Louis d'Orléans. However events took an unforseen turn for the better. Only a mere few months later the most powerful nation in europe and its strong allies declared war on france. It was a disaster for france but a real opportunity for bretagne to secured its independance when french forces were deserted elsewhere. Brittany declares its independance and state of war with France on July the 23rd, 1498. The war is concluded on May 8th, 1500 without a single life lost by a breton thanks to france being ravaged by war elsewhere. Louis is forced to abandon his marriage to the now grown duchess and confirm the independant nation of Bretagne. Louis however was not a pleased man and he and his country continued to watch bretagne. In 1501 france is again drawn into conflict with spain and bretagne is soon forgotten, especially when france goes to war against england two years later... calais is regained by france in 1506 and the war with spain comes to an end. The duchess continues to rule bretagne as an efficient and compassionate ruler until her sudden and unexpected death in 1513. At her request some years before, her heart was separated from her boday and placed in the Carmes crypt in Nantes, set in a very fine gold reliquary. Her daughter Claude was to take over from her mother and proved equally as respectable but lacking in the presence her mother had. By 1516 she was already a practising protestant, and sought to make it the state religon. Most of the barons had already converted over so enabling this was no problem. In 1517 bretagne officially became the first european nation to convert over to protestantism earning the wrath of the catholic world. The next few years proved tricky as bretagne was fortified in the face of a popular rebellion in the south, It was easily crushed. In 1521, the standing of the new nation increased its reputation within europe and except for the building of seven larger warships in bretagne all remained quiet until the death of claude in 1524. Her son, the offspring of claude and a well respected breton baron became francois II of bretagne and for the first time referred to himself as the king of brittany. He overseas the conversion of the people in bretagne itself to protestantism as well as the securing of a powerful new alliance that included several new protestant nations, most notably being England in 1534... however this was done posthumously as he died in 1532 in a hunting accident. His son, Francois III took over, but being too young to rule was helped by a council connvened at Rennes. It was decided that bretagne needed a new province and vendee seemed to be the perfect choice, however france was not the perfect opponent. All that was needed was a distraction, and it didnt take long for one to arise in the form of france declaring war on spain in 1540. To the surprise of france bretagne declared war and all of her allies followed soon embroiling all of western europe in a massive armed conflict. In 1542 breton armies successfully captured both Vendee and Caux but were unable to secure either province, especially when the powerful english were bought out of the alliance, and were forced to an unhappy peace in 1545. * More to come...

26-03-2001, 14:22	#2
Hartmann Kaiser v.G.G. (abdicated) Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: in exile Posts: 3,944	Great mixture of real and alternate history, keep it up! Hartmann P.S. And I also like the fact that people enjoy the IGC opportunity of playing Bretagne (which is usually diploannexed by France in 1502 when ruled by the AI).