TAG Brittany
Gilles of Brittany, the anglophile prince who was murdered (1420-1450)
The murder of Gilles of Brittany had repercussions throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It dramatically changed the course of Anglo-Breton relations and moreover led to serious consequences for the Anglo-French political landscape.
The cardinal regions and the farce of the Pays-de-la-Loire
When you look at a modern map of France, you may spot an anomaly in the shape of the regions, and one in particular: the Pays-de-la-Loire, a puppet region created by the French state during the second half of the twentieth century for the sole purpose of weakening Brittany, its neighbouring region with a very strong regional identity.
If France Ruled Scotland: A Lesson from Brittany
What would happen if Scotland were “re-modelled” using the logic of French territorial reforms? Through satire and political analogy, this essay imagines Edinburgh detached from Scotland and absorbed into an artificial new region—revealing, by comparison, the real and ongoing cultural injustice faced by Brittany following France’s regional redrawing.
Joan of Navarre, Duchess of Brittany & Queen of England
As an ambitious woman, Joan of Navarre chose an alliance with England, despite being Valois from her mother’s side. In 1402, she agreed to marry Henry IV, the first king of the Lancaster dynasty, nicknamed “the usurper” by his detractors.
England & John IV Duke of Brittany
John IV, first duke of the new Montfort dynasty could probably be described as the most anglophile of the Breton sovereigns. Raised at the Court of England, under the benevolence of King Edward III, he landed in Brittany in 1362 at the head of the Anglo-Breton troops.