The Combat of Thirty

The Combat of Thirty decided the one great civil war in Brittany, the War of Succession (1341 to 1364). John III., Duke of Brittany, died having no immediate heir. The right to the Dukedom was disputed by his niece, the daughter of his next brother in age, and his younger half-brother. This war, lasting more than twenty years, became at last a contest between Brittany and England. It was agreed finally to submit the result to a combat between thirty Bretons under Charles de Blois, and thirty English under John de Montfort. The Bretons won the victory after most desperate fighting on both sides, and Duke John IV., the brother of the late King, was duly inaugurated in 1364. An obelisk marks the spot, inscribed with the names of the thirty Bretons and the date. The inscription reads, "Bretons, Imitate your Ancestors." Between John IV., 1364, and the death of the Duchess Anne, 1514 (its last native ruler), Brittany reached her climax in power and civilization, and has ever since, in the main, remained stationary.