Conan IV (Brittany)

Conan IV , called the little one († 1171 ) was Duke of Brittany from 1155 to 1166.

He was the son of Alain de Bretagne , Lord of Guingamp and Earl of Richmond , and the Breton Duchess Bertha, daughter of Duke Conan III.

Conan III. put him as his heir under the reign of Eudon de Porhoët , Bertha's second husband, whereby he disinherited his own son Hoël II, who had to be content with the county of Nantes .

Conan IV revolted against his grandfather, allied himself with Hoël, but then had to flee to England in 1154 to Henry II , who confirmed him as Honneur de Richmond , which he had inherited from his father.

Conan received military aid from England which allowed him to return to Brittany; he found several allies, but the fact that he appeared as a vassal of the English king also provoked an uprising of other greats led by Odo von Porhoëts, who was defeated and now had to leave Brittany in turn. Conan was proclaimed duke in 1156. In the same year the Nantaiser drove his uncle Hoël away and trusted Count Gottfried VI. from Anjou on, a brother of Henry II. After Gottfried's death in 1158, Conan believed he could get Nantes back, but had to hand it over to Henry II.

Odo von Porhoët now initiated a new revolt, which was also successful, but also provided Henry II with the pretext to intervene directly in Brittany. He first took Porhoët from Odo, then - after a last uprising in 1173 - also the county of Penthièvre . Conan IV. Had to abdicate in 1166 and Heinrich made himself regent of the duchy for his son Gottfried II. Plantagenet , the fiancé of the heiress Konstanze , granddaughter of Conan III., Until he came of age.

literature

• Patrick André et al. (Ed.): Dictionnaire d'histoire de Bretagne. Skol Vreizh, Morlaix 2008, ISBN 978-2-915623-45-1 .
• André Chédeville, Noël-Yves Tonnerre: La Bretagne féodale. XIe-XIIIe siècle (= Université. ). Ouest-France, Rennes 1987, ISBN 2-7373-0014-2 .
• Arthur de La Borderie, Barthélemy Pocquet: Histoire de la Bretagne. 6 volumes. Editions régionales de l'Ouest et al., Mayenne 1998, ISBN 2-85554-089-5 .
• Arthur de La Borderie (ed.): Recueil d'actes inédits des Ducs et princes de Bretagne. (XIe, XIIe, XIIIe siècles). Catel, Rennes 1888, ( digitized version ).
• Arthur de La Borderie (ed.): Nouveau recueil d'actes inédits des ducs et princes de Bretagne XIIIe et XIVe siècles. Prost, Rennes 1902, ( digitized version ).

predecessor	Office	successor
Odo from Porhoet	Duke of Brittany 1155–1166	Constance
Alain de Bretagne	Earl of Richmond 1146-1171	Constance