The 1480s had the Duchy of Brittany in between a rock and a hard place. The Duke of Brittany, Francis II of Brittany had no male heirs, only two daughters: Anne and Isabelle. It was a time of general chaos in France, with the Duke of Brittany even partaking in the so-called Mad War with several other French magnates in a revolt against French authority that failed.
We all know how history originally went: Francis II snuffed it, and Anne succeeded him as Duchess. She attempted feebly to protect her rights, even marrying the Holy Roman Emperor by proxy in hopes of gaining his support. Ultimately, the marriage was annulled and Anne had the honor of being Queen of France to two seperate kings, Charles VIII and Louis XII, and enduring numerous pregnancies, the vast majority that ended in miscarriages and stillbirths, most certainly shortening her life span--she died in 1514 at 36, having endured seven pregnancies with Charles VIII: Charles Orland, her only healthy son, and six other stillborn sons and daughters. With Louis XII she endured at least seven more pregnancies: Claude born in 1499 and Renée in 1510 were her only living children. A stillborn son was born in 1503, and at least six miscarriages are documented from 1500 to 1512.
The query of this topic posits the Breton succession. While some have certainly mulled over the idea of Anne dying young and her sister Isabelle succeeding her and taking the place of her sister in history, there is another more interesting option. A century before Anne was even born, in the midst of the Hundred Years War, a civil wqar raged in Brittany over the succession, ultimately ending in favor of the House of Monfort, to which Anne belonged. At this point in time, the Breton succcession law was unclear, although women could succeed in the absence of a male heir. Yet the 1365 Treaty of Guérande, however, stated that in the absence of a male heir from the House of Montfort, the heirs of Joanna of Penthièvre would succeed. The only issue, though: Joanna of Penthièvre's heir, Nicole of Blois, was also a woman. She also must have been strapped for cash, as at some point she sold her succession rights to Louis XI, the King of France himself for some 50,000 écus. Clearly the Treaty of Guerande meant little when both lines were devoid of male issue.
Still, what if instead of remenents of the House of Montfort, in the personages of Anne and her sister Isabelle, the descendents of Joanna, succeeded the Breton throne upon the death of Francis II, with Nicole not selling her succession rights to the King of France? Le'ts have both Anne and Isabelle die young, either through childhood illnesses or accidents. Obviously in the short term this has immediate ramifications. Nicole was no spring chicken, having been born in 1424 and actually predeceasing Francis II, dying in 1479. She was the last member of the House of Blois, marrying Jean II de Brosse and they had several children, including sons. In the short term, this provides Brittany with a Duke: the OTL Jean III de Brosse.
How does this change ATL? Although Brittany won't be absorbed as it was IOTL, Francis II's blunders still meant that the Duchy was closely tied to Paris, far from the mover and shaker it was centuries before. Still, should the Valois go down a competent path, there is definitely a shot at Brittany regaining some of it's privileges and autonomy; hell, occupying such an important geographical spot, I can see the Duchy still being courted and supported by England at the very least: a Breton match for Henry VIII if things go even worse between England and Spain?
We all know how history originally went: Francis II snuffed it, and Anne succeeded him as Duchess. She attempted feebly to protect her rights, even marrying the Holy Roman Emperor by proxy in hopes of gaining his support. Ultimately, the marriage was annulled and Anne had the honor of being Queen of France to two seperate kings, Charles VIII and Louis XII, and enduring numerous pregnancies, the vast majority that ended in miscarriages and stillbirths, most certainly shortening her life span--she died in 1514 at 36, having endured seven pregnancies with Charles VIII: Charles Orland, her only healthy son, and six other stillborn sons and daughters. With Louis XII she endured at least seven more pregnancies: Claude born in 1499 and Renée in 1510 were her only living children. A stillborn son was born in 1503, and at least six miscarriages are documented from 1500 to 1512.
The query of this topic posits the Breton succession. While some have certainly mulled over the idea of Anne dying young and her sister Isabelle succeeding her and taking the place of her sister in history, there is another more interesting option. A century before Anne was even born, in the midst of the Hundred Years War, a civil wqar raged in Brittany over the succession, ultimately ending in favor of the House of Monfort, to which Anne belonged. At this point in time, the Breton succcession law was unclear, although women could succeed in the absence of a male heir. Yet the 1365 Treaty of Guérande, however, stated that in the absence of a male heir from the House of Montfort, the heirs of Joanna of Penthièvre would succeed. The only issue, though: Joanna of Penthièvre's heir, Nicole of Blois, was also a woman. She also must have been strapped for cash, as at some point she sold her succession rights to Louis XI, the King of France himself for some 50,000 écus. Clearly the Treaty of Guerande meant little when both lines were devoid of male issue.
Still, what if instead of remenents of the House of Montfort, in the personages of Anne and her sister Isabelle, the descendents of Joanna, succeeded the Breton throne upon the death of Francis II, with Nicole not selling her succession rights to the King of France? Le'ts have both Anne and Isabelle die young, either through childhood illnesses or accidents. Obviously in the short term this has immediate ramifications. Nicole was no spring chicken, having been born in 1424 and actually predeceasing Francis II, dying in 1479. She was the last member of the House of Blois, marrying Jean II de Brosse and they had several children, including sons. In the short term, this provides Brittany with a Duke: the OTL Jean III de Brosse.
How does this change ATL? Although Brittany won't be absorbed as it was IOTL, Francis II's blunders still meant that the Duchy was closely tied to Paris, far from the mover and shaker it was centuries before. Still, should the Valois go down a competent path, there is definitely a shot at Brittany regaining some of it's privileges and autonomy; hell, occupying such an important geographical spot, I can see the Duchy still being courted and supported by England at the very least: a Breton match for Henry VIII if things go even worse between England and Spain?