Treaty of Redon

The Treaty of Redon was signed in February 1489 in Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine between Henry VII of England and representatives of Brittany. Based on the terms of the accord, Henry sent 6000 English troops to fight (at the expense of Brittany) under the command of Lord Daubeney. The purpose of the agreement was to prevent France from annexing Brittany. Despite the military support Henry provided, the Bretons were divided and had unreliable allies.

The situation arose in 1487, as Anne of Beaujeau, regent (and older sister) of the minor French King Charles VIII planned to marry her brother to Anne, daughter of the ageing Duke Francis of Brittany. The intention was to ultimately incorporate the autonomous Duchy of Brittany into the French royal domain.

In an attempt to avoid annexation, in 1486, Duke Francis arranged for his daughter to be married to Maximilian, heir of the Holy Roman Emperor. The Duke of Brittany also established contact with Anne of Beaujeau's enemies within France. In response, the French sent an Army into Brittany in 1488. Maximilian, now engaged to Anne of Brittany, sent a force of 1500 men to reinforce Brittany, followed by an additional 1000 troops reluctantly supplied by Ferdinand of Aragon.

Henry VII, having only seized the throne of England in 1485, had adopted a policy of defence while he consolidated his position, however a number of factors prevented him from continuing his non-interventionist policy with regard to French involvement in Brittany. Firstly, Brittany had sheltered him during his exile, and Henry VII owed his position as King of England to this assistance from the Duke of Brittany. Secondly, Brittany was an important trading partner, with whom Henry VII had been trading since 1486. Thirdly, the geographical position of Brittany would make it intolerable to allow the French to take control of; it would give them complete control of the southern shore of the English Channel, enhancing the ability of the French to harass English shipping and increasing the military ability of the French to launch an invasion of England.

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