Duchy of Brittany

The Duchy of Brittany (Breton: Dugelezh Breizh [dyˈɡɛːlɛs ˈbrɛjs]; French: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of France, bordered by the Bay of Biscay to the west, and the English Channel to the north. It was also less definitively bordered by the river Loire to the south, and Normandy, and other French provinces, to the east. The duchy was established after the expulsion of Viking armies from the region around 939. In the 10th and 11th centuries, it was politically unstable, with the dukes holding only limited power outside their own personal lands. The Duchy of Brittany had mixed relationships with the neighbouring Duchy of Normandy, sometimes allying itself with Normandy, and at other times, such as the Breton–Norman War, entering into open conflict.