Brittany, officially the
Duchy of Brittany, is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the French located in the west of the country, bordered by the English Channel to the north, the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Bay of Biscay to the southwest, Poitou to the south, Anjou-et-Maine to the east, and Normandy to the northeast. Since 2018, Brittany is the only region of Metropolitan France to be granted extensive home rule, although there are movements in several other regions for equal status. Brittany is the traditional homeland of the Breton people and is recognised by the Celtic League as one of the six Celtic Nations, retaining a distinct cultural identity from the rest of France.
Inhabited since antiquity, Brittany is home to some of the world's oldest standing structures, and formed part of the Roman Empire from 51 BCE into the 3rd century CE. Throughout the 4th and 5th centuries CE, tribes of Ancient Britons, ancestors of the Celtic peoples began to arrive in the region from Great Britain. These migrants gave Brittany its name and the origins of the Breton language. In 851, the region emerged as an independent kingdom, the first unified Breton state, before collapsing in the early 10th century due to the turmoil caused by Norseman invasions and a succession dispute. The Duchy of Brittany was first established in 939, after the explusion of the Viking armies, as a nominal tributary state under the Kingdom of the Franks, though the Duchy was politically unstable throughout the 10th and 11th centuries.
Beginning in 1158, Brittany came under the control of the Angevins, who reigned as Kings of England, as part of their empire spanning most of western France. However this proved to be ephemeral, as following the collapse of their empire in 1204, the French Crown regained its influence and Brittany became a vassal state for the next three centuries. The independent nature of Brittany began to come to an end in 1488, after the death of Duke Francis II and the forced marriage of his daughter and heir, Anne, to King Charles VIII of France. The Ducal crown became united with the French Crown in 1532 through a vote of the Estates of Brittany, after the death of Queen Claude of France, the last sovereign duchess. Following the French Revolution, the Duchy, along with the other historic provinces of France, was replaced by the system of
départements.
As part of a reorganisation of French local government in the 1950s,
départements were joined into administrative regions, with Brittany reconstituted as a single region for the first time in 150 years. A nationalist movement, seeking greater autonomy within the French state, emerged in the post-war years, gaining considerable support amongst Bretons. A new cultural revival movement emerged during the 1960s and 70s, championing the distinctive Breton culture and language. In 1982, France adopted a policy of "decentralisation" towards its regions and overseas territories, granting Brittany significant powers over taxation and spending. However, the nationalist movement continued to grow, with many calling for "total home rule" - on par with a British dominion or a Texan state.
On 1 December 2017, a controversial referendum on Breton independence was held in Brittany - with nearly 60% in favour of independence on a turnout of 43%. Although the vote was subsequently nullified by both the Frenct Court of Cassation and the Breton regional court. The 2017-2018 Breton secession crisis culminated in the passage of the Breton Statute of Autonomy through the French States-General in November 2018, which reconstitued the region as an autonomous country withn France - the "Duchy of Brittany" - and enshrined in law Breton autonomy on all matters except foreign and defence affairs, though with the caveat of alignment with the rest of Metropolitan France. The Statute came into force on 11 December 2018, and the modern Duchy of Brittany officially came into being - with an autonomous bicameral States-General and the Ducal Crown recognised as being in personal union with the French Crown. On 29 September 2019, King Jean IV of France formally swore an oath - in Breton - before the States-General as the first Duke - Yann VII - since the 15th century.