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Battle of Ballon

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Following his defeat, rumors circulated that Charles had been killed, forcing him to make a quick public appearance in Maine. While there, he rebuilt his army and headed back towards Brittany late in 846. There he concluded a treaty with Nominoë, though the exact content of the agreement is unknown.
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Details of the events of the actual battle are sketchy. Reports simply state that Charles was defeated. According to the Annals of Saint-Bertin: "Charles had recklessly attacked Gallic Britain with limited forces, slipping up by a reversal of fortune..." According to First Annales de Fontenelle:
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and has been repeated many times since. However, it is to the battle of Ballon that some date the birth of a unified and independent Brittany, behind a single sovereign: Nominoë. The expansionist policy of Nominoë, by the conquest of the former
374:, Nominoë's son, in alliance with Lambert. This allowed Lambert to occupy Nantes with the support of Nominoë. Recovered from his illness, Nominoë hoped to take advantage of the disorder to expand into Frankish territory. 338:. Nominoë was appropriating border territory and opposing Charles' attempt to impose Frankish authority. Nominoë defeated Charles, initiating a period of Breton expansion and consolidation of power. 261: 455:
Despite this a "cold war" persisted, and Breton raids continued into Frankish territory at Christmas of that year. Nevertheless, the agreement remained unbroken until 849.
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and was reconciled with Lambert II of Nantes, freeing him to deal with the threat from Nominoë. In November, he had intended to participate in a religious festival in
381:, Charles was initially unable to respond to the incursions. Learning of Charles's difficult military position in Toulouse, Nominoë continued his offensive, raiding 427:"The Franks entered Brittany and engaged in battle with the Bretons, November 22. Helped by the difficulty of the wetland location, the Bretons proved the better." 350:, Nominoë initially supported Charles the Bald in the dispute between him and his brothers over control of Frankish territory. However, when Count Ricuin of 254: 404:
Charles quickly assembled an army of around 3,000 men. Nominoë's men were probably much fewer in number, comprising mostly a highly-mobile light cavalry.
396:, but he decided to strike against Nominoë instead, having heard that a faction of discontented Bretons would defect to him if he hastened to their aid. 247: 423:, near Ballon Abbey - hence the name of the battle. The Bretons were then able to exploit their knowledge of this treacherous wetland territory. 569: 618: 623: 486:. In 1952 the battle was commemorated by the nationalist group Koun Breizh, who funded the erection of a statue of Nominoë by the artist 613: 108: 42: 89: 467: 61: 46: 68: 301: 75: 35: 355: 57: 628: 370:. While Nominoë was ill, Renaud attacked Breton territory, but was killed in battle by the Bretons led by 389: 306: 479:, a Frankish buffer zone, was continued by Erispoe, who consolidated the borders of medieval Brittany. 367: 359: 296: 363: 185: 483: 459: 291: 546:, dom Jean Laporte, Société de l'histoire de Normandie, Mélanges, 15e Série, Rouen - Paris, 1951 498:, founded in 1982, was named from the date of the battle. It merged with Koun Breizh in 1994. 476: 335: 82: 382: 323: 207: 347: 281: 149: 491: 443: 420: 602: 487: 633: 327: 190: 435: 412: 24: 447: 331: 202: 584: 571: 514:
On Carolingian military power see "Un peuple de guerriers" in Favier, Jean,
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This relatively minor battle is often confused with the much more decisive
153: 558: 463: 371: 366:, had fought against Charles. Charles replaced him with his supporter 351: 239: 482:
In the twentieth century the battle was given emblematic status by
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Nominoë lured the king into marshland at the confluence of the
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Les premières annales de Fontenelle (Chronicon Fontanellense)
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as master of the territory of Brittany secured by the battle.
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845 AD battle between West Francia and the Duchy of Brittany
494:, near the site of the victory. Another nationalist group, 49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 322:took place on 27 March 845 between the forces of 466:against Charles in 851. This confusion dates to 123: 255: 8: 362:as his successor, since Lambert's father, 262: 248: 240: 120: 109:Learn how and when to remove this message 609:Battles involving the Carolingian Empire 507: 388:In 845, Charles concluded a peace with 554: 552: 7: 47:adding citations to reliable sources 14: 518:, Librairie Arthème Fayard, 1999. 179: 23: 528:Annales de Saint-Bertin (latin) 34:needs additional citations for 440:Nominoe Triumphant: Tad ar Vro 1: 228: 219: 619:Military history of Brittany 358:, Charles refused to accept 624:9th century in West Francia 650: 431:Aftermath and significance 368:Renaud, Count of Herbauge 277: 213: 196: 172: 128: 614:Battles involving France 346:Following the death of 191:Kingdom of West Francia 451: 197:Commanders and leaders 468:Arthur de la Borderie 462:won by Nominoë's son 438: 390:Pepin II of Aquitaine 585:47.70444°N 2.07028°W 559:Koun Breizh: Nominoë 43:improve this article 581: /  484:Breton nationalists 477:Marches of Brittany 472:History of Brittany 186:Kingdom of Brittany 590:47.70444; -2.07028 460:Battle of Jengland 452: 444:Breton nationalist 356:Battle of Fontenoy 354:was killed at the 271:Franco-Breton wars 58:"Battle of Ballon" 315: 314: 238: 237: 168: 167: 119: 118: 111: 93: 641: 596: 595: 593: 592: 591: 586: 582: 579: 578: 577: 574: 561: 556: 547: 541: 535: 525: 519: 512: 324:Charles the Bald 320:Battle of Ballon 272: 264: 257: 250: 241: 233: 230: 224: 221: 208:Charles the Bald 184: 183: 182: 130: 129: 124:Battle of Ballon 121: 114: 107: 103: 100: 94: 92: 51: 27: 19: 649: 648: 644: 643: 642: 640: 639: 638: 599: 598: 589: 587: 583: 580: 575: 572: 570: 568: 567: 565: 564: 557: 550: 542: 538: 526: 522: 513: 509: 504: 433: 402: 377:On campaign in 348:Louis the Pious 344: 316: 311: 273: 270: 268: 231: 222: 180: 178: 156: 150:Ille-et-Vilaine 115: 104: 98: 95: 52: 50: 40: 28: 17: 12: 11: 5: 647: 645: 637: 636: 631: 629:840s conflicts 626: 621: 616: 611: 601: 600: 563: 562: 548: 536: 520: 506: 505: 503: 500: 492:Bains-sur-Oust 432: 429: 421:Bains-sur-Oust 401: 398: 343: 340: 313: 312: 310: 309: 304: 302:Trans-la-Forêt 299: 294: 289: 284: 278: 275: 274: 269: 267: 266: 259: 252: 244: 236: 235: 226: 216: 215: 211: 210: 205: 199: 198: 194: 193: 188: 175: 174: 170: 169: 166: 165: 164:Breton victory 162: 158: 157: 144: 142: 138: 137: 134: 126: 125: 117: 116: 31: 29: 22: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 646: 635: 632: 630: 627: 625: 622: 620: 617: 615: 612: 610: 607: 606: 604: 597: 594: 560: 555: 553: 549: 545: 540: 537: 533: 529: 524: 521: 517: 511: 508: 501: 499: 497: 493: 489: 488:Raffig Tullou 485: 480: 478: 473: 469: 465: 461: 456: 449: 445: 441: 437: 430: 428: 424: 422: 418: 414: 410: 405: 399: 397: 395: 391: 386: 384: 380: 375: 373: 369: 365: 361: 357: 353: 349: 341: 339: 337: 333: 329: 325: 321: 308: 305: 303: 300: 298: 295: 293: 290: 288: 285: 283: 280: 279: 276: 265: 260: 258: 253: 251: 246: 245: 242: 227: 218: 217: 212: 209: 206: 204: 201: 200: 195: 192: 189: 187: 177: 176: 171: 163: 160: 159: 155: 151: 147: 143: 140: 139: 135: 132: 131: 127: 122: 113: 110: 102: 99:November 2011 91: 88: 84: 81: 77: 74: 70: 67: 63: 60: –  59: 55: 54:Find sources: 48: 44: 38: 37: 32:This article 30: 26: 21: 20: 566: 543: 539: 531: 527: 523: 515: 510: 496:Bretagne 845 495: 481: 471: 457: 453: 439: 425: 406: 403: 387: 376: 345: 328:West Francia 319: 317: 286: 232: 3,000 223: 1,000 173:Belligerents 136:27 March 845 105: 96: 86: 79: 72: 65: 53: 41:Please help 36:verification 33: 588: / 516:Charlemagne 307:Conquereuil 603:Categories 573:47°42′16″N 502:References 360:Lambert II 342:Background 334:, Duke of 326:, king of 297:Brissarthe 69:newspapers 576:2°04′13″W 446:image of 379:Aquitaine 364:Lambert I 470:'s 1894 415:between 411:and the 336:Brittany 292:Jengland 214:Strength 154:Brittany 141:Location 532:Gallica 464:Erispoe 448:Nominoë 372:Erispoe 332:Nominoë 225:Bretons 203:Nominoë 83:scholar 400:Battle 352:Nantes 330:, and 287:Ballon 234:Franks 161:Result 85:  78:  71:  64:  56:  417:Redon 394:Tours 383:Maine 282:Blain 146:Redon 90:JSTOR 76:books 419:and 409:Oust 318:The 133:Date 62:news 634:845 490:in 413:Aff 45:by 605:: 551:^ 442:, 385:. 229:c. 220:c. 152:, 148:, 263:e 256:t 249:v 112:) 106:( 101:) 97:( 87:· 80:· 73:· 66:· 39:.

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Redon
Ille-et-Vilaine
Brittany
Kingdom of Brittany
Kingdom of West Francia
Nominoë
Charles the Bald
v
t
e
Blain
Ballon
Jengland
Brissarthe
Trans-la-Forêt
Conquereuil
Charles the Bald
West Francia
Nominoë

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