`The King's Army into the Partes of Bretaigne': Henry VII and the Breton Wars,

Abstract

Between 1489-91 Henry VII projected his military power abroad in an attempt to prevent the French conquest of Brittany and influence political affairs in the duchy. This episode in Tudor military and diplomatic history, however, has been largely ignored by historians. This article discusses the English military and political involvement in Brittany, the composition of land and naval forces, the strategies employed, and the mistakes and circumstances that contributed to the Anglo-Breton defeat. The 1489 English expedition was larger than historians have hitherto supposed. Officers of the Royal Household served in land and sea operations in Brittany and carried out critical supply and support functions. Henry VII took great interest in the expeditions, and did not seem as neglectful of military matters as many modern historians have thought.