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The War of Breton Succession took place between 1341 and 1364 between the Counts of Blois and the Montforts of Brittany for control of Brittany. In 1351 a highly unusual method was crafted to try and break the impasse. What was it?

Answer: An arranged battle was staged between the two sides midway between the castles of Blois and Montfort, with each side permitted to have thirty champions. After a bloody battle, the House of Blois was victorious. The so called ‘Combat of the Thirty’ became a popular example of medieval chivalry for later chroniclers.

Source: Encyclopaedia of the Hundred Years War by John A. Wagner

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