Alan II, Duke of Brittany

Alain II unbalanced Bart (Latin: Alanus Barbatorta, Breton: Alan Varvek, French: Alain Barbe- Torte, † 952 ) was a Duke of the Bretons in the 10th century.

He was a son of the Earl of Mathedoi Poher and his mother was a daughter of Prince Alain Breton I. the Great ( † 907). With his father he had to flee 919 on the British Isles by the Normans from the invasion of Brittany, where he became a friend of the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelstan, who was also his godfather. Around the year 931 Alain took the death of the blind to lead together with Count Judicaël Berengar of Rennes, a rebellion against the Normans in Brittany. This, however, was defeated by William Longsword, what Alain had to flee to England again. King Rudolf said the Normans in the year 933 the Breton coast country, so probably the Cotentin and Avranchin was meant, which was since the days of King Solomon ( 867 ) in Breton possession. With the military support of King Alain Æthelstans 937 returned to Brittany and sales this time the Normans successfully and permanently from Nantes. In the following years he continued the fight against the Normans and was awarded on August 1, 939 a decisive victory at the Battle of Trans-la - Forêt, whereupon the Normans risk for Brittany subsided.

From then on, Alain skew Bart held the position of the first lords of the Bretons as dux with its capital Nantes, although him this was made by the Counts of Rennes dispute. It is considered therefore as the true founder of the high medieval Breton Duchy, which was, however, little strengthened by a strong feudalisierte social order. By his marriage he had also opened the country to the influence of the neighboring Frankish Count of Anjou and Blois, that determined the fate of the country until the 12th century.

Was married Alain II in his first marriage with Roscille, a daughter of Count Fulk I the Red of Anjou. Their son was Drogo, who was later murdered. In his second marriage he was married to a daughter of the Viscount Theobald the Old Blois, with whom he had no children. However, he had with Hoël I. and Guérech two illegitimate sons.

After his death in 952 Alain II was interred in the church of Saint- Donatien and Saint- Rogatien in Nantes.