Prehistoric era Polished flints from the
Neolithic era indicate that a human presence has been in the commune for a long time.
Antiquity Roman coins, remains of
dwelling and a
sandstone mill from during the
Roman Empire have been found near the town, which was on the old way linking
Amiens to
Vermand.
Middle Ages In 1840, archaeological excavations revealed stone coffins, vases and buckles dating from the
Frankish period. The first mention of the name Villers-Bretonneux is in a document from 1123. In 1200, the lord of Villers-Bretonneux,
Adams de Villers was vassal of the
Abbot of Corbie. In the 14th century, the village was surrounded by a wall twelve feet high and counted 140 hovels. The castle was surrounded by a wall fifteen feet high. Waleran de Rivery, lord of Rivery and Villers-Bretonneux, married Isabelle, second daughter of Jacques de Longroy (councilor and chamberlain of the
Duke of Burgundy), lord of
Querrieu, who was killed at the
Battle of Agincourt in 1415. In the second half of the 15th century, the lord was
Antoine de Rivery,
knight,
captain of Amiens in 1465 and lord of Rivery and Villers-Bretonneux.
17th century On 13 August 1636, the
Spanish Army set fire to the village, as well as several villages in the vicinity. It was probably during these events connected with the capture of Corbie that the fortress was destroyed. An exact date is not known but in 1681 it was mentioned as completely in
ruins.
18th century In 1700, the seigniory of Villers-Bretonneux was sold to
Pierre Dufresne, lord of
Marcelcave. As early as 1737, the wool industry was mentioned in Villers-Bretonneux. that Villers-Bretonneux is one of the richest and most commercial communes in the department and that factories producing woollen stockings and flannels are well established. In 1859, the town built a
church that was destroyed during the First World War. It housed a wooden Virgin from the ''l'école de Blasset'' school. On 27 November 1870, Villers Bretonneux was the scene of
a battle of the
Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) for the defense of
Amiens. The French were defeated, and the population had to pay a
tribute of 100,000 francs to the
Prussians.
20th century In the
First World War the town was the site of the
First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux and
Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux. The first tank-against-tank combat in history took place here on 24 April 1918. File:Villers-Bretonneux (19897313661).jpg| file:Villers-Bretonneux (near Amiens) (19269620194).jpg File:Umgestürzter deutscher Tank bei Villers-Bretonneux.jpg|German Tank outside the town 1918 File:INCONNU - VILLERS-BRETONNEUX - Rue de la Gare.JPG|Rue de la Gare, Villers Bretonneux 1918. file:A Crashed Fokker at Villers-bretonneux, France Art.IWMART2665.jpg|A Crashed
Fokker at Villers-Bretonneux In the interwar years, the city of
Melbourne in Australia was a sponsor of the town of Villers-Bretonneux and helped in its reconstruction as did as the
State of Victoria more generally.
Charlotte Crivelli who was a central figure on the committee which organised this sponsorship and organised many of the fundraising events. On 22 July 1938, the
Villers–Bretonneux Australian National Memorial was opened by the British sovereigns,
George VI,
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and
Albert Lebrun,
President of the French Republic. The names of 11,000 fighters without burial are engraved in the stone. In World War II, the
British Army Sherman tank Armoured Division passed through Villers-Bretonneux, on 1 September 1944. There is a memorial near the town dedicated to the memory of the
Forces françaises de l'intérieur, shot and deported during 1939–45, located on the road to Amiens. file:The British Army in North-west Europe 1944-45 BU268.jpg|
Twenty-first century Today, Villers-Bretonneux is a modest village, which grew significantly thanks to the introduction of the knitwear industry in the 19th century. After the destruction of the First and Second World Wars, the town was rebuilt. The city center concentrates public buildings and most of the dwellings. The municipality is now experiencing a new development thanks to its proximity to the Amiens agglomeration and to an exit from the A29 motorway (Saint-Quentin-Le Havre). Subdivisions of individual houses were built.
Patrick Simon, the Mayor of Villers-Bretonneux from 2008 until 2020, was a vocal proponent of
Australia–France relations. Simon oversaw the refurbishment of Villers-Bretonneux's Franco-Australian First World War Museum and helped to establish the Sir John Monash Centre, which opened in 2018. He also promoted increased relations and exchanges with
Robinvale, Villers-Bretonneux's twinned town in the Australian state of
Victoria. Simon was awarded an honorary
Order of Australia (AO) in 2015 for his contributions to Australian-Franco relations. He died in office in May 2020 during the
COVID-19 pandemic in France. ==Economic and services==