Catholic and Royal Army
Encyclopedia
The Catholic and Royal Armies (in French : Armées catholique et royale), is the name given to the royalist armies in western France composed of insurgents during the war in the Vendée and the Chouannerie
, who opposed the French revolution
, hence they were counterrevolutionary
by definition.
joined only occasionally.
Its main leaders were : Jacques Cathelineau
, Charles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps
, Louis d'Elbée
, François de Charette
, Henri de la Rochejaquelein
, Louis Marie de Lescure
, Jean-Nicolas Stofflet
, Jacques Nicolas Fleuriot de La Fleuriais, Charles de Royrand and Charles Sapinaud de La Rairie
.
During the year 1793, the Vendéen army was distinguished into sub-armies : the army of Charette
in the Marais breton, the Catholic and Royal Army of Anjou and of Haut-Poitou, and that of Bas-Poitou and Retz country, south of the Loire. The Chouans of the north of the Loire
who joined the Vendéens during the Virée de Galerne
were named Catholic and Royal Army of Bas-Anjou and of Haute-Bretagne.
In reality, those armies were simply groups of fluctuating insurgents led by a chief who had authority over people following his beliefs. The only units with a quasi-permanent existence and organization are the "compagnies de paroisse" which grouped together members of the rural community who elected their captains. Although two thirds of the insurgents were peasants, they only represented half of the men in these units, the rest being artisans and shopkeepers.
The flaws of this army were its few health services and its lack of permanent fighters, even considering their reinforcements of republican deserters, gabelous
, Germans
or Swiss. Their weaponry and provisions were also poor. The cavalry
was only composed of noble chiefs, a few game warden
s and peasants mounted on farm horses. The artillery was composed only of old culverin
taken from castles and a few cannons taken from the republicans, making it impossible for the Catholic and Royal Army to oppose a strong Republican army on open field, or to break the fortifications of a town like at Granville
.
After the Battle of Savenay
, the army was reconstructed on paper but its actual existence was insignificant; the insurrection became a chouannerie
.
, northern Vendée
, northern Deux-Sèvres
, et sourthern Loire-Atlantique
in the provinces of Poitou
, Anjou
and Brittany
. The insurgent territory took the name of military Vendée.
The great majority of Vendéen insurgents were peasants, armed with scythes
if they didn't have rifles, but there were also a great number of artisans, especially in the Mauges region of Anjou.
The mobilisation in the insurgent territories was massive. In Chemillé, the age of the insurgents varied from 11 to 67 years old. The average age was 25 to 30 years old.
A few women also fought among the Vendéens; the most famous one was Renée Bordereau
. The army of Charette
was known to have a few amazons
in its ranks, including Céleste Bulkeley.
It was only during the Virée de Galerne
that the officers started adopting signs to distinguish themselves from the troops. The generals and officers of the counsel took white scarves worn at the belt with knots of different colors. La Rochejaquelein
and Donnissan wore a black knot, Stofflet
a red one, and Marigny
a blue one. Officers of a lower rank started wearing a white scarf attached to their left arm.
Priests who opposed the revolution didn't have a direct role in the war, a few held a seat in the royalist counsels and mainly took care of correspondences. Priests serving as officers or physically participating in combats was generally not well considered by Vendéens.
organized infantry and cavalry units whom he equipped with his own means. These troops were even given uniforms, grey for the infantry, green for the cavalry.
Nonetheless, the Vendéens didn't like leaving their homes for too long, so after a few days of combat they would leave the army and go back to their villages. Hence the Vendéens were incapable of keeping conquered towns like Angers
, Saumur
, Thouars
and Fontenay-le-Comte
, which were progressively abandoned and retaken by the republicans without difficulty.
To fix this disadvantage, regular troops were recruited among republican deserters and insurgents exterior to Vendée
, especially Angevins
from northern Maine-et-Loire
and Bretons from the [Loire-Atlantique]. A few future Chouan
officers served in this troops, including Georges Cadoudal
, Pierre-Mathurin Mercier, Scépeaux, Jean Terrien, Joseph-Juste Coquereau and Louis Courtillé.
Regular Vendéen troops also included a high number of foreigners, including Russians
, Germans
and many Jews (according to republican Jacques Léonard Laplanche's writings).
Among the foreign soldiers who joined the Vendéens are included the Germans of the La Marck regiment and of the Germanic Legion
, as well as a battalion of 600 Swiss and Germans commanded by the baron of Keller, of which some were former Swiss Guards.
association of La Rouërie
, this army was created by Joseph de Puisaye to unify the different chouans divisions.
On 15 October 1794, Puisaye was named Lieutenant General
of the army of Brittany by the Count Charles of Artois, future king Charles X of France
.
Following the failure of the Quiberon expedition
in July 1795, Puisaye's commandment was questioned, and the army was broken into factions, especially with the army of Morbihan commanded by Cadoudal who didn't recognize the authority of the Lieutenant General. Other factions were the army of the Côtes du Nord, and the army of Maine, Anjou and of Haute-Bretagne. Puisaye was only recognized by the army of Rennes and Fougères, although he still gathered support from the princes.
Finally, Puisaye resigned in 1798. After René Augustin de Chalus commanded for a short while, then the Count of Artois chose Marigny
to succeed him but he refused. The commandment went to Béhague who only stayed a few months in Brittany
during the year 1798 and headed back to England.
In the end, it was Georges Cadoudal
, named Major General of Béhague, who led the command of the army. Dead in 1804, Cadoudal was named Marshal of France after his death.
. In Normandy, its territory was limited to the Orne
and southern Manche
, and in Maine
only a few zones in northern Mayenne
.
Chouannerie
The Chouannerie was a royalist uprising in twelve of the western departements of France, particularly in the provinces of Brittany and Maine, against the French Revolution, the First French Republic, and even, with its headquarters in London rather than France, for a time, under the Empire...
, who opposed the French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, hence they were counterrevolutionary
Counterrevolutionary
A counter-revolutionary is anyone who opposes a revolution, particularly those who act after a revolution to try to overturn or reverse it, in full or in part...
by definition.
Catholic and Royal Army of Vendée
The Catholic and Royal Army of Vendée was composed of the three Vendéen armies although that of Lower PoitouPoitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
joined only occasionally.
Its main leaders were : Jacques Cathelineau
Jacques Cathelineau
Jacques Cathelineau , nicknamed le Saint d'Anjou , was a French Vendéan insurrection leader during the French Revolution...
, Charles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps
Charles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps
Charles-Melchior Arthus, Marquis de Bonchamps was a French politician and leader of the Vendéan insurrection of Royalists against the Republic during the French Revolution....
, Louis d'Elbée
Louis d'Elbée
Maurice-Joseph-Louis Gigot d'Elbée was a French Royalist military leader. He was the second commander in chief of the Royal and Catholic Army formed by Royalist forces of the Vendean insurrection against the Republic and the French Revolution.-Life:Born in Dresden, he moved to France in 1777,...
, François de Charette
François de Charette
François Athanase de Charette de la Contrie was a French soldier and politician, one of the leaders of the bloody events termed the "Revolt in the Vendée"...
, Henri de la Rochejaquelein
Henri de la Rochejaquelein
Henri du Vergier, comte de la Rochejaquelein was the youngest general of the Royalist Vendéan insurrection during the French Revolution.-Early activities:...
, Louis Marie de Lescure
Louis Marie de Lescure
Louis-Marie Joseph, marquis de Lescure was a French soldier and opponent of the French Revolution, the cousin of Henri de la Rochejaquelein....
, Jean-Nicolas Stofflet
Jean-Nicolas Stofflet
Jean-Nicolas Stofflet was a French leader of the Revolt in the Vendée against the First French Republic.Born in Bathelémont-lès-Bauzemont , the son of a miller, he was for long a private in the Swiss Guard, and afterwards gamekeeper to the comte de Colbert-Maulévrier, he joined the Vendéans when...
, Jacques Nicolas Fleuriot de La Fleuriais, Charles de Royrand and Charles Sapinaud de La Rairie
Charles Sapinaud de La Rairie
Charles Henri Félicité Sapinaud de la Rairie was a French soldier and Vendéen general during the war in the Vendée.- Life :...
.
During the year 1793, the Vendéen army was distinguished into sub-armies : the army of Charette
François de Charette
François Athanase de Charette de la Contrie was a French soldier and politician, one of the leaders of the bloody events termed the "Revolt in the Vendée"...
in the Marais breton, the Catholic and Royal Army of Anjou and of Haut-Poitou, and that of Bas-Poitou and Retz country, south of the Loire. The Chouans of the north of the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
who joined the Vendéens during the Virée de Galerne
Virée de Galerne
The Virée de Galerne was a military operation of the War in the Vendée during the French Revolutionary Wars across Britanny and Normandy. It takes its name from "gwalarn", a Breton word for the "vent de noroît" ....
were named Catholic and Royal Army of Bas-Anjou and of Haute-Bretagne.
In reality, those armies were simply groups of fluctuating insurgents led by a chief who had authority over people following his beliefs. The only units with a quasi-permanent existence and organization are the "compagnies de paroisse" which grouped together members of the rural community who elected their captains. Although two thirds of the insurgents were peasants, they only represented half of the men in these units, the rest being artisans and shopkeepers.
The flaws of this army were its few health services and its lack of permanent fighters, even considering their reinforcements of republican deserters, gabelous
Gabelle
The gabelle was a very unpopular tax on salt in France before 1790. The term gabelle derives from the Italian gabella , itself from the Arabic qabala....
, Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
or Swiss. Their weaponry and provisions were also poor. The cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
was only composed of noble chiefs, a few game warden
Game warden
A game warden is an employee who has the role of protecting wildlife. Game wardens may also be referred to as conservation officers or wildlife officers...
s and peasants mounted on farm horses. The artillery was composed only of old culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
taken from castles and a few cannons taken from the republicans, making it impossible for the Catholic and Royal Army to oppose a strong Republican army on open field, or to break the fortifications of a town like at Granville
Battle of Granville
The Siege of Granville occurred at Granville, Manche on 14 November 1793. It faced 5,000 Republicans besieged by Vendéen forces during the Virée de Galerne. It was a Republican victory.-Battle:...
.
After the Battle of Savenay
Battle of Savenay
The Battle of Savenay took place on 23 December 1793, and marks the end of the Virée de Galerne operational phase of the first war in the Vendée, where a Republican force of approximately 18,000 decisively defeated the armée catholique et royale force of 6,000 at Savenay.-Prelude:After a crushing...
, the army was reconstructed on paper but its actual existence was insignificant; the insurrection became a chouannerie
Chouannerie
The Chouannerie was a royalist uprising in twelve of the western departements of France, particularly in the provinces of Brittany and Maine, against the French Revolution, the First French Republic, and even, with its headquarters in London rather than France, for a time, under the Empire...
.
Peasant soldiers
The royalist insurgents who take the name of Vendéens, and that the Republicans named Brigands, originated from four departments, southern Maine-et-LoireMaine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
, northern Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, northern Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...
, et sourthern Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique
Loire-Atlantique is a department on the west coast of France named after the Loire River and the Atlantic Ocean.-History:...
in the provinces of Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
, Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
and Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
. The insurgent territory took the name of military Vendée.
The great majority of Vendéen insurgents were peasants, armed with scythes
War scythe
A war scythe is a kind of improvised pole weapon, similar to a fauchard, usually created from standard scythes. The blade of the scythe is transformed so as to extend upright from the pole, thus forming an infantry weapon practical both in offensive actions against infantry and as a defensive...
if they didn't have rifles, but there were also a great number of artisans, especially in the Mauges region of Anjou.
The mobilisation in the insurgent territories was massive. In Chemillé, the age of the insurgents varied from 11 to 67 years old. The average age was 25 to 30 years old.
A few women also fought among the Vendéens; the most famous one was Renée Bordereau
Renée Bordereau
Renée Bordereau , nicknamed The Angevin, was a French woman who disguised herself as a man and fought as a Royalist cavalier in the troops of Charles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps during the Vendéan insurrection against the French Revolution .She is reputed to have killed some twenty of the opposing...
. The army of Charette
François de Charette
François Athanase de Charette de la Contrie was a French soldier and politician, one of the leaders of the bloody events termed the "Revolt in the Vendée"...
was known to have a few amazons
Woman warrior
The portrayal of women warriors in literature and popular culture is a subject of study in history, literary studies, film studies, folklore and mythology, gender studies, and cultural studies.-Archaeology:...
in its ranks, including Céleste Bulkeley.
It was only during the Virée de Galerne
Virée de Galerne
The Virée de Galerne was a military operation of the War in the Vendée during the French Revolutionary Wars across Britanny and Normandy. It takes its name from "gwalarn", a Breton word for the "vent de noroît" ....
that the officers started adopting signs to distinguish themselves from the troops. The generals and officers of the counsel took white scarves worn at the belt with knots of different colors. La Rochejaquelein
Henri de la Rochejaquelein
Henri du Vergier, comte de la Rochejaquelein was the youngest general of the Royalist Vendéan insurrection during the French Revolution.-Early activities:...
and Donnissan wore a black knot, Stofflet
Jean-Nicolas Stofflet
Jean-Nicolas Stofflet was a French leader of the Revolt in the Vendée against the First French Republic.Born in Bathelémont-lès-Bauzemont , the son of a miller, he was for long a private in the Swiss Guard, and afterwards gamekeeper to the comte de Colbert-Maulévrier, he joined the Vendéans when...
a red one, and Marigny
Gaspard de Bernard de Marigny
Gaspard Augustin René Bernard de Marigny was a French officer and Vendéen general.-Life:...
a blue one. Officers of a lower rank started wearing a white scarf attached to their left arm.
Priests who opposed the revolution didn't have a direct role in the war, a few held a seat in the royalist counsels and mainly took care of correspondences. Priests serving as officers or physically participating in combats was generally not well considered by Vendéens.
Regular army
A few regular troops were formed in the army of Vendée, where they served as elite troops. Charles de BonchampsCharles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps
Charles-Melchior Arthus, Marquis de Bonchamps was a French politician and leader of the Vendéan insurrection of Royalists against the Republic during the French Revolution....
organized infantry and cavalry units whom he equipped with his own means. These troops were even given uniforms, grey for the infantry, green for the cavalry.
Nonetheless, the Vendéens didn't like leaving their homes for too long, so after a few days of combat they would leave the army and go back to their villages. Hence the Vendéens were incapable of keeping conquered towns like Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, Thouars
Thouars
Thouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
and Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:The Vendée River flows though the town. The town has an area of .-History:...
, which were progressively abandoned and retaken by the republicans without difficulty.
To fix this disadvantage, regular troops were recruited among republican deserters and insurgents exterior to Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, especially Angevins
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
from northern Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
and Bretons from the [Loire-Atlantique]. A few future Chouan
Chouan
Chouan is a French surname. It was used as a nom de guerre by the Chouan brothers, most notably Jean Cottereau, better known as Jean Chouan, who led a major revolt in Bas-Maine against the French Revolution...
officers served in this troops, including Georges Cadoudal
Georges Cadoudal
Georges Cadoudal , sometimes called simply Georges, was a French/Breton politician, and leader of the Chouannerie during the French Revolution....
, Pierre-Mathurin Mercier, Scépeaux, Jean Terrien, Joseph-Juste Coquereau and Louis Courtillé.
Regular Vendéen troops also included a high number of foreigners, including Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and many Jews (according to republican Jacques Léonard Laplanche's writings).
Among the foreign soldiers who joined the Vendéens are included the Germans of the La Marck regiment and of the Germanic Legion
Germanic Legion
The Germanic Legion was a military unit of the French Revolutionary Wars, theoretically made up of German volunteers fighting under French command. It was set up in September 1792 and dissolved on 22 June 1793.-History:...
, as well as a battalion of 600 Swiss and Germans commanded by the baron of Keller, of which some were former Swiss Guards.
Catholic and Royal Army of Brittany
From the BretonBreton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
association of La Rouërie
Charles Armand Tuffin, marquis de la Rouerie
Charles Armand Tuffin, marquis de la Rouërie , also known in the United States as "Colonel Armand", was a Breton cavalry officer who served under the American flag during the American War of Independence. He was promoted to brigadier general after the Battle of Yorktown...
, this army was created by Joseph de Puisaye to unify the different chouans divisions.
On 15 October 1794, Puisaye was named Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
of the army of Brittany by the Count Charles of Artois, future king Charles X of France
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
.
Following the failure of the Quiberon expedition
Invasion of France (1795)
The invasion of France in 1795 or the Battle of Quiberon was a major landing on the Quiberon peninsula by émigré, counter-revolutionary troops in support of the Chouannerie and Vendée Revolt, beginning on 23 June and finally definitively repulsed on 21 July...
in July 1795, Puisaye's commandment was questioned, and the army was broken into factions, especially with the army of Morbihan commanded by Cadoudal who didn't recognize the authority of the Lieutenant General. Other factions were the army of the Côtes du Nord, and the army of Maine, Anjou and of Haute-Bretagne. Puisaye was only recognized by the army of Rennes and Fougères, although he still gathered support from the princes.
Finally, Puisaye resigned in 1798. After René Augustin de Chalus commanded for a short while, then the Count of Artois chose Marigny
Gaspard de Bernard de Marigny
Gaspard Augustin René Bernard de Marigny was a French officer and Vendéen general.-Life:...
to succeed him but he refused. The commandment went to Béhague who only stayed a few months in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
during the year 1798 and headed back to England.
In the end, it was Georges Cadoudal
Georges Cadoudal
Georges Cadoudal , sometimes called simply Georges, was a French/Breton politician, and leader of the Chouannerie during the French Revolution....
, named Major General of Béhague, who led the command of the army. Dead in 1804, Cadoudal was named Marshal of France after his death.
Catholic and Royal Army of Normandy
The Catholic and Royal Army of Normandy, sometimes simply named Royal Army of Normandy because it hosted a few protestants in its ranks, was an army of Chouans commanded by Louis de FrottéLouis de Frotté
Marie Pierre Louis de Frotté was a French soldier and royalist.De Frotté was born in Alençon. He joined the Royal Army in 1781, and was in command of infantry units by 1789, when the French Revolution broke out...
. In Normandy, its territory was limited to the Orne
Orne
Orne is a department in the northwest of France, named after the river Orne.- History :Orne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution, on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Normandy and Perche.- Geography :Orne is in the region of...
and southern Manche
Manche
Manche is a French department in Normandy named after La Manche , which is the French name for the English Channel.- History :Manche is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
, and in Maine
Maine (province)
Le Maine is one of the traditional provinces of France . It corresponds to the old county of Maine, with its center, the city of Le Mans.-Location:...
only a few zones in northern Mayenne
Mayenne
Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
.