Battle of Savenay (1793)

The Battle of Savenay on 23 December 1793 saw a Republican force of about 18,000 decisively defeat the 6,000-strong Armée Catholique et Royale, ending the Virée de Galerne phase of the first war in the Vendée. The Vendéens, already crushed at Le Mans, fled through Savenay and regrouped west of the town before their defeat.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. Following a crushing defeat at the battle of Le Mans on 12 December 1793, a few thousand Vendéens fled to Laval and then to Ancenis, hoping to cross the Loire back into Vendée. Pursued by the Republicans, they made a final stand at Savenay, the last episode of the Virée de Galerne.

The Engagement. A Republican force of approximately 18,000 men decisively defeated the Armée Catholique et Royale force of 6,000 at Savenay. The Vendéens fled, retreating out of the town and regrouping to its west, where the battle's commemorative cross now marks that place.

Significance. The battle took place on 23 December 1793 and marks the end of the Virée de Galerne, the operational phase of the first war in the Vendée that followed the French Revolution. The Republican victory closed this phase of the conflict.

People involved

Sources

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