Catholic and Royal Army of Anjou and Haut-Poitou
| Catholic and Royal Army of Anjou and Haut-Poitou | |
|---|---|
| Armée catholique et royale d'Anjou et du Haut-Poitou | |
 Type of flag of the Catholic and Royal army, parish company of La Verrie. | |
| Active | 1793–1800 |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of France |
| Size | 40,000[1] |
| Motto(s) | Pour Dieu et le Roi (lit. 'For God and the King') |
| Engagements | |
The Catholic and Royal Army of Anjou (French: Armée catholique et royale d'Anjou) or Catholic and Royal Army of Anjou and Haut-Poitou (French: Armée catholique et royale d'Anjou et du Haut-Poitou), also nicknamed the Grande Armée (lit. 'Grand Army'), was the largest royalist army during the War in the Vendée against the French First Republic.[1][2] It was formed and operated in the northern and eastern parts of the coastal region.[2]
The army's mobilization capacity was 40,000 men.[1] Although the unit had permanent organization, it was very loose.[1] The army was organized into divisions that grouped parish companies, with no intermediate units.[2]
The army successfully stormed Saumur on 9 June 1793.[1] On June 12, Jacques Cathelineau was elected the army commander.[1] Then, the highest-level Royalist commanders decided to attack Nantes, but the attack in the end of June failed due to the lack of coordination between the army of Anjou and Haut-Poitou and the army of Pays de Retz and Bas-Poitou.[1] Cathelineau died in the fighting in Nantes.[1]
Order of Battle[edit]
| Division of | Divisional general | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Florent-le-Vieil | Charles de Bonchamps, later Jacques Cathelineau | 12,000 |
| Cholet and Beaupréau | Maurice d'Elbée | 9,000 |
| Maulévrier | Jean-Nicolas Stofflet | 3,000 |
| Châtillon-sur-Sèvre | Henri de la Rochejaquelein | 7,000 |
| Bressuire | Louis Marie de Lescure | 6,000 |
| Argenton-les-Vallées | de Laugrenière | 2,000 |
| Loroux | François Lyrot | 3,000 |
General Staff[edit]
In June 1794, the army's general staff was reorganized:[4]
| Role | Person |
|---|---|
| General in Chief | Jean-Nicolas Stofflet |
| Lieutenant General | La Bouëre |
| Major General | Trottouin |
| Chief of Cavalry | Rostaing |
| Chief of Infantry | Berrard |
| Chief of Artillery | Bertrand Poirier de Beauvais |
| Secretary-general | Henri Michel Gibert |
| Commissioner-General, responsible for civil affairs | Abbot Étienne-Alexandre Bernier |
References[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Berthre de Bourniseaux, Pierre Victor Jean (1819). Histoire des guerres de la Vendée et des Chouans, depuis l'année 1792 jusqu'en 1815 (in French). Vol. I. Paris: Brunot-Labbé.
- Poirier de Beauvais, Bertrand (1893). Mémoires inédits de Bertrand Poirier de Beauvais (in French). Paris: Plon.
- Ross, Steven T. (2010). "Vendée, The". The A to Z of the Wars of the French Revolution. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9781461672388.
- Harper, Rob (2019). "Chapter 3 - 'For God and the King': The Catholic and Royal Armies". Fighting the French Revolution: The Great Vendée Rising of 1793. Barnsley, Great Britain: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 9781473868984.