Catholic and Royal Army of Anjou and Haut-Poitou | |
---|---|
Armée catholique et royale d'Anjou et du Haut-Poitou | |
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]
Division of | Divisional general | Strength |
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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 |
In June 1794, the army's general staff was reorganized: [4]
Role | Person |
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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 |