Battle of Savenay

Battle of Savenay
Part of the War in the Vendée (Virée de Galerne)
Vendéen Cross at Savenay
Date 23 December 1793 Location Savenay (Loire-Inférieure) Result Decisive Republican victory
Belligerents
Republicans	Vendéens Chouans
Commanders and leaders
François Marceau Jean Kléber Simon Canuel Jacques Tilly F.-J. Westermann Michel de Beaupuy Pierre Verger François Muller Marc Scherb Pierre Prieur Pierre Bourbotte	Jacques Fleuriot Bernard de Marigny Lyrot† Georges Cadoudal
Strength
18,000 soldiers	6,000 soldiers, 7 guns 4,000–6,000 non-combatants
Casualties and losses
30 dead, 200 wounded	4,000–6,000 dead 2,000–4,000 captured Most prisoners executed

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 after the French Revolution. A Republican force of approximately 18,000 decisively defeated the Armée Catholique et Royale force of 6,000 at Savenay.

After 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. Without boats, crossing the river was impossible. Hence the Vendéens built small boats and approximately 4,000 people, including Henri de La Rochejaquelein and Jean-Nicolas Stofflet, managed to cross before the arrival of Republican ships. The Vendéen rear guard was stranded to the north of the Loire, and tried another way around. They went to Blain, 35 km north of Nantes, but had to go back towards Savenay, 30 km west of Nantes.

Savenay was taken by the Vendéens early morning of 22 December, with practically no fighting. The 150 republican soldiers quickly pulled back after a small skirmish with the Vendéen first line and the town's population was evacuated. At 9:00, the royalists prepared the defenses of the town. The republicans under Westermann were the first to arrive, at 11:00. They attacked but were pushed back after a small skirmish. At noon, Kléber and Marceau arrived with the greater part of the Republican army. Another skirmish was fought for the control of the Touchelais woods, to the north-east of Savenay, which the Republicans won.

...
Wikipedia