LES ARMES DE LA GRANDE GUERRE DE VENDEE

The weapons of the Catholic and Royal Army, the great Vendée army. It seems easier for us to uphold the duty of remembrance in certain circumstances than to admit that this civil war involved its share of war crimes against a civilian population as weak as it was vulnerable! These peasants of the West, some former members of the royal militia, others reluctant to leave their church steeples, and whom nothing initially destined for these battles, managed to find the weapons of revolt. At first, by repurposing their farming tools, or, for the nobles, by using those in their possession: civilian weapons such as traveling pistols, most often hunting rifles. Very quickly, with each victory, by capturing the Republican troops, the Catholic and Royal Army was able to match the Republican forces, or even surpass them in terms of artillery. A few anecdotes from contemporary accounts illustrate their use in combat. A large army at the outset, then Chouan irregulars at the end, weapons from this period remain extremely rare. Very few museums in the Vendée region can boast of displaying any, at least none of indisputable provenance.

By J. Puaud and C. Méry. Published by Crépin-Leblond. 119 pages, color and black and white photos, 15.8 x 0.7 x 22 cm, paperback.