Battle of Fougères

Battle of Fougères
Part of the War in the Vendée
The castle
Date 3 November 1793 Location Fougères Result Vendéen victory
Belligerents
French Republic	Vendeans
Commanders and leaders
Adjudant général Brière	Henri de La Rochejaquelein
Strength
6,000 men	30,000 men 50 cannons
Casualties and losses
200–600 killed 400–800 captured	Unknown

Main article: Virée de Galerne

The battle of Fougères took place on 3 November 1793 at Fougères, during the Virée de Galerne. It was a Vendéen victory.

The Vendéens (on their way from taking Mayenne) decided to march on Saint-Malo to make contact with the British and, recently joined by the Chouans, marched on Fougères on the way. Realising the danger, the Republicans prepared to defend the city and castle, with adjudant général Brière gathering 6,000 National Guards and soldiers from line regiments and inspecting the castle's defences. Many administrators chose to leave the city and flee towards Rennes, with some exceptions staying put, such as mayor Lesueur.

Course

The Vendéens launched an assault on Fougères, resulting in a decisive victory against the poorly commanded Republican forces. Despite being outnumbered, the Vendéens managed to inflict significant casualties on their opponents, who left behind hundreds of dead and captured soldiers. Following their victory, the Vendéens occupied Fougères for five days, utilizing this time to gather supplies and recruit local supporters. During this period, they received two emissaries from the British government who encouraged them to abandon their plans for Rennes and adhere to a strategy aligned with British interests.

On November 8, after consolidating their position, the Vendéens resumed their march towards Dol-de-Bretagne, still uncertain whether to attack Saint-Malo or Granville. However, following a brief reoccupation of Fougères in mid-November, Republican forces regained control of the city on November 18.