The Vendée revolt, which broke out in March 1793, met with dazzling success. The capture of Thouars, then Saumur, showed that the Vendéens had the ability to leave the insurgent zone to strike at the territory controlled by the Bleus. In Saumur, after much discussion, the Vendéens decided to carry out their next attack on Nantes, the gateway to Brittany and an important port likely to receive British aid. A combined attack was planned, with the Chevalier of Charette’s troops attacking from the south and the majority of the Vendée army attacking from the north.
The planned date for the operation was 29 June. But what the Vendéen leaders had not foreseen was that they would have to contend with determined municipal officials, in particular Mayor Baco, valuable military leaders, Canclaux and Beysser, and finally the people of Nantes who were determined to defend the city and prevent it from being sacked.
In October 1793, the Republican offensive enabled the Bleus to penetrate the heart of the Vendée, at Cholet. The Vendéens were exhausted and hesitated about what to do. Should they embark on a perilous operation across the Loire or should they push back the Bleus who were chasing them? They decided to do both: securing passage across the Loire at Varades, the Vendéens amassed the bulk of their forces, around 40,000 men, and attacked Cholet from the north. To defend the town, the Republican leaders could count on around 28,000 men, including veterans of the Mainz army, commanded by Kléber.
After the battle of Cholet, the Vendéens crossed the Loire and were pursued by the Bleus. But those, commanded by the inept General Léchelle, were attacked on 26 October 1793 as they marched in columns towards the small town of Entrammes, by fierce Vendéens determined to avenge their defeat at Cholet.
Scale :
- 1 Strengh Point = 500 to 1000 infantrymen or 300 to 600 cavalrymen
- Map : 300 meters per hex
- Turn : 45 minutes
- Complexity : 6/9
Game components:
- One 59 x 41 cm map and two 41,6 x 29,5 cm maps
- 216 die-cut counters and markers
- One booklet of rules and scenarios
- One player aid card
