The Vendée: France's Forgotten Civil War

While the French Revolution is often remembered for the storming of the Bastille and the Reign of Terror, a brutal civil war erupted in western France that pitted the revolutionary government against Catholic royalist peasants. This episode delves into the War in the Vendée (1793–1796), where the peasantry rose in defense of their priests and king. We meet leaders like Jacques Cathelineau and Henri de La Rochejaquelein, follow the unlikely peasant army that won battle after battle, and confront the Republic's chilling response: the 'infernal columns' and the drownings at Nantes. We ask: why did this war become a genocide in all but name? And how does its memory still divide France today? We trace the Vendée's story from the conscription decree of 1793 to the final guerrilla warfare under Jean-Nicolas Stofflet, exploring the legacy of hatred between the 'Blues' and the 'Whites'. This is a story of faith, rebellion, and the dark side of revolutionary ideals. #VendE #FrenchRevolution #WarInTheVendE #JacquesCathelineau #HenriDeLaRochejaquelein #InfernalColumns #NantesDrownings #ReignOfTerror #CatholicRoyalist #Genocide #RevolutionaryWars #FrenchHistory #Europe #FexingoHistory #History #CivilWar #PeasantRebellion #1793 #NapoleonBonaparte #LouisXIV Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo