Battle of Tiffauges

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Bataille de Torfou-Tiffauges

Part of the War in the Vendée

Battle of Torfou: the women of Tiffauges block the path of the Vendéens fleeing at the sight of the troops from Mainz led by Kléber, painting by Alfred de Chasteignier.

Date	19 September 1793
Location	Near Tiffauges and Torfou
Result	Vendéen victory

Belligerents

Republicans

Vendéens

Commanders and leaders

Jean-Baptiste de Canclaux
Jean-Baptiste Kléber

Maurice d'Elbée
Charles de Bonchamps
Louis de Lescure
François de Charette

Strength

6,000 men

20,000 men

Casualties and losses

1,000 dead

600 dead

French Revolutionary Wars – War in the Vendée

1st Machecoul
Jallais
1st Cholet
Pont-Charrault
1st Pornic
1st Sables-d'Olonne
2nd Pornic
2nd Sables-d'Olonne
1st Coron
Chemillé
Aubiers
Challans
Saint-Gervais
Vezins
1st Port-Saint-Pierre
2nd Machecoul
1st Beaupréau
1st Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche
1st Legé
Thouars
1st Saint-Colombin
2nd Port-Saint-Père
1st La Châtaigneraie
Palluau
Fontenay-le-Comte
3rd Machecoul
Doué
Montreuil-Bellay
Saumur
1st Luçon
Nantes
Parthenay
1st Moulin-aux-Chèvres
1st Châtillon
Martigné-Briand
Vihiers
Ponts-de-Cé
2nd Luçon
Château d'Aux
3rd Luçon
La Roche-sur-Yon
Vertou
Chantonnay
Vrines
1st Montaigu
Tiffauges
Coron
Pont-Barré
2nd Montaigu
Saint-Fulgent
Pallet
1st Noirmoutier
Treize-Septiers
2nd Moulin-aux-Chèvres
2nd Châtillon
2nd Noirmoutier
La Tremblaye
2nd Cholet

Virée de Galerne
Laval
Croix-Bataille
Entrames
Ernée
Fougères
Granville
Pontorson
Avranches
Dol
Angers
La Flèche
Pontlieue
Le Mans
Savenay
2nd Noirmoutier

The battle of Torfou-Tiffauges was a battle on 19 September 1793 during the War in the Vendée. It pitted many Royalist military leaders against Republican troops under Jean-Baptiste Kléber and Canclaux.

Course

15,000 men, detached as the Armée de Mayence from the Armée du Rhin after the fall of Mainz, were sent to reinforce Kléber's force. On 18 September, Charette and the Armée catholique et royale gathered again at Torfou, on the northern borders of Tiffauges.

The following day, at 9 am, fire was exchanged for the first time. Kléber launched one battalion to the right of Torfou and one to its left, attempting to encircle the town. The Vendéens under Charette coming towards them were discovered, fired on and forced into retreat. However, the women in the rear blocked the fleeing troops and convinced them to regroup and fight on the plateau where the Republicans were advancing.

François Henri d'Elbée de La Sablonière entered the line and Bonchamps tried to outflank the Republican left. Engulfed in Royalist troops, Kléber advanced four cannons but was shot in the shoulder before realising his centre had collapsed.

Consequences

The Royalists decided to profit from the victory by pursuing the enemy and attacked Montaigu, where general Beysser was defeated. On 2 September, the Royalist leaders decided they must support Bonchamps and his attack on Kléber. However, Charette and Lescure decided to march on Saint-Fulgent, where the Republican army had arrived. This disobedience had one immediate result – on his return to Montaigu, Charette learned that Kléber had escaped to Bonchamps. He grouped his army and returned to Legé.