A Chouan ambush near Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier inflicted disproportionate casualties on Republican forces during the 1796 Chouannerie uprising.
Key Facts
- Chouan force strength
- 1,000 men
- Republican force strength
- 500 men
- Republican casualties
- 90 killed or wounded
- Chouan killed
- 2
- Chouan wounded
- 12
- Chouan commander
- Gustave Hay de Bonteville
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Chouannerie, anti-revolutionary Chouan insurgents in western France continued armed resistance against the French Republic. In June 1796, a force of 1,000 Chouans under Gustave Hay de Bonteville moved to engage a smaller Republican detachment of 500 men operating in the region near Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier.
The Chouan force encountered the Republican troops close to Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier, catching them by surprise. The numerically superior Chouans exploited the element of surprise effectively, engaging the Republicans in an unequal fight that lasted until the Republican force had suffered significant losses.
The Republicans suffered 90 men killed or injured, while the Chouans lost only 2 killed and 12 wounded. This lopsided outcome demonstrated the tactical advantages the Chouans could achieve through surprise and superior numbers against isolated Republican units during the ongoing insurgency.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Gustave Hay de Bonteville.
Side B
1 belligerent