ORDER OF BATTLE // October 22, 1793
Battle of Laval
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 31,000 estimated
First French Republic
6,000
Medium-confidence figure
Vendéens
25,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of Laval on 22 October 1793 resulted in a Vendéen victory over republican forces commanded by François-Joseph Letourneur, whose army of approximately 6,000 faced a Vendéen force of around 25,000 under Henri de La Rochejaquelein. The engagement marked the opening major action of the Virée de Galerne, a distinct operational episode within the broader War in the Vendée. By defeating the republican troops at Laval, the Vendéens established an early advantage at the outset of this campaign phase, demonstrating their capacity to overcome organized republican resistance and setting the terms for the fighting that would follow during the Virée de Galerne.
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