See Battle of Le Mans for the battle here in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War.

Battle of Le Mans (1793)
Part of War in the Vendée
The Battle of Le Mans, by Jean Sorieul
Date 12 and 13 December 1793 Location Le Mans Result Decisive Republican victory
Belligerents
Republicans	Vendéens Chouans
Commanders
François Westermann Jean-Baptiste Kléber François-Séverin Marceau Jean-François Moulin	Henri de La Rochejaquelein Jean-Nicolas Stofflet Charles d'Autichamp
Strength
20 000 men	10 000 soldiers, 30 000 non-combatants (wounded, women and children...) 30 cannon
Casualties and losses
30 dead, 100 wounded	15 000 dead

The Battle of Le Mans was a battle of the War in the Vendée. It resulted in the rout of the Vendéen forces by Republican troops during the Virée de Galerne.

On 10 December 1793, after their setback at Angers, where they were unable to cross the River Loire, the Vendéens reached Le Mans. Of the 80,000 the Vendéens had had at the start of the virée de Galerne, only 40,000 remained. Pursued by troops under Westermann, the Vendéens made the mistake of believing themselves safe inside the town and, exhausted, refused to leave. However, on 12 December, Westermann was at the gates of the town, with Kléber and Marceau preparing to rejoin him. A skirmish broke out between the forces of La Rochejaquelein and the Republican advance-guard, which was temporarily repulsed. La Rochejaquelein thus re-entered the city, but his forces were dispersed, most of the Vendéens not even realising the Republicans were so close, and some soldiers even getting drunk.

Although inferior in numbers, the Vendéens dug in in houses and behind barricades, but the Republicans launched their attack and overwhelmed all the defences. The battle then turned into a massacre, with the wounded, women and children who had taken refuge in the houses being forced out and massacred. Kléber and Marceau tried to save the prisoners, but could not hold back their troops. The survivors, led by La Rochejaquelein, fled towards Laval.

[edit] Source

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