French Revolution/War in the Vendee project

[bluewillow]

Beautiful figures in action poses!
I like their patches and cockades and their basing, too!

They are all wearing a white feather also which I sculpted, common to the Mayenne Chouans

Cheers
Matt

[armchairgeneral]

Great to see those AWI figures put to good use  Very nice paint job 

[italwars]

Bluewillow ..even if being conversions from AWI your Vendéens seem more appropriate than those that will be produced by the mentioned firm...if you look at the excellent PDF from the links offered above the typical image of Vendéens rebels is different...both for Vendéens and also of Britanny's Chouans is the the large headgear and is typical shape that characterize the Vendéen rebel..larger that those picts and than all those depicted in the quasi totality of ranges....Trent miniatures are OK for what are trousers and short jackets but their head are'nt ok...they are too much small and generic...as concern the few Foundry types from their old French Revolution range..the heads capture the feeling of the periods..but the tight trousers certainly not..the only Vendéens really well researched are the quasi imposssiblle to find Touller Figurines from France..sadly the designer with whom i had some splendid and kind conversations by phone, many years ago, is no more with us..i own a few Touller minis and they are the best..bot for "Bleus" and for "Vendéens" ..finally they are some prcatically unknown Mirliton 25/28mm Vendéens , more on the thin side, but the headgear is quite right...hope those new Vendéens , not yet avaialable, will be revised in order to be distinguishable from generic armed civilians..also some kneeling or skirmishing types..and, why not, more undiscliplined poses would be appropriate.
from left to right, in  a bad  pict quicly taken from "vintage" minis from my cabinet just while i'm posting this message: a Hincliffe San Culotte (Yes during the 80's they produced a French Revolution nice range); a Touller Vendéen or better Chouan, a Mirliton Vendéen rebel and, also from Mirliton, a Republican  Cavalier de Ligne and and a drummer.

[bluewillow]

 

Bluewillow ..even if being conversions from AWI your Vendéens seem more appropriate than those that will be produced by the mentioned firm...if you look at the excellent PDF from the links offered above the typical image of Vendéens rebels is different...both for Vendéens and also of Britanny's Chouans is the the large headgear and is typical shape that characterize the Vendéen rebel..larger that those picts and than all those depicted in the quasi totality of ranges....Trent miniatures are OK for what are trousers and short jackets but their head are'nt ok...they are too much small and generic...as concern the few Foundry types from their old French Revolution range..the heads capture the feeling of the periods..but the tight trousers certainly not..the only Vendéens really well researched are the quasi imposssiblle to find Touller Figurines from France..sadly the designer with whom i had some splendid and kind conversations by phone, many years ago, is no more with us..i own a few Touller minis and they are the best..bot for "Bleus" and for "Vendéens" ..finally they are some prcatically unknown Mirliton 25/28mm Vendéens , more on the thin side, but the headgear is quite right...hope those new Vendéens , not yet avaialable, will be revised in order to be distinguishable from generic armed civilians..also some kneeling or skirmishing types..and, why not, more undiscliplined poses would be appropriate.
from left to right, in  a bad  pict quicly taken from "vintage" minis from my cabinet just while i'm posting this message: a Hincliffe San Culotte (Yes during the 80's they produced a French Revolution nice range); a Touller Vendéen or better Chouan, a Mirliton Vendéen rebel and, also from Mirliton, a Republican  Cavalier de Ligne and and a drummer.

A common misconception is the Vendee Rebellion is only in the Vendee, and the lower Loire. Yes the southern Bretons and south western Maine Chouans are depicted in large hats, baggy workers pantaloons, vests and clogs etc.

The Chouans movement spread up into western Normandy, eastern and western Maine, centre val de Loire, and Poitou clothing changes over 250 Klm in distance from the lower to the upper.

The copy of the period painting we have of the gathering in place de Hercé, Mayenne during the great Galerne, (which is 60m meters from our Maison in France). The painting of the speech people in all sorts of clothing, town, farm and noblemen clothing. I want the troops of my Royal catholic army reflect this.

On a more exciting note I am expecting all of my troops to arrive in the next two weeks, so lots of painting to complete.

Cheers
Matt

[OB]

I see Stonewall Miniatures have produced a few 15/18mm Vendeen packs including command and Generals.  They could easily be too big to match my Lancashire figures.  On the other hand they might just be OK.

[SJWi]

Matt, your post on this topic is very timely for me. I am planning to game the Vendee in 28mm using Sharp Practice 2. I e-mailed Emperor's Toad Miniatures with a query earlier today and received a reply in 30 minutes. Most impressive. As you have obviously done some research into the period can you recommend any books in English or "simple" French. I have the Rob Harper book "Fighting the French Revolution"

 Regards.

[ChrisBBB]

Hey Matt, good to see you and your Vendee project are still going! I hope Hotel de Herce is doing well.
[Note to other readers: I had the pleasure of staying at Matt's wargames holiday hotel and can highly recommend it. See here: http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2020/09/wargames-holiday-hotel-mayenne.html ]

Have you been to the Musée Vendée Chouannerie?
https://www.musee-chouannerie-vendee.com/
It's only 200km from you, worth a day trip ... I discovered it last month and now have a much better understanding of the nature and scale of these conflicts. My report here:
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2022/06/brittany-fortifications-and-museums.html

All the best,
Chris

[ChrisBBB]

SJWi, the book I came away with from the museum was Chanoine Auguste Billaud's "La guerre de Vendee". Haven't read it yet so can't comment on how easy the French is, but what sold it to me was it has lots of (sketch) maps of the battles.

[SJWi]

Matt, do you know if the book you mention is still in print? A quick glance at Amazon Fr gives me the impression that it is now only available 2nd hand. Not a problem as I can ask my old Fr work colleagues to source for me.

 Thanks,

 Simon

[bluewillow]

Hey Matt, good to see you and your Vendee project are still going! I hope Hotel de Herce is doing well.
[Note to other readers: I had the pleasure of staying at Matt's wargames holiday hotel and can highly recommend it. See here: http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2020/09/wargames-holiday-hotel-mayenne.html ]

Have you been to the Musée Vendée Chouannerie?
https://www.musee-chouannerie-vendee.com/
It's only 200km from you, worth a day trip ... I discovered it last month and now have a much better understanding of the nature and scale of these conflicts. My report here:
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2022/06/brittany-fortifications-and-museums.html

All the best,
Chris

Yes a great museum, the Jean Chouan museum in Mayenne, and the Chouanerie museum in Saint Suzanne open in July, send me a pm and I will organise a weekend get together (when you are in normandy on Holidays next)

Cheers
Matt

[bluewillow]

Matt, your post on this topic is very timely for me. I am planning to game the Vendee in 28mm using Sharp Practice 2. I e-mailed Emperor's Toad Miniatures with a query earlier today and received a reply in 30 minutes. Most impressive. As you have obviously done some research into the period can you recommend any books in English or "simple" French. I have the Rob Harper book "Fighting the French Revolution"

 Regards.

Simon,

The Rob Harper book is possibly the best available currently in English, the pamflettes from the Vendee association are good simple stories that can be translated easily, the four volume book on the Chouans is quite good but needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

  I am slowly translating some of the articles to English so I can write some scenario books on the chouanerie, which I hope to release with freshly painted troops in time for Christmas! They will be skirmish through to large battles and will also have a simple set of rules included.

Cheers
Matt

[bluewillow]

I see Stonewall Miniatures have produced a few 15/18mm Vendeen packs including command and Generals.  They could easily be too big to match my Lancashire figures.  On the other hand they might just be OK.

Interesting, great to see some more ranges in 15-18mm become available

Cheers
Matt

[italwars]

A  list of sources available on line..mainly  titles in French but a few higligheted  in yellow are in  English:

http://grahl-beaupreau.fr.fo/Guerres_Vendee/Biblio_numerique_GdV_A3.pdf

[bluewillow]

A  list of sources available on line..mainly  titles in French but a few higligheted  in yellow are in  English:

http://grahl-beaupreau.fr.fo/Guerres_Vendee/Biblio_numerique_GdV_A3.pdf

Yes lots of good information there, use Google so most of the pdfs and websites should translate.

Cheers
Matt

[italwars]

easiest to follow this one including the secion of links to on line books in English:
http://www.vendeensetchouans.com/pages/la-bibliotheque-numerique/25905753.html