Editing Angers (section)

=== French Revolution ===

[[File:Cahier Angers.jpg|thumb|left|200px|One of the [[cahiers de doléances]] written in Angers in 1789]]
The first months of the [[French Revolution]] were relatively quiet in Angers. In 1789, the city lost its ancient administrative positions, replaced in 1790 by the [[department of France|department]] of ''Mayenne-et-Loire'', soon renamed "[[Maine-et-Loire]]". [[Duchy of Anjou|Anjou]], as a political entity, disappeared, although the new department included most of its territory.

The [[War in the Vendée|War of Vendée]], a Royalist rebellion and [[counterrevolution]] led in [[Vendée]], a department located at the southwest of [[Maine-et-Loire]], reached the [[Loire]] in March 1793. The Royalist army soon crossed the river and progressed as far as [[Granville, Manche|Granville]], in [[Normandy]], in November. Pushed back, the Vendéens went back south and, to cross the Loire again, had to attack Angers.

The city was defended by 4,000 Republican soldiers, whereas the Royalists were at least 20,000, but weakened by successive fights and deceases. The [[Siege of Angers]] occurred on 3 and 4 December 1793. The Royalists' bad tactics, as well as the strength of Angers city wall and castle, caused their loss. They consequently went back north for a while, around [[Le Mans]], before crossing the [[Loire]] at [[Ancenis]] on 16 December.

In 1794, fierce repression was conducted in the whole region against the Royalists. In Angers, 290 prisoners were shot and 1020 died of illness in jail.<ref>Jacques Hussenet (dir.), ''" Détruisez la Vendée ! "'', p. 452–453.</ref> The city also welcomed many refugees, mostly Republicans living in Royalist rural areas. Between 19 and 31 May 1793, between 650 and 1000 Republican families sought asylum in Angers.<ref>Guy-Marie Lenne, ''Les Réfugiés de la guerre de Vendée'', p. 20–25</ref>