Battle of Méribel

Template:Infobox military conflict The Battle of Méribel was fought on 28 September 1793 at the village of Méribel, near Sallanches in the modern French department of Haute-Savoie, during the War of the First Coalition. The forces of the Kingdom of Sardinia were defeated by the French Revolutionary Army.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Background

Méribel is a hamlet in the present-day commune of Sallanches, in the department of Haute-Savoie.<ref>Template:Cite book.</ref> At the time, the territory was part of Mont-Blanc, a French department created in November 1792 after the annexation of Savoy from Sardinia.<ref>Template:HDS</ref> Sardinia would only recognize the loss of Savoy at the Treaty of Paris (1796).

In August 1793, a 1,000-men Sardinian army engaged in a counter-offensive in the Faucigny against French revolutionary troops.<ref name="Socquet126">Template:Cite book</ref> The Coalition armies crossed the Alpine passes to counter the French troops. On 21 August, a first major battle took place at the Saint-Martin bridge, near Sallanches, allowing the Sardinian army to retake the towns of Cluses (24 August) and Bonneville.<ref name="Mariotte">Template:Cite book</ref> This attempt to restore the rule of the House of Savoy in the region was, however, short-lived. The following month, the French recaptured the lost territories.<ref name="Samoens">Template:Cite book</ref>

At Cluses on 16 September, French troops commanded by Charles Verdelin attacked the town of Sallanches, where the Sardinian Army had taken refuge.<ref name="Mariotte"/> However, the French experienced difficulties in face of an organized defense, including chasseurs, who had taken up position at the Méribel redoubt.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The French attack failed.<ref name="Mariotte"/> A letter stated, "On 17 September, the French attacked Sallanches but without fruition because we had a good redoubt defended by the chasseurs from the Méribel heights. We also had some cannons. It is said that the enemy here lost nearly 500 of their own."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

On 21 September, Verdelin demanded the population not to revolt again.<ref name="Samoens"/> Template:Ill, who had been sent by the National Convention to accompany the Army of the Alps, had orders from the Committee of Public Safety to take reprisals against the revolting populace.<ref name="Samoens"/> Simond, being originally from the Duchy of Savoy, hesitated, but implemented a purge in Samoëns.<ref name="Samoens"/>

Battle

The French army resumed the assault on Sallanches on 27 September.<ref name="Mariotte"/> On the 28th they attacked the Méribel redoubt,<ref name="SG165">Template:Cite book</ref> located about Template:Convert downstream from the town of Saint-Martin-sur-Arve.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The redoubt was taken on 29 September. In the evening, the victorious troops of Verdelin and Simond entered Sallanches.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 540 people were taken prisoner, while some peasants were executed by firing squad.<ref name="SG165"/> The Sardinians retreated to the Bonhomme pass.<ref name="SG165"/>

Commemoration

On 18 September 2004, the Ligue savoisienne unveiled a plaque commemorating the defense of the valley by the Savoyards in face of revolutionary troops.<ref>Les Échos de la Ligue, « La bataille de Méribel », Echo de Savoie, n°76 (november 2004).</ref>