Camp of Conlie

The Camp of Conlie is one of the eleven camps establish by the republican government of Gambetta at the time of the Guerre of 1870

After the defeat of Sedan, Gambetta decides to form new armies and to continue the all-out war. The general of Kératry is charged to establish a camp with Conlie, in the area of the Mans and gathers there mobilized and the volunteers of the west of France to form a " there; army of Brittany " , with the advanced statute, since it envisaged even the election of the chiefs by the base . In fact, the government speculated in what it called " the parochialism breton" and on the heat with the combat which for little francized combatants the fact would cause of going up to fire all together, grouped behind their own flags . Gambetta doubted the reliability of these troops, and it count de Kératry was suspected of separatist intentions . This army is given up by the government, under terrible sanitary arrangements: shortage of tents, covers, shoes, tents flooded, mud to semi-leg, etc Of the thousands of soldiers die of hunger, cold and disease in what some called " Kerfank" , the town of mud in Breton.

History

Creation of the camp

The general of Keratry is named with the head of the Armée with Brittany on October 22nd, to come in support from the Armée with the Loire, with load for him to create it. He can join together in his army mobilized departments of Brittany and of Maine, the mobile guards still available in these areas, the irregular forces of the West, a few thousands of men of infantry of line, some squadrons of cavalry, some sailors, etc the mobilizable quota of the 5 Breton departments was alone of 80.000 men.

It makes build with Conlie, close to Mans, the camp where will be made the formation: this camp can accommodate 50.000 men. It gathers an army of 25.000 men there as of on November 10th. Nearly 60.000 men pass there on the whole. It is envisaged to arm these men with the surpluses of the American Civil War American, but these weapons promised by Gambetta do not arrive.

Life with the camp

The hutments are not built on arrival of not mobilized, and the soldiers are lodged under execrable conditions. Tents are established in urgency.

The ground had been plowed little of time before the construction of the camp the passage of thousands of men in fact quickly a mud pit where it is very difficult to move.

The lack of instructors (captive in Germany), of material, of supply, cause the discouragement within a troop however largely made up of volunteers.

Operations of the army of Brittany

November 23rd, takes place the combat of the Fork, near Mans. Gambetta decides the sending of 12.000 of the men of the camp of Conlie, armed with only 4000 rifles in bad condition and with ammunition of an inadequate gauge against Ier Bavarian body of the duke of Mecklembourg. The general of Kératry sends best equipped and the least tired his men, forming the division of walk of Brittany (the 4th division of the 21e body), ordered by the Gougeard general. Division arrives at Yvré-l' Évêque on November 26th, launches a recognition until Bouloire. The combat does not take place, the Prussians being dodged.

In front of the refusal repeated of the government to arm its men correctly, like ensuring them of the decent conditions of existence, and ulcerated by a dispatch humiliating of delegated to the war Freycinet, Kératry resigns in sign of protest on November 27th, leaving the command to its assistant, the general Bouëdec.

From his catch of command, the Marivault general who succeeds to him, frightened by the situation, requests, as of on December 10th, the evacuation partial of the camp, refused by Gambetta, which visiting the camp, finds the situation excellent. The staff makes evacuate of his own boss part of manpower. Gambetta gives its agreement only at the end of December, on the insistence of the Freycinet general. The scandal is born at this time in Brittany, in front of the state of the men who return on their premises. The 19.000 remaining men are integrated into the 2nd army of the Loire, and the camp is closed the January 7th 1871.

The day before battles of Mans (January 10th and 11th 1871), one provides to the 19 000 men remaining of rifles Springfield rusted and the damaged cartridges, and one places them in first line. The general Chanzy, overcome of Mans, rejects the responsibility for the defeat on the Breton ones. Indeed, it is on their position of Tilery that the Prussians make carry their decisive effort, which decides victory. The Breton ones, exhausted by two months of deprivations, badly armed, almost not prepared, are cut in parts in the night of the 11 to the 12 by the 20th Prussian division of the general von Krautz-Koschlau.

I believe that we were sacrificed… I affirm that one should not have sent to us there, because one was to know that we were not armed to face regular troops|The Lalande general

The camp of Conlie is reached on January 14th by the Prussians, who make jump the fortifications, and leave the commune on March 6th.

Assessment

From November 1870 in January 1871 there were 143 died of disease including 88 of Variole. 2000 of the 60.000 soldiers who passed there had to be sent to the infirmary.

The report/ratio of a board of inquiry written by Arthur of Borderie is overpowering for the French Army , which showed a total lack of organization. Borderie evokes also mistrust of Gambetta towards possible a danger chouan .

A monument is inaugurated on May 11th, 1913 on the hill of Jaunelière. A commemorative plaque is affixed there on February 14th, 1971 at the time of the centenary.

The business of the camp of Conlie raises general indignation in Brittany. The camp was not a Concentration camp (the expression is invented only one score of years later and the “prisoners” were soldiers in instruction, even if they neither were equipped, neither trained, nor armed), but it is perceived like such in the unconscious collective of very many militant Breton.

See too

External bonds

the camp of mobilized Breton of Conlie

Bibliography on the subject

stages of the first battalion of mobilized of Brest , Robert sergeant,
the battle of Mans, mobilized of Brittany , Charles Mengin, Etiembre and Pledran, Nantes, 1872,
Armed with Brittany 1870-1871 , depositions, Commission Report of investigation, Emile de Kératry, A. Lacroix, Paris, 1873
the army of Brittany , Aime Jay, Plon, Paris, 1873
the Army of Brittany, by a volunteer with the Editions the Knight, 1874,
It camp of Conlie and the Army of Brittany (report/ratio submitted at the National Assembly), by Arthur of Borderie to the Editions Plon, Paris, 1874,
Armed with Brittany, mobilized Loire-Inférieure , Henri Monnié, Middle-class Printing works, Nantes, 1876,
Hard stages 1870-71, armed with Brittany , Chabrol lysis, Victor Havard, Paris, 1893,
Around the Camp of Conlie (Notes and Memories) , Doctor A. Touchard, Mans, Bookstore R. Pellechat, 1894
Memories of the Army of Brittany (1870-1871), by Doctor Robert Gestin, Editions the One-eyed one, 1909,
the history of the camp of Conlie, October 24th, 1870 - January 25th, 1871 , Paul Cut, Monnoyer, Mans, 1913,
the Strange Adventure of the Army of Brittany, the Drama of the Camp of Conlie and Mans Camille the Draper of Erm, Editions With the Sign of the hermine, 1937, ISBN 2-84722-024-0,
the Breton holocaust , Yann Brekilien, Editions of the Rock, 1994, ISBN 2268017095,
the Breton ones in the war of 1870 , Philippe Moing-Kerrand, 1999,
Finistere vis-a-vis modernity between 1850 and 1900 , Herve Martin, Louis Martin, 2004, Apogee, ISBN 2-84398-163-8
One can also read the tale of Leon BLOY " Boue" (1893), in " Sweat of Sang" (ED. Folio)
" Conlie, forgotten soldiers of the army of Bretagne" by Jean Sibenaler, editions Routes, July 2007

Discography

the Celtic group of Music, Tri Yann with fact a song of the name of " Kerfank 1870 ", the first verse of this song refers to the catch of command of Marivault during the replacement of Kératry, whereas it reviewed the soldiers Breton-speaking shouting: " rear ger, my general, rear ger! ". Marivault rented their heat to want to leave to the war… ignoramus that into Breton, " rear ger" does not want to say " with the guerre" , but " at the house " …

Red Cardell - Conlie (Album " Rouge" 1993)

François Budet - the camp of Conlie (Album " Résurgences" September 1992)

Sources of the article

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