François-Joseph Westermann

François-Joseph Westermann , born with Molsheim (Alsace), on September 5th 1751, guillotine with Paris, the April 5th 1794 is a Général republican army, remained famous for the atrocities which it made in the Vendée.

It was used initially in a regiment as cavalry, which it left in 1773 for the gendarmerie. It adhered fully to the Revolution and became to graft municipality of Haguenau.

Come in Paris, it took share at the day of August 10th, and was one of the first to be penetrated with the Tuileries. Named adjudant-general, it was useful under Dumouriez with the army of North. Stopped after the treason of this one, it was released on May 4th, 1793.

Named brigadier general, on May 15th, 1793, it was affected at once as commander-in-chief of the army of the Coasts of La Rochelle. June 18th, 1793, however, it is Marat, which, with the national Convention, denounced it like agent of Dumouriez and for its exactions in Belgium, to raise the Belgians against our armies and to destroy their meeting , will say it.

In the Vendée, however, its character relentless made the terror of the royalists of it. June 20th, 1793, with 1200 men, it took by storm Parthenay, which Lescure with 6000 Vendean defended.

There wrote with the Comité public safety a letter containing the following passage, remained famous:

“ It has there no more the Vendée. She died under our free saber, with his wives and her children. I have just buried it in the marshes and the wood of Savenay. I do not have a prisoner to reproach myself. I very exterminated ”.

Recalled to Paris, after the Battle of Savenay of December 23rd, 1793, this friend of Danton, was proscribed with him. Translated in front of the revolutionary Tribunal, he was condemned to died and guillotine the same day as the dantonists.

Today streets still bear the name of that which was called " the butcher of Vendée" , as well as a boat of cruising on the the Rhine.

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