Le Gouaréguer, Mikaël

Paul-Émile de La Fruglaye: A royalist Breton agent in Normandy (1795–1799) - 2022.


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Paul-Émile de La Fruglaye (1766–1849) is a seemingly unremarkable person who remained in the shadow of the great captains, martyrs of the French counter-revolution. Although he is not exactly the kind of anonymous person who would have interested Alain Corbin and the proponents of micro-history, the story of La Fruglaye allows a rereading of the Norman Chouannerie from the point of view of a simple royalist, whose name has barely entered posterity. While he might not have attracted the attention of scholars and historians, his role as a royal agent seemed indispensable to the main participants of this struggle, notably Louis de Frotté. He is also a good example of the complicated relationship between the British government and French emigrants. From a military history perspective, La Fruglaye is an ancestor of the international staff officer. In his time, he experienced the complexity of operating under multiple commands.