Although he was born in
Vitré, Jean-Julien-Marie. Savary was thought of as an adopted native of
Cholet. He became a lawyer in 1780 and adopted the principles of the
French Revolution, taking a very active part in the
War in the Vendée. He was president of the tribunal of Cholet from 1790 to 1793. When the War in the Vendée broke out, the rebels captured Savary. In March 1793, during the
First Battle of Cholet, he narrowly escaped death thanks to a petition from the inhabitants of Cholet, then managed to escape. He then became civil commissar to the staff of
Canclaux and
Kléber. Next he was adjutant-general to the
armée de l'Ouest and fought in the
Battle of Savenay. After the
virée de Galerne he was put in command of
Châteaubriant in 1794 and fought against the
Chouans. He opposed the massacres planned by
Turreau's
infernal columns. At
Nantes, he tried to convince
Carrier to save the captured Vendéen children, notably at the prison de l'Entrepôt des cafés in the city. His historical works was said by many historians "to be located at the hinge between witness and analysis, succeeding in combining his experience with general Kléber with citations from the archives". He then began a political career, sitting on the
Council of Five Hundred then the
Council of the Ancients. He was sub-inspector to the reviews during the
Consulate and
First French Empire. He was made a knight of the
Légion d'honneur on 17 January 1805. He died in Paris on 27 December 1839. == Works ==