Avignon–Comtat Venaissin War
| Avignon–Comtat Venaissin War | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of French Revolution | |||||||||
Territories of Avignon and Comtat Venaissin | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
|
Revolutionary Avignon municipal government Kingdom of France | Union of St. Cecilia (from 1791) | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Chevalier Patrice † Jourdan Coupe-tête Jean Duprat Minveille |
Pope Pius VI Filippo Casoni | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
3,000–15,000 6,000 | Several thousand | ||||||||
Following the unanimous declaration of the various district assemblies of Avignon on 12 June 1790, to secede from the Papal States and unite with France, war broke out between the municipal government of Avignon and the more conservative Comtat Venaissin, the larger county (comtat) which co-existed with Avignon and still pledged loyalty to the Papal States. Avignon, which had been inspired by the intentions of the French Revolution, soon received the support of French troops placed under its control, augmenting the Avignon forces that had laid siege to Carpentras, ending the government of the Comtat. However, hardline counter-revolutionary regions of the Comtat under the name the "Union of St. Cecilia" continued fighting until June 1791.
In spring 1791, with the rejection of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and the threat of violence spreading into neighbouring departments, France brokered a peace between the warring factions and organized a referendum in July 1791; with the majority of the population voting in favor of union with France, both Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin were officially annexed on 14 September 1791.