The Army of the West (armée de l'Ouest) was one of the French Revolutionary Armies. It was created on 1 August 1793 by merging the armée des côtes de Brest, the armée des côtes de La Rochelle, and the armée de Mayence, and was sent to fight the revolt in the Vendee.
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Visiting Republican soldiers of the armée de l'Ouest, Jean-Baptiste Carrier was aggrieved by the state in which he found them: patched uniforms, mismatched or worn-out weapons, supplies insufficient in both quantity and quality, infectious illnesses (especially venereal ones) spreading rapidly, drunkenness. For Jean-Baptiste Carrier, the negligence and greed of the "fat and bold army suppliers" that had forced the troops to behave like looters. Determined to track down the "egotism of the rich citizens of Nantes", Carrier began a requisitions scheme to improve the Armée de l'Ouest.