Great Return

La Glorieuse Rentrée is a retreat and armed occupation of the native valleys of the western Alps in 1689 by the Valdens, forced into Switzerland. History Waldensi as the only non-Catholic religious group survived persecution from the 12th to 17th centuries in the inaccessible alpine valleys on the border between France and Savoy.

In 1686, the prince of Savoy Viktor Amadeus II decided to "finally solve" the Walden problem by forcibly evacuating them to Switzerland. First, they set up their families in special camps (which can be considered as prototypes of concentration camps). Settlements began in January 1687. The Waldensi, (2700 people, grouped in 13 columns), had to walk in the middle of winter on high alpine peaks; Many of them died on the way.

In Switzerland, they were settled in the present canton of Vaud, which was named after the French word "waldens" = "Vaudois". They did not assimilate with the local population and dreamed of returning. The opportunity came soon when the new king of England, William III Orański, created a plan to use the valdens for the sabotage combat in the rear of the army of King Louis XIV of France.

In the middle of April 1689, a trained and armed detachment of over 60% of waldens crossed Lake Lemans and traveled 200 km to the alpine valleys of the Valdens. This military operation used a surprise effect and did not encounter almost any resistance - the only bloody battle took place on 23 April in the Suze Valley (30% of the people in the ward died). New Catholic settlers fled into panic, leaving empty settlements. Waldensi quickly organized the defense so effectively that the plan of the marshal Catinata to defeat them before the coming of winter did not work. On May 2, 1690, four thousand Dragoons from the Royal French Army could not defeat the 300 Valedens, who, however, had to escape at night over enemy advantage. A few days later the Prince of Sabaudia broke off an alliance with France and formed an alliance with England, which blocked the French military action against the valdens. In 1694, the duke granted valdensom a guarantee of tolerance, but closed their valleys and created a ghetto for the valdens.

The boldness and boldness of the military operation, called the Great Return, made it one of the most important events in the history of the Valdens and a symbol of the struggle for the homeland.

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