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Georges Cadoudal (; January 1, 1771 – June 25, 1804), sometimes called simply Georges, was a Bretons counter-revolutionary and leader of the Chouannerie during the French Revolution. He was posthumously named a Marshal of France in 1814 by the reinstated Bourbons. Cadoudal means in Breton language "warrior returning from the fight".
Returning to Morbihan, he was arrested, and imprisoned at Brest. He succeeded, however, in escaping, and began again the struggle against the Revolution. In spite of the defeat of his party, and of the fact that he was forced several times to take refuge in England, Cadoudal did not cease both to wage war and to conspire in favour of the Royalist pretender Louis XVIII. In 1799 he was a regular visitor at Mont Orgueil, Jersey where he would meet Philippe d'Auvergne, a British spymaster. He refused to come to any understanding with the government, although offers were made to him by Napoleon Bonaparte, who admired his skill and his obstinate energy.
From 1800 it was impossible for Cadoudal to continue to wage open war, so he centered his efforts on conspiracies. In December, he was indirectly involved in an attempt on the life of the First Consul, led by in the Plot of the Rue Saint-Nicaise, and fled to England again.
On the night of 23 August 1803, landed Georges and several other at the foot of the cliffs of Biville. Le Notre, G. The House of the Combrays. – accessed 7 October 2013. The conspirators wanted to undertake a new kidnap or assassination attempt on Bonaparte whilst on the road to Malmaison. Although under nominal police surveillance, he succeeded in eluding pursuit for six months, but was arrested for long periods. Found guilty and sentenced to death, he refused to ask for pardon and was in Paris, along with eleven of his companions. Before being executed, he shouted to the crowd: "And now, it's time to show to the Parisians how Christians, Royalists and Bretons die".Sanson, Mémoires des bourreaux (Paris, 1688-1847, tome 6)
During the Bourbon Restoration in 1814, Cadoudal was made a Marshal of France posthumously by Louis XVIII.
Cadoudal features as a main character in the 1940 Rafael Sabatini novel, The Marquis of Carabas (also known as Master-At-Arms). He is also portrayed in The Companions of Jehu and The Knight of Sainte-Hermine by Alexandre Dumas, père.
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