May 1794 · Northern Province Theater
May 1794
When the French National Convention voted to abolish slavery in all French territories in February 1794, Toussaint Bréda — commanding a disciplined force of several thousand men under the Spanish flag — made a historic decision. In May 1794 he switched sides, joining the French Republic and attacking his former Spanish allies. His military skill was immediately apparent: he drove Spanish forces back across the border and began what would become a five-year campaign to expel all foreign powers from Saint-Domingue. He adopted the name Louverture, from the French word for 'opening' — he was the one who made an opening in the enemy's ranks. The British, now fighting both the French and Toussaint, began to suffer catastrophic losses to yellow fever.
Commanders