David El Kenz, an historian specializing in sixteenth century religious conflicts, considers that a “massacre” consists of “the mass murder of many people at the same time”. This approach has won widespread acceptance, yet it has its limitations; the events of the Vendée, indeed, shed some light on this matter. Between March 1793 and March 1796, the territory of the Vendée was affected by a succession of “mass killings”. How can such a radicalization of violence and destruction against combatants and civilians alike be explained? The difficult apprenticeship of a small war perpetrated by armies contributed to the dehumanization of the enemy. In addition, the political and military context is another explanatory factor. Fratricidal conflict and massacres thus formed a diabolic couple, making the enemy’s body into an essential strategic object. In this way, massacres provide a key to an understanding of the process of civil war.