His reintegration into the French army was thwarted by this late return to France, despite a letter of recommendation from George Washington, still him.Louis XVI wished to entrust him with a regiment of infantry, but Armand refused, as he had always led regiments of dragoons and wished to retain the prestige of the cavalry.He considered a trip to Prussia to study military strategy with an American friend who had followed him to France, but his recently married wife died and so he gave up the trip.Two years later, in 1788, Louis XVI signed edicts reducing the jurisdiction of regional parliaments, which was opposed by the Breton parliament and nobles. Armand was part of the delegation that went to ask for an audience with the king, who refused them. They were even imprisoned in the Bastille. After their release, he took a close interest in the events that were unfolding, wishing to become a deputy to the Estates General, which the Breton nobility opposed. Very quickly, he was displeased with the turn the French Revolution was taking. He was nevertheless a liberal and counted among his friends two future presidents of the United States! The abolition of Breton laws, statutes and customs revolted him. He created the Breton Association with a defensive aim at first, but the association quickly armed itself, structured itself and recruited, despite the emigration of many nobles, with a view to a great counter-revolutionary uprising. Armand was forced to leave the castle and wander around Brittany. He finally died of pneumonia in 1793 at the age of 41, a little over a month before the date of the Breton Association's uprising. Although the Association did not survive him, many of its members and leaders were chosen by the Chouans peasant revolt.
Photo: Statue of Armand Tuffin de la Rouërie in front of the mansion (now a court) where he was born in Fougères. Erected in 1993 for the bicentenary of his death, the statue was financed by the Americans who were grateful for his services during the War of Independence