  Generalized \'etale homotopy pro-groups $\pi_1^{\ets}(\mc{C}, x)$ associated
to pointed connected small Grothendieck sites $(\mc{C}, x)$ are defined and
their relationship to Galois theory and the theory of pointed torsors for
discrete groups is explained. Applications include new rigorous proofs of some
folklore results around $\pi_1^{\ets}(\et{X}, x)$, a description of
Grothendieck's short exact sequence for Galois descent in terms of pointed
torsor trivializations, and a new \'etale van Kampen theorem which gives a
simple statement about a pushout square of pro-groups that works for covering
families which do not necessarily consist exclusively of monomorphisms. A
corresponding van Kampen result for Grothendieck's profinite groups
$\pi_1^{\Gals}$ immediately follows.
