Week 18- The origins and impact of war

Question 1

How did the Austrians respond to the flight to Varennes?

Answer 1

They felt as if they needed to make some gesture of support for the monarch.
Therefore, the emperor of Austria, Leopold II, and Frederick-William III of Prussia, issued the Declaration of Pillnitz.

Question 2

When was the Declaration of Pillnitz issued?

Answer 2

27th August 1791

Question 3

What was stated in the Declaration of Pillnitz?

Answer 3

The situation of the French King was of ‘common interest’ to all nations.
The powers of the French Crown should be restored.
They were ready to use force to bring about the restoration of royal power.

Question 4

What was the impact of the Declaration of Pillnitz?

Answer 4

It added to the mistrust of those who had already lost faith in the monarchy.
Also, fears were spreading about the increasing thread posed by the noble émigrés who were building up armies in Austria ans Germany.

Question 5

How did the legislative assembly respond to the Declaration of Pillnitz?

Answer 5

They met on 1st October 1791.

Their first decrees were released in November 1791.

Question 6

What did the Legislative Assembly’s decrees state?

Answer 6

9th November- A decree against émigrés. They threatened banishment and the seizure of their property unless they returned to France by 1st January 1792.
29th November- A decree demanding refractory priests take the oath or be treated as traitors.

Question 7

What did Louis do in response to the Assembly’s decrees?

Answer 7

He used his suspensory veto, but this only served to link the two rebellious groups more closely.

Question 8

What were the Assembly concerned about?

Answer 8

They feared the Austrian and Prussian support of the émigrés would stir up a counter-revolution within France.

Question 9

What were the Assembly’s views towards the idea of war?

Answer 9

There was very little opposition to the idea of war since the far left had failed to get any seats in the elections.

Question 10

What were the Jacobin club’s views towards the idea of war?

Answer 10

Only Robespierre alone opposed the war.
He argued that the revolutionaries’ first priority should be to establish the revolution at home.
However, his views made little impact.

Question 11

Who was Jacques-Pierre Brissot?

Answer 11

He headed a group called the Brissotins or Girondins who argued strongly in favour of war.
They believed it would be easily won as the enemy’s oppressed subjects would see the French soldiers as ‘men of liberty’.

Question 12

What were the Royal family’s views towards the idea of war?

Answer 12

Louis claimed to support the constitution and oppose any war.
However, he was secretly corresponding with émigrés and Leopold of Austria to bring about the restoration of the crown’s power.

Question 13

What attempts were mad to try and prevent the war?

Answer 13

Austria was pressed for assurances of non-intervention in French affairs.

Question 14

When did Austria and Prussia make a formal alliance?

Answer 14

February 1792.

In this, Prussia promised 20,000 men in support of a war against France.

Question 15

When did Leopold die?

Answer 15

1st March 1792.
His successor, Francis II, failed to meet France’s demands of non-intervention.
This lead to a French declaration of war on Austria.

Question 16

When was the French declaration of war on Austria?

Answer 16

20th April 1792.

Question 17

What came of Brissot’s predictions of an easy victory?

Answer 17

They were rapidly disproved.

Even though there were a higher number of French troops, they were very divided.

Question 18

How were the French troops divided?

Answer 18

The ‘blues’ were the volunteer battalions, formed from National Guards of active citizens.
They did not trust the ‘whites’ who were men from the old royal army or their commanders who were appointed by Louis XVI.

Question 19

What else lead to The French struggling in the war?

Answer 19

The lack of experienced officers contributed to a series of french reverses.
e.g. There was a setback in Lille on 28th April when the French troops retreated from the enemy and massacred one of their own officers after accusing him of treason.

Question 20

How many French, Austrian and Prussian troops were sent to war?

Answer 20

150,000 French troops
35,000 Austrian troops
The Prussians were caught unprepared and didn’t join the war until May 1792.

Question 21

How did the Assembly try to help the failing French in the war?

Answer 21

The ‘counter-revolutionaries’ became the scapegoats.
27th May- The Assembly voted for the deportation of refractory priests, saying that they were ‘provoking disturbances’.
29th May- The Assembly ordered the disbanding of the King’s guard which had appeared to celebrate the military set backs.
8th June- The Assembly set up a fédéré camp of 20,000 volunteer soldiers to supplement the regular army.

Question 22

How did Louis respond to the decrees passed by the National Assembly?

Answer 22

He used his suspensory veto against all three decrees.
One of his Girondin ministers tried to prevent him from doing this, but this only lead to Louis dismissing his entire ministry on 13th June.

Question 23

What problems were there within the government during the war?

Answer 23

The Government was in chaos.
Lafayette was rightly accused of planning a counter-revolution.
General Dumouriez, minister of war, resigned his position and went off to fight.
Provincial volunteers began marching northwards, despite the King’s disapproval.