To what extent did the war bring about a change in the course of the French Revolution?

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To what extent did the war bring about a change in the course of the Revolution?

David Newsome

08/0303

        Up until the beginning of 1792, the French Revolution had been going quite smoothly, with a relatively small amount of bloodshed in relation to the enormity of some of the events. However, it was in April 1792, when war was declared on Austria that events in France took a turn for the worse. With the additional pressures placed on an already faltering economy, and the increased demand for public support, more drastic measures had to be adopted by the government in order to try to control the country. This panic was evident, and this was shown by the “September Massacres”, which were essentially the result of a panic reaction caused by the lack of troops defending Paris, who had gone to fight the Austrians after the fall of Verdun. War also aggravated counter-revolutionaries, as well as having a huge influence on the Convention, and the ultimate alignment of the Plain behind the Montagnards, and the subsequent ability to pass legislation to suppress those who were opposed to the revolution. This was the start of the Terror, and caused the power struggle within the government that gave it the ability to be authoritarian in the way that it was to be.

          One of the most immediate consequences of the outbreak of war was The September Massacres. These massacres, from the 2nd to the 6th September 1792 were the first time that the revolutionary government really lost control of the Paris mob. The French army were defeated at Longwy and then Verdun within a fortnight. This now left the Austrian army an easy passage straight through to Paris. This terrifying prospect prompted the rallying of troops from Paris, and the signing up of many Sans-Culottes. This was the first time that Paris was left undefended which lead to the massacres themselves, but it also mixed the regular army with the Sans-Culottes, who flocked in their thousands to sign up. The combined army’s ultimate victory at Valmy saw the mix of the joy of victory and the ideology of the revolution being mixed. This really set the revolution off as now the Sans-Culottes; the instigators of the storming of the Bastille were seen together with the French army as heroes as they had defeated the very public Prussian threat.      

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Another result of the War was the overthrowing of the Monarchy. This was catalysed by the initial failure of the French army, which had been effectively purged by the flight of many of its commanders as a result of the earlier terror in 1789. This depleted army was defeated by the Austrians the first time the armies met. As a result of this many of the troops deserted, and soon the commanders were recommending that peace be made as soon as possible. This was, justifiably, blamed on Marie Antoinette and this made the French despise her further. This is possibly ...

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