Ruqayyah Snyder
The French Revolutionary Wars, which lasted from 1792 until 1802, were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution. In 1794, the French armies experienced increased success, driving the Spanish out of Roussillon and invading Catalonia. However, it was in April 1792 that France initially declared war on Austria, with the Kingdom of Prussia joining the Austrian side a few weeks later. This marked the beginning of the War of the First Coalition (1792-1797), the first attempt by the European monarchies to defeat the French First Republic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date France declared war on Austria | 20 April 1792 |
| Reason | France interpreted the Declaration of Pillnitz as a threat to its sovereignty |
| Result | Austria lost all wars except the last one |
| Territories lost by Austria | All Italian possessions, the Austrian Netherlands, western German lands, access to the Adriatic Sea, and the portion of Poland that it had acquired in the Third Partition in 1795 |
| Territories gained by France | All of the Austrian Netherlands and the Rhineland |
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What You'll Learn
France's declaration of war on Austria in April 1792
On April 20, 1792, France declared war on Austria and Francis II, the nephew of King Louis XVI's wife. This declaration, made by the Legislative Assembly, was influenced by several factors. Firstly, the Assembly felt threatened by foreign monarchs, particularly Leopold II, the brother of Marie Antoinette, who was interfering on behalf of King Louis XVI. The Girondins within the Assembly also desired war as a means to spread the revolution throughout Europe. Additionally, King Louis XVI himself wanted the war, hoping to shift the dynamics of the French Revolution in his favor.
The French declaration of war against Austria was part of the French Revolutionary Wars, a series of military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. These wars profoundly impacted the new French society and shaped the course of European history, with each power seeking to appropriate parts of France. The War of the First Coalition, which France was now a part of, would see several European powers loosely allied against the constitutional Kingdom of France and later the French Republic.
The decision to declare war was not without opposition. The Jacobins, including people like Barnave and Robespierre, were against the war. Initially, King Leopold II of Austria was also sympathetic to the revolution and reluctant to initiate a costly war. However, his sudden death in March 1792 removed this obstacle, and the Girondins, who had been preparing for war, seized the opportunity to push for it.
The French army was not in an ideal state when the war was declared, and leading military commanders had little confidence in its capabilities. Nonetheless, Dumouriez, the foreign minister, sought a war that might restore popularity and authority to the king. He presented a long list of grievances against Austria, and the Legislative Assembly voted for war. This vote was followed by an immediate French invasion of the Austrian Netherlands, with Dumouriez expecting the local population to rise against Austrian rule as they had in 1790.
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The French Revolutionary Wars
Initially confined to Europe, the fighting gradually assumed a global dimension. After a decade of constant warfare and aggressive diplomacy, France conquered territories in the Italian peninsula, the Low Countries, and the Rhineland. France's very large and powerful military was totally mobilized for war against most of Europe with mass conscription of the vast French population. French success in these conflicts ensured military occupation and the spread of revolutionary principles over much of Europe.
The key figure in the initial foreign reaction to the French Revolution was Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, brother of Queen Marie Antoinette of France. Leopold had initially looked on the revolution with equanimity but became more disturbed as the revolution became more radical, although he still hoped to avoid war. On 27 August 1791, Leopold and King Frederick William II of Prussia, in consultation with emigrant French nobles, issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, which declared the interest of the monarchs of Europe in the well-being of King Louis XVI of France and his family. It threatened vague but severe consequences if anything should befall them. Although Leopold saw the Pillnitz Declaration as a non-committal gesture to placate the sentiments of French monarchists and nobles, it was seen in France as a serious threat and was denounced by the revolutionary leaders.
France issued an ultimatum demanding that Leopold renounce any hostile alliances and withdraw his troops from the French border. The reply was evasive, and the French Legislative Assembly voted for war on 20 April 1792 against Francis II, Leopold II's successor, after a long list of grievances presented by foreign minister Charles François Dumouriez. Dumouriez prepared an immediate invasion of the Austrian Netherlands, where he expected the local population to rise against Austrian rule as they had in 1790. However, the revolution had thoroughly disorganized the army, and the forces raised were insufficient for the invasion. Following the declaration of war, French soldiers deserted en masse and in one case murdered their general, Théobald Dillon.
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The War of the First Coalition
In the lead-up to the war, relations between the French revolutionaries and neighbouring monarchies had deteriorated following the Declaration of Pillnitz in August 1791. This declaration, issued by the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and King Frederick William II of Prussia, expressed concern for the well-being of Louis XVI and his family and threatened consequences if anything befell them. The French government, acting without the king, interpreted this as a threat to its sovereignty and responded with provocations, leading to a declaration of war against Austria in April 1792. Prussia, having allied with Austria, declared war on France in June 1792.
The war was marked by French successes in multiple theatres. In 1793, the French defeated the Vendean rebel force known as the Catholic and Royal Army and were also victorious at the Siege of Toulon, which launched the career of Napoleon Bonaparte. In 1794, the French drove the Prussians back in the Rhineland and were successful against the Spanish in the Pyrenees. The next year, both Prussia and Spain withdrew from the war, with Prussia recognising French claims to the left bank of the Rhine in the Treaty of Basel. Despite these successes, the French Republic was in a precarious position in 1793, facing enemy armies on multiple fronts.
The First Coalition ultimately collapsed, with only Britain remaining in the field against France. The Treaty of Campo Formio, signed in October 1797, marked the end of the war and the exit of Austria from the conflict. However, the underlying issues remained unresolved, and hostilities resumed a year later in the War of the Second Coalition. The War of the First Coalition was closely linked to the French Revolution and was considered by many revolutionaries as a natural progression of the Revolution. It was a significant conflict that contributed to the redrawing of the map of Europe and set the stage for the Napoleonic Wars that followed.
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The War of the Second Coalition
The Second Coalition took several months to form, starting with Naples allying itself with Austria on 19 May 1798. Russia allied with the Ottoman Empire and Great Britain, while attacking the French Ionian Islands. By 1 December, the Kingdom of Naples had signed alliances with both Russia and Great Britain.
The first half of the war saw the Coalition manage to drive the French back in Italy, Germany, and Holland, but they were unable to seriously threaten an invasion of France or defeat the French decisively in battle. The second half of the war saw Napoleon Bonaparte and General Moreau inflict major defeats, forcing the Coalition to surrender. This resulted in the status quo from the previous war being upheld, and French territorial gains since 1793 were confirmed.
In the Franco-Austrian Treaty of Lunéville in February 1801, France held all of its previous gains and obtained new lands in Tuscany, Italy. Austria was granted Venetia and the former Venetian Dalmatia. Most other allies also signed separate peace treaties with the French Republic in 1801. Britain and France signed the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802, followed by the Ottomans in June 1802, which brought an interval of peace in Europe that lasted several months.
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The Declaration of Pillnitz
The French government interpreted the declaration as a threat to its sovereignty and responded with a series of provocations, which led to a French declaration of war on Austria, over which Leopold ruled, in April 1792. Prussia, having allied with Austria in February, declared war on France in June 1792. This marked the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, which lasted until 1802 and pitted France against Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and several other countries.
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Frequently asked questions
France declared war on the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria in April 1792.
France declared war on Austria because it viewed the Declaration of Pillnitz as a serious threat to its sovereignty. The Declaration of Pillnitz was issued by the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, who was the brother of the French Queen Marie Antoinette.
The War of the First Coalition (1792-1797) ended with the Treaty of Campo Formio, which ceded Belgium to France and recognised French control of the Rhineland and much of Italy.
Yes, between 1792 and 1802, France and Austria fought five wars against each other, with Austria losing all but the last.
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