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The French Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792, launching the War of the First Coalition and the French Revolutionary Wars. This was due to several factors, including the desire to spread the revolution and destroy other monarchies, the threat of foreign monarchs interfering on behalf of King Louis XVI, and the king's own desire for war, which he believed would increase his popularity and power. The war was initially disastrous for the French, intensifying tensions between the king and the Legislative Assembly, and leading to the king's eventual suspension and the founding of the French First Republic.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 20 April 1792 |
| Assembly | Legislative Assembly |
| Country | France |
| Opponent | Austria |
| Reason | Austria was threatening to interfere on behalf of King Louis XVI |
| The Girondins wanted to spread the revolution throughout Europe | |
| King Louis XVI wanted to increase his power and popularity | |
| Austria was conspiring with other European monarchs to invade France |
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What You'll Learn
- The Legislative Assembly wanted to spread the revolution and destroy other monarchies
- The Assembly felt threatened by foreign monarchs
- The Assembly declared the 'nation in danger' as a coalition gathered at its borders
- The Assembly wanted to defend the revolution within France
- The Assembly wanted to maintain liberty and independence
The Legislative Assembly wanted to spread the revolution and destroy other monarchies
The French Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792. This was the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, which lasted until 1802 and pitted the French First Republic against several monarchies, including Austria and Britain.
The Girondins, a group of innovators and radicals, wanted to spread the revolution throughout Europe and, by extension, defend the revolution in France. They believed that the French king, Louis XVI, was conspiring with other monarchs to restore his pre-revolutionary authority and crush the revolution. The king was also unhappy about having to share power and was agitating with foreign monarchs to increase his power. The Legislative Assembly, therefore, declared war on Austria to defend the revolution and destroy other monarchies.
The king's attempted escape to Varennes in June 1791, where he was caught and placed under surveillance, fuelled suspicions of his conspiring with other monarchs. The Declaration of Pillnitz in August 1791 by the king of Prussia and the emperor of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia further confirmed these suspicions, as they called on all European monarchs to 'liberate' the king. The king's repeated vetoing of decrees proposed by the Assembly, such as those concerning émigrés and non-juring clergymen, also intensified tensions.
The Assembly's declaration of war was also influenced by the desire to preemptively strike against the imminent threat of invasion by the allied European monarchies. The Brunswick Manifesto, issued by the commander of the Allied Army in July 1792, threatened to harm French civilians if the French royal family was harmed. This, along with the news that Austrian and Prussian armies had marched into French soil, fuelled the spirit of the revolution and further spurred the Assembly to declare war.
The war against Austria was also part of a broader context of political divisions and social unrest in France during the French Revolution. The Legislative Assembly, which replaced the National Assembly in 1791, was composed of "innovators", "moderates", and "defenders of the constitution". The Girondins, a radical group within the Assembly, played a significant role in the declaration of war, as they sought to spread the revolution and defend its principles. However, not everyone in the Assembly supported the war, with some arguing that France was not ready and that it could lead to a loss of progress made during the Revolution.
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The Assembly felt threatened by foreign monarchs
The Legislative Assembly, which came into power in 1791, was hostile towards the king from the beginning. The Assembly was made up of "innovators", "moderates", and "defenders of the constitution". The "innovators", also known as the Jacobins, were radical revolutionaries who wanted to spread the revolution throughout Europe and defend it within France. They felt threatened by foreign monarchs, especially Leopold II, the brother of Marie Antoinette, who were threatening to interfere on behalf of King Louis XVI. The king was unhappy about having to share power and was conspiring with other monarchs to restore his pre-revolutionary authority.
The Assembly declared the 'nation in danger' and commanded 100,000 National Guards to strengthen the defence of Paris. The Brunswick Manifesto, issued on 25 July 1792, threatened that if the French royal family were harmed, French civilians would be harmed. This, along with the news that Austrian and Prussian armies had marched into France, heated the republican spirit to fury. The Assembly felt that the war was a rightful defence of a free people against the unjust aggression of a king.
The war against Austria, which started on 20 April 1792, was initially a disaster for the French. Prussia joined the Austrian side a few weeks later. The war intensified tensions between the king and the Assembly, and the blame for the war failures was thrown upon the king and his ministers. The Girondins, who had tried to save the monarchy, were dismissed from the Ministry by the king. The king's refusal to accept their help united the Jacobins in the project of overturning the monarchy by force.
The Legislative Assembly decreed the provisional suspension of King Louis XVI and the convocation of a National Convention, which was to draw up a constitution. The National Convention was the first French assembly elected by universal male suffrage, without distinctions of class. It declared a French Republic on 21 September 1792, sealing the fate of the king.
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The Assembly declared the 'nation in danger' as a coalition gathered at its borders
The French Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792, marking the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars. This act also launched the War of the First Coalition, which lasted from 1792 to 1797. The Assembly's decision was influenced by a range of factors, including the desire to spread the revolution, defend its principles, and counter perceived threats from foreign monarchs.
In the lead-up to the declaration, the French Revolution had been gaining momentum since 1789, challenging old institutions and targeting defenders of the Ancien Régime. This led to an exodus of people from France, including King Louis XVI, who attempted to escape with his family in June 1791 but was captured. The King was suspected of conspiring with other European monarchs, particularly those from Prussia, Austria, and Hungary, who aimed to restore the pre-revolutionary authority of the House of Bourbon in France. This suspicion was confirmed by the Declaration of Pillnitz in August 1791, where King Frederick William II of Prussia and Emperor Francis II of Austria explicitly called on European monarchs to intervene in France.
As the revolution radicalised, the Legislative Assembly, established in 1791, found itself in a hostile relationship with the King. The Assembly passed decrees that the King repeatedly vetoed, including those targeting émigrés and non-juring clergymen. The King's actions fuelled tensions and led to the blame for war failures being attributed to him and his ministers. The Assembly took steps to weaken the King's power, such as dissolving his guard and establishing a camp of national guardsmen near Paris.
With the Assembly declaring the nation in danger, they commanded 100,000 National Guards (Fédérés) to strengthen the defence of Paris, a decision that was vetoed by the King but ignored. The Brunswick Manifesto, issued on 25 July 1792, further escalated tensions. It threatened harm to French civilians if the French royal family was harmed and was seen as an insult to the French nation. This, combined with the presence of Austrian and Prussian armies on French soil, intensified the revolutionary spirit.
The Assembly's declaration of war on Austria was influenced by the desire to defend the principles of the French Revolution, counter perceived threats from foreign monarchs, and spread the revolution beyond France. The war's outcome would shape the course of the revolution and the fate of the monarchy in France.
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The Assembly wanted to defend the revolution within France
The Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792, launching the War of the First Coalition. This was a direct result of the French Revolution, which had been gradually radicalising since 1789, breaking with old institutions and targeting defenders of the
The Assembly also wanted to defend the revolution within France by spreading it throughout Europe and destroying other monarchies. The Girondins, in particular, wanted to export the Revolution throughout Europe. The Legislative Assembly's declaration of war stated that Austria had granted protection to rebel Frenchmen and taken concerted action with several European powers against the independence and safety of the French nation.
The Assembly's decision to declare war was also influenced by the king's repeated vetoes of its decrees, which intensified tensions and further united the Assembly and the common people of Paris against the monarchy. The king's attempts to escape from France in June 1791 and his suspected conspiracy with other European monarchs further fuelled suspicions of treason and made the Assembly and the French people more determined to defend the revolution.
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The Assembly wanted to maintain liberty and independence
The Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792, launching the War of the First Coalition. This was a direct result of the French Revolution, which had been gradually radicalising since 1789, breaking with old institutions and targeting defenders of the Ancien Régime.
> "The Assembly, deliberating on the formal proposition of the king, considering that the Court of Vienna, in contempt of treaties, has not ceased to grant open protection to rebel Frenchmen, that it prompted and took concerted action with several European powers against the independence and safety of the French nation... The Legislative Assembly declares that the French nation, true to the principles established in the Constitution not to undertake war with a view to making conquests, and never to use its forces against the freedom of a people, only takes up arms in order to maintain its liberty and its independence."
The Assembly was responding to the actions of King Louis XVI, who was suspected of conspiring with other European monarchs to restore his pre-revolutionary authority. The king had attempted to flee the country in 1791 but was captured, and he was put under surveillance. The Declaration of Pillnitz in 1791, by the kings of Prussia and Austria, called on all European monarchs to 'liberate' the French king. The Austrians and Prussians also issued the Brunswick Manifesto in 1792, which threatened harm to French civilians if the royal family was harmed. This helped to spur the French Revolution and led to the formation of the insurrectional Paris Commune, which aimed to get rid of the royals.
The Assembly's declaration of war was also a preemptive move to defend the Revolution from the threat of invasion by foreign forces. There was a real risk that France would be overwhelmed by a large anti-French coalition, and the Assembly wanted to spread the Revolution throughout Europe.
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Frequently asked questions
The Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792, due to a variety of factors, including:
- The Austrian court in Vienna was granting protection to rebel Frenchmen.
- The Austrian emperor Leopold II was threatening to invade France on behalf of the French Monarchy.
- The Legislative Assembly wanted to spread the revolution and destroy other monarchies.
The war launched the War of the First Coalition, which lasted from 1792 to 1797 and was followed by the War of the Second Coalition from 1798 to 1802. The war was initially a disaster for the French, but they eventually achieved a decisive military victory over Austria at the Battle of Fleurus in 1794.
The declaration of war further radicalised the French Revolution, which had been breaking with old institutions and targeting defenders of the Ancien Régime. The war also intensified tensions between King Louis XVI and the Legislative Assembly, with the Assembly passing decrees targeting the King and his supporters.
