1. The French revolution of 1789
isolated France from her contemporary monarchical powers. They were
scared by France's attempt to export revolutions and revolutionary ideas
to their states. The French revolutionaries used provocative doctrines
which were carelessly enforced through loose catchwords like
republicanism to replace monarchism, war against tyrants and peace to
people. These provoked the alliance of European monarchs against
revolutionary France. Their desire was to suppress the revolution and
restore the Bourbon monarchy, which made the war inevitable.
2.
The expansionist programs of the revolutionaries produced hostility and
consequently war. They wanted the boundaries of France to extend to the
Alps, Rhine and Pyrenees. To show that they were neither Joking nor
making fun, the revolutionaries conquered Nice, Savoy, Belgium and
Holland. This brought the rest of European states within the immediate
danger of being conquered and annexed. Henceforth, they were forced to
gang (ally) and fight France before they could be taken by surprise.
3.
The composition of the new legislative assembly (Oct 1791-Sept 1792)
was also responsible for the - war. The old constituent Assembly (C.A)
barred its members from being elected to the new assembly. This made the
destiny of France to pass in the hands of a group of inexperienced,
eloquent and enthusiastic young men who desired war as a source of
prestige and wealth. This is why they recklessly issued the "Edict of
Fraternity" in which they vowed to assist all those who rose against
their king. This made war inevitable because the European monarchs began
to associate the revolution with the threat to their survival.
4.
The need by the revolutionaries to destroy the influence and threats of
the Émigrés, across French boarders made the war inevitable. By 1791,
the émigrés had mobilized about 20,000 troops with frequent attacks on
the revolutionary government. This forced the revolutionaries to declare
war on the powers supporting the émigrés. For example, they declared
war on Austria after she failed to comply with the January ultimatum,
which demanded that she ceases to support the émigrés. After this
Prussia and Piedmont joined Austria and the war dragged on.
5.
The massive killing of important personalities like King Louis xvi,
Marie Antoinette, Danton and the September 1792 massacres terrified
Europe and forced them into action against France. Pit, the British
Premier protested the execution of Louis xvi as a barbarous and
unwarranted act. France reacted by declaring war on England on Feb.
1793. Within a small time, other powers joined Britain against France.
6.
Commercial reasons were also responsible for the war. The revolutionary
government made a drastic measure and counseled all commercial treaties
that France had made with other European countries. This was a serious
threat to the pockets of traders in such countries which made them to
argue their governments to fight France. Britain was forced into action
when France declared war on Holland that was Britain's strong trading
partner. Britain feared that France would colonize Holland and frustrate
her trade interests not only in Holland but also in S. Africa and India
that were Dutch colonies. It has to be emphasized that Britain and
Holland fought France not because of the revolution and its threats but
due to economic considerations.
7. The civil
constitution of the clergy forced the catholic states to fight France.
It undermined the powers and privileges of the Catholic Church and the
clergy in France. The Catholics in Europe asked their countries to fight
France in order to liberate their fellow brothers and sisters in faith.
The Pope also condemned it and asked for alliance of catholic states
against France. This partly explains why Austria, Russia, Spain and
Italian states joined the war against France.
8.
Lastly, war was made inevitable on the side of France because nearly
everybody wanted war. The monarchists and Louis xvi were praying and
hoping for a war in which the revolutionary forces would be defeated.
This would give them the chance to suppress the revolution and restore
the monarchy. The Jacobins favoured war because they thought that the
king would side with the enemies of the revolution which would give them
the chance to set a republican government. The Girondins who dominated
the national assembly regarded war as a means of spreading revolutions
and revolutionary ideas over Europe. With all these war fever in France,
there was no way France could avoid fighting her neighbours.
Note;
the rise of Napoleonin1799 transformed the revolutionary war into
Napoleonic war. This is because it was him (because of his overwhelming
ambitions) who revived the war policy against the 2nd coalition that had
defeated the Directory Government.
Attachments
No attachments
No comments:
Post a Comment