War (Internal & External)

• April 1792 = France declares war on Austria (allied with Prussia)
• August 1792 = Lafayette defects to the Austrians and is replaced by Dumouriez
• September 1792 = French win at Valmy, beginning of French success
• French forces advancing smoothly from September 1792 to January 1793, proclaimed revolutionary change in foreign countries.
• France declares war on Britain and the United provinces in February 1793
• Edict of Fraternity in November 1792, called on Europeans to rise against their rulers.
• The rebellion in the Vendee was in February 1793.
• Why the Vendee?

  • Rural and VERY Catholic area, a lot of refractory priests
  • Close to the site of the Chouan uprising
  • New land owners that raised rents moved in
• What caused the Vendee uprising?

  • Protests to the levy for 300,000 men in March 1793
  • Catholic and Royal army of the Vendee formed March 14th
  • Massacres of local officials, guerrilla warfare
• Events of the Vendee Uprising:

  • Convention sent 30,000 men to control the area
  • Rebels had spread by June, nearing Paris
  • Convention decreed Vendee destruction on 1st August 1793
  • December = core Vendee army destroyed
  • 8700 people executed in Vendee region
• Why was the Vendee uprising only a minor threat?

  • Rebels untrained, guerrilla warfare
  • More anti-revolutionary than wanting to restore the Ancien Regime
• Why was the levee en masse called?

  • Military situation was worsening
  • Parisian sans culottes demanded opportunity to rise up
  • Barere proposed a decree for it in the name of the CPS
• What and when was the levee en masse?

  • Decreed in August 1793
  • Produced largest army force in Europe, only around 3/4 were trained.
• Key points of the levee en masse:

  • All men without wives and children ordered to give military service.
  • Women served as nurses
  • Similar to regime in a total war, everyone had a role, elderly to cheer on troops.
• Frances use of technology to aid the war:

  • Created commission of technicians
  • New manufacturing processes e.g. for gunpowder
  • Training centre and weapon production
• Changes to the army:

  • Discipline
  • Morale from representants en mission
  • New uniform to distinguish from Ancien Regime
• A lot of generals were executed.
• France's success in the war allowed for political progress of the CPS, claiming for the determination of French soldiers.
• What was the CPS:

  • Supervised measures of the council
  • Had priority of decisions over the executive council
  • Had authority over the CGS
  • Governed France unchallenged September to July 1794
• Key members of the CPS:

  • Robespierre, Danton and Barere
  • All middle class and were equal
• Robespierre:

  • Joined the CPS in July 1793
  • Lacked support in Convention
• September - sans culottes paramilitary forces, used to force farmers to surrend grain
• September 1793 - Law of Suspects, noble officials removed from office and lists of suspects curated by the Surveillance Committee
• 29th September - Law of General maximum replaced law from May, maximum price for grain, meat etc. Conflict between farmers and sans culottes