What were the Consequences of the French Revolution?

The revolutionaries of France wanted to end the ancient regime and establish the constitutional monarchy in France. There was no similarity between the bloodless revolution of England in 1688 and the turbulent and violent French Revolution of 1789.

The kings of Europe supported the cause of revolution in the beginning but when they looked at its bloody form they desisted from extending support and decided to end the revolution.

Question of Alsace

Owing to the consequences of the French Revolution, the feudal system was abolished from Alsace. It affected the rights of the German rulers adversely in this province.

Austria supported the claim of Germany and demanded the restoration of these rights but France refused. This made the war inevitable.

Change in the Policy of France

France had promised that she would not make an invasion on any country but she snatched Avignon from Pope and invited the opposition of European rulers.

Annoyance of England

England was the greatest supporter of the French Revolution. But with the passage of time the outlook of England was also changed. Burke criticised vehemently the terrorist form of the revolution. England secretly inspired the other European powers like Prussia and Austria to wage war against France.

Appointment of Dumoureiz

During the Girondist Ministry, Dumoureiz took over as foreign minister in France. He requested Austria to break the treaty with Prussia but Austria was prepared to break it on the condition that France compensate the German rulers and return Avignon to Pope. But France did not accept this proposal.

Responsibility of War

The countries of Europe were not prepared for any war. The decree of Pilnitz had more threat than reality to it. England, Holland, Spain, all wanted peace and even France had no desire to wage war against any country because of financial crises.

The assignats were being rapidly and Robespierre, the prominent member of Jacobins, was also against war. He declaimed about the consequences of war in his and condemned it outright.

But the members of the Girondist party(specially Brissot) were pressing hard for the war and they ultimately thrust the country into an unwanted war against France, Brissot remarked:

“We want war to complete the revolution, to set trap for the king to expose his bad faith and his relations with the emigrant

The members of the Girondist party compelled the king to declare war against Austria and Prussia by their majority.

“Thus inconsiderably was begun the most tremendous series of wars known to civilised nations in the history of mankind.”

Declaration of War

On 20th April 1792 the war against Austria and Prussial was declared by the king as he was compelled by the majority vote of the Girondists to do so.

Events of the War

In this war Lafayette was appointed the commander-in-chief of the forces of France but the French forces continued to be defeated for six months. Actually the French army was not properly organised supply line was also irregular.

The chief reason of this defeat was that the queen Marie Antoinette had supplied the map of the military secrets to the enemies. The Austrian general made sarcastic remark on the defeat of French forces:

“We need no swords to defeat the French forces. They can be easily taken to their heels by the whips.”

Was the War Inevitable?

1. The war of 1792 was essential to safeguard and liberate Louis XVI from the clutches of the radical revolutionaries.

2. The nobles, priests and the courtiers of the royal court longed for a war and expected their salvation in it.

3. Whereas all the countries of Europe were making efforts to establish the republican form of government, France was keenly anxious to disseminate the republican ideology. As the univer­sally loved principles of liberty, equality and fraternity were abandoned by France, the war became inevitable.

4. The emigres including the nobles and priests were also fanning the flames of war. They wished to suppress the revolution by war.

5. King Leopold II had a sentimental relationship with Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette and in order to save them from the grip of Paris mob, it was essential for him to wage a war against France.

6. Countries of Europe, like Germany and England, did not like the bloody and terrorist form the revolution had taken. They opposed the blood-thirsty form of revolution in France and inspired countries of Europe to wage war against France and to crush the revolution.

7. The fall of assignats and the state of bankruptcy added fuel to the fire of general discontentment and spurred the people to get rid of this difficult situation.

Thus the above factors contributed not only to the outbreak of the revolution but also made the war inevitable between France on the one side and Austria and Prussia on the other.