French Wars

Historical Context Essay

Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.2: German-language Writing and Culture: Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, 800-present.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Domains

Dates

Date of occurrence 1792-1802

Places

Austria (Location)
Belgium (Location)
France (Location)
Germany (Location)
Italy (Location)
Netherlands (Location)
Poland (Location)
Portugal (Location)
Spain (Location)
Switzerland (Location)
United Kingdom (Location)
United States (Location)

Resources

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Introduction

The decade between France’s declaration of war with Austria in April 1792 and the Treaty of Amiens in March 1802 incorporates the French Revolutionary Wars, during which two separate coalitions were formed against and defeated by France. The First Coalition was initiated by Prussia and Austria, who sought to restore the French King Louis XVI to full power after the French Revolution, as well as to defend the territorial claims of German states around the Rhine. After the disbandment of the First Coalition in 1797, only Great Britain remained at war with France; the following year Britain and Russia gathered the Second Coalition. From France’s perspective, the wars were attempts to defend, and then disseminate, the principles which had brought about the Revolution in 1789.

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2429 words

Citation: Seager, Nicholas. "French Wars". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 September 2007 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1740, accessed 26 November 2024.]

French Wars

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