| War of the First Coalition | |||||||
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 Napoleon at the Battle of Rivoli, by Felix Philipoteaux |
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 Austria[a].gif/22px-Flag_of_Prussia_(1750).gif){kind=small} Prussia[b].svg/22px-Union_flag_1606_(Kings_Colors).svg.png){kind=small} Great Britain French Royalists.svg/22px-Flag_of_Spain_(1785-1873_and_1875-1931).svg.png){kind=small} Spain[c].svg/22px-Flag_Portugal_(1707).svg.png){kind=small} Portugal Sardinia Naples and SicilyOther Italian states[d] .svg/22px-Flag_of_the_Ottoman_Empire_(1453-1844).svg.png){kind=small} Ottoman Empire Dutch Republic[e] |
 French Republic French satellite statesPolish Legions[f] |
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The First Coalition (1792–1797) was the first major concerted effort of multiple European powers to contain Revolutionary France. Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1797 ( MDCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Power is a measure of a person's ability to control the environment around them including the behavior of other people The First Republic in France, officially the French Republic (République française was proclaimed on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. It took shape after the French Revolutionary Wars had already begun. The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts from 1792 until 1802 fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states
After the stated aim of the National Convention to export revolution, the guillotining of Louis XVI of France (January 1793) and the French opening of the Scheldt, a military coalition was formed against France. During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the Constitutional and legislative assembly A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround" is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively Louis XVI ( 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) Louis-Auguste de France, ruled as King of France and Navarre The Scheldt (Dutch Schelde, French Escaut, Latin Scaldis) is a 350 km[http //www
These powers initiated a series of invasions of France by land and sea, with Prussia and Austria attacking from the Austrian Netherlands and the Rhine, and Great Britain supporting revolts in provincial France and laying siege to Toulon. The Southern Netherlands (Zuidelijke Nederlanden Países Bajos del Sur Pays-Bas du sud were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain ( Spanish The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Toulon ( Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm is a city in southern France and a large France suffered reverses (Battle of Neerwinden, 18 March 1793) and internal strife (Revolt in the Vendée), and responded with extreme measures: the Committee of Public Safety formed (6 April 1793) and the levée en masse drafted all potential soldiers aged 18 to 25 (August 1793). The Battle of Neerwinden ( 18 March 1793) took place near the village of Neerwinden in present-day Belgium between the Austrians under Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor The War in Vendée ( 1793 to 1796) was a Civil war in Vendée between Royalists and Republicans during the French The Committee of Public Safety (Comité de salut public le Haut Comité de la santé publique which is an entirely unrelated present-day institution--> set up by the Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus Levée en masse (literally "Rise in (a Mass" is defined in Article 4 letter A paragraph 6 of the Third Geneva Convention. The new French armies counter-attacked, repelled the invaders, and moved beyond France. French arms established the Batavian Republic as a satellite state (May 1795) and gained the Prussian Rhineland by the first Treaty of Basel. The Batavian Republic (Bataafse Republiek was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. Satellite state is a political term that refers to a country which is formally independent but under heavy influence or control by another country Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. See Treaty of Basel for the 1499 treaty The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving Spain made a separate peace accord with France (second Treaty of Basel) and the French Directory carried out plans to conquer more of Germany and northern Italy (1795). The Executive Directory ( Directoire exécutif) was a body of 5 single-male Directors that held executive power in France following Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest
North of the Alps, Archduke Charles of Austria redressed the situation in 1796, but Napoleon carried all before him against Sardinia and Austria in northern Italy (1796–1797) near the Po Valley, culminating in the peace of Leoben and the Treaty of Campo Formio (October 1797). Archduke Charles of Austria Duke of Teschen ( de: Erzherzog Karl von Österreich Herzog von Teschen, also known as Karl von Österreich-Teschen Year 1796 ( MDCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Po ( Latin: Padus, Po Ligurian: Bo, Greek: Eridanus) is a river that flows 652 km(405 miles (682 km by considering The Treaty of Leoben (also known as the Peace of Leoben) was signed on April 17, 1797 by Napoleon Bonaparte. The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on October 17, 1797 (26 Vendémiaire Year VI of the French Republic by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Ludwig Year 1797 ( MDCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The First Coalition collapsed, leaving only Britain in the field fighting against France.
Contents |
Background
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1792
As early as 1791, the other monarchies of Europe watched with alarm at the developments in France, and considered whether they should intervene, either in support of Louis XVI or to take advantage of the chaos in France. The French Revolutionary Wars began in 1792. Preparations France declared war on Austria on 20 April 1792 Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Louis XVI ( 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) Louis-Auguste de France, ruled as King of France and Navarre The key figure was Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, brother to the French Queen Marie Antoinette, who had initially looked on the Revolution with equanimity, but became more and more disturbed as the Revolution became more radical, although he still hoped to avoid war. The Holy Roman Emperor (Römischer Kaiser or Römisch-Deutscher Kaiser Romanorum Imperator was the elected monarch ruling over the many varying numbers of states Leopold II (May 5 1747 March 1 1792 born Peter Leopold Joseph Anton Joachim Pius Gotthard, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1790 to 1792 and Grand Duke Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna von Habsburg-Lothringen (November 2 1755 &ndash October 16 1793 known to history as Marie Antoinette ( pronounced /maʀi ɑ̃ntwanɛt/ On August 27, Leopold and King Frederick William II of Prussia, in consultation with emigrant French nobles, issued the Declaration of Pilnitz, which declared the interest of the monarchs of Europe in the well-being of Louis and his family, and threatened vague but severe consequences if anything should befall them. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Frederick William II (Friedrich Wilhelm II September 25 1744 &ndash November 16 1797) was the fourth King of Prussia, reigning from The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising The Declaration of Pillnitz on August 27, 1791, was a statement issued at the Castle of Pillnitz in Saxony (south of Dresden) by the Although Leopold saw the Pillnitz Declaration as a way of taking action that would enable him to avoid actually doing anything about France, at least for the moment, it was seen in France as a serious threat and was denounced by the revolutionary leaders.
In addition to the ideological differences between France and the monarchical powers of Europe, there were continuing disputes over the states of Imperial estates in Alsace, and the French were becoming concerned about the agitation of emigré nobles abroad, especially in the Austrian Netherlands and the minor states of Germany. Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out" but often carries a connotation of politico-social self- Exile. The Southern Netherlands (Zuidelijke Nederlanden Países Bajos del Sur Pays-Bas du sud were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain ( Spanish Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.
In the end, France declared war on Austria first, with the Assembly voting for war on April 20, 1792, after a long list of grievances presented by foreign minister Dumouriez. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Charles François Dumouriez ( January 25, 1739 &ndash March 14, 1823) was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars Dumouriez prepared an immediate invasion of the Austrian Netherlands, where he expected the local population to rise against Austrian rule. However, the revolution had thoroughly disorganized the army, and the forces raised were insufficient for the invasion. The soldiers fled at the first sign of battle, deserting en masse and in one case, murdering their general.
While the revolutionary government frantically raised fresh troops and reorganized its armies, a mostly Prussian allied army under Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick assembled at Koblenz on the Rhine. Charles William Ferdinand Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel-Bevern ( Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand Herzog zu Braunschweig-Lüneburg Fürst von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern Koblenz (also Coblenz in pre-1926 German Spellings French Coblence) is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine In July, the invasion commenced, with Brunswick's army easily taking the fortresses of Longwy and Verdun. Longwy (lɔ̃wi in French Langich is a Town and commune located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département in northeastern France Verdun (medieval Wirten official name before 1970 Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city and commune Brunswick then issued a proclamation, written by the emigré Prince de Condé, declaring their intent to restore the King to his full powers and to treat any person or town who opposed them as rebels to be condemned to death by martial-law. Louis Joseph of Bourbon-Condé (Louis V Prince of Condé ( August 9 1736 – May 13 1818) was Prince of Condé from 1740 to his death This had the effect of motivating the revolutionary army and government to oppose them by any means necessary, and led almost immediately to the overthrow of the King by a crowd which stormed the Tuileries Palace. The Palais des Tuileries was a royal Palace in Paris. It stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed
The invaders continued, but at Valmy on September 20, they came to a stalemate against Dumouriez and Kellermann in which the highly professional French artillery distinguished itself. The Battle of Valmy, also known as the Cannonade of Valmy, was a tactically indecisive artillery engagement but strategically it ensured the survival of the French Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. François Christophe Kellermann or de Kellermann 1st Duc de Valmy (28 May 1735 - 23 September 1820) was Marshal of France during Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Although the battle was a tactical draw, it gave a great boost to French morale. Further, the Prussians, finding that the campaign had been longer and more costly than predicted, decided that the cost and risk of continued fighting was too great, and they decided to retreat from France to preserve their army.
Meanwhile, the French had been successful on several other fronts, occupying Savoy and Nice in Italy, while General Custine invaded Germany, several German towns along the Rhine, and reaching as far as Frankfurt. For the two French départements of the region of Savoy see Savoie and Haute-Savoie Savoy ( French Nice (nis Niçard Occitan: Niça norm or Nissa, Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek Adam Philippe Comte de Custine ( February 4, 1740 &ndash August 28, 1793) was a French general Dumouriez went on the offensive in Belgium once again, winning a great victory over the Austrians at Jemappes on November 6, and occupying the entire country by the beginning of winter. The Battle of Jemappes ( November 6, 1792) took place near the town of Jemappes in Hainaut, Belgium, near Mons. Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with
1793
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1793
On January 21, the revolutionary government executed Louis XVI after a trial. The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1792, with new powers entering the First coalition after the execution of King Louis XVI. Events 1189 - Philip II of France and Richard I of England begin to assemble troops to wage the Third Crusade. This united all Europe, including Spain, Naples, and the Netherlands against the revolution. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( Regno delle Due Sicilie) commonly known as just the Two Sicilies, was the name of a Kingdom in Europe. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Even Great Britain, initially sympathetic to the assembly, had by now joined the First Coalition against France, and armies were raised against France on all its borders. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800
France responded by declaring a new levy of hundreds of thousands of men, beginning a French policy of using mass conscription to deploy more of its manpower than the aristocratic states could, and remaining on the offensive so that these mass armies could commandeer war material from the territory of their enemies. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority
France suffered severe reverses at first, being driven out of Belgium and suffering revolts in the west and south. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those By the end of the year, the new large armies and a fierce policy of internal repression including mass executions had repelled the invasions and suppressed the revolts. The year ended with French forces in the ascendant, but still close to France's pre-war borders.
1794
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1794
1794 brought increased success to the revolutionary armies. The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1793 with few immediate changes in the diplomatic situation as France fought the First coalition. Although an invasion of Piedmont failed, an invasion of Spain across the Pyrenees took San Sebastián, and the French won a victory at the Battle of Fleurus, occupying all of Belgium and the Rhineland. Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Pyrenees (Pirineos French: Pyrénées; Catalan: Pirineus; Occitan: Pirenèus; Aragonese: Perinés Donostia-San Sebastián ( Basque: Donostia, IPA; Spanish: San Sebastián, known officially as Donostia-San Sebastián In the Battle of Fleurus ( June 26, 1794) French forces under Jourdan defeated an Austrian army under Saxe-Cobourg in one The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany.
1795
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1795
After seizing the Netherlands in a surprise winter attack, France established the Batavian Republic as a puppet state. The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1794 between France and the First coalition. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Batavian Republic (Bataafse Republiek was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. Further, Prussia and Spain both decided to make peace, in the Peace of Basel ceding the left bank of the Rhine to France and freeing French armies from the Pyrenees. See Treaty of Basel for the 1499 treaty The Peace of Basel of 1795 consists of three peace treaties involving This ended the main crisis phase of the Revolution and France proper would be free from invasion for many years.
Britain attempted to reinforce the rebels in the Vendée by landing French Royalist troops at Quiberon, but failed, and attempts to overthrow the government at Paris by force were foiled by the military garrison led by Napoleon Bonaparte, leading to the establishment of the Directory. The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The invasion of France in 1795 or the Battle of Quiberon was a major landing on the Quiberon peninsula by émigré, counter-revolutionary troops Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Executive Directory ( Directoire exécutif) was a body of 5 single-male Directors that held executive power in France following
On the Rhine frontier, General Pichegru, negotiating with the exiled Royalists, betrayed his army and forced the evacuation of Mannheim and the failure of the siege of Mayence by Jourdan. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Jean-Charles Pichegru ( February 16, 1761 &mdash April 5, 1804) was a French General and political figure of the French The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Mannheim is a City in Germany. With 327318 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg after the capital Stuttgart Mainz (ˈmaɪ̯nʦ (Mayence is a City in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, 1st Comte Jourdan ( April 29, 1762 &ndash November 23, 1833) was a Marshal of France.
1796
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1796
The French prepared a great advance on three fronts, with Jourdan and Moreau on the Rhine, and Bonaparte in Italy. The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1795, with the French in an increasingly strong position as members of the First Coalition made separate peaces Jean Victor Marie Moreau ( February 14, 1763 &ndash September 2, 1813) was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte The three armies were to link up in the Tyrol and march on Vienna. Tyrol is a region in Western Central Europe, which included the present day Austrian state of Tyrol (consisting of North Tyrol and East Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria.
Jourdan and Moreau advanced rapidly into Germany, and Moreau had reached Bavaria and the edge of Tyrol by September, but Jourdan was defeated by Archduke Charles, and both armies were forced to retreat back across the Rhine. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12
Napoleon, on the other hand, was completely successful in a daring invasion of Italy. He separated the armies of Sardinia and Austria, defeating them in detail, and forced a peace on Sardinia while capturing Milan and besieging Mantua. Kingdom of Sardinia, also known as Piedmont-Sardinia or Sardinia-Piedmont, was the name given to the possessions of the House of Savoy in 1720 when the Habsburg Monarchy (alternatively Habsburg Empire) refers to the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor The Treaty of Paris of May 15 1796 was a Treaty between the French Republic and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia during the War of the First Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. Mantua (Màntova in the local dialect of Lombard language Mantua is a city in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the He defeated successive Austrian armies sent against him under Wurmser and Alvintzy while continuing the siege. Dagobert Sigismund Count de Wurmser ( May 7, 1724 &ndash August 22, 1797 in Vienna) was an Austrian Field marshal Freiherr Joseph Alvinczi von Borberek, or József Alvinczi de Borberek ( Alvintzy) ( February 1, 1735 &mdash September
The rebellion in the Vendée was also finally crushed in 1796 by Hoche, but Hoche's attempt to land a large invasion force in Ireland was unsuccessful. The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. Louis Lazare Hoche ( June 24, 1768 - September 19, 1797) was a French soldier who rose to be general Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world
1797
See also: French Revolutionary Wars: Campaigns of 1797
Napoleon finally captured Mantua, with the Austrians surrendering 18,000 men. The French Revolutionary Wars continued from 1796, with France fighting the First Coalition. Archduke Charles of Austria was unable to stop Napoleon from invading the Tyrol, and the Austrian government sued for peace in April, simultaneous with a new French invasion of Germany under Moreau and Hoche. Archduke Charles of Austria Duke of Teschen ( de: Erzherzog Karl von Österreich Herzog von Teschen, also known as Karl von Österreich-Teschen
Austria signed the Treaty of Campo Formio in October, ceding Belgium to France and recognizing French control of the Rhineland and much of Italy. The Treaty of Campo Formio was signed on October 17, 1797 (26 Vendémiaire Year VI of the French Republic by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Ludwig The ancient republic of Venice was partitioned between Austria and France. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the This ended the War of the First Coalition, although Great Britain remained in the war.
Sources
Original text from 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia BritannicaDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic