The Origins of the French Revolutionary Wars by T.C.W. Blanning

Author:T.C.W. Blanning
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 1986-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

The Response of Austria and Prussia

With even Robespierre overwhelmed by the stampede for war, it is time to return to the development of the relationship between France, Austria and Prussia. After Louis XVI's rejection of the decree of 24 January 1792, the war-party was checked (see p. 105). Sooner or later, the Austrians would have to reply to the King's own inquiry about their intentions, but for the time being at least, the Brissotins had lost the initiative. Had they but known it, the revival of their fortunes was already being prepared in the camp of their enemies, in Vienna. Undeterred by the hornet's nest stirred up in Paris by the Kaunitz note of 21 December (see p. 102), the Austrian government continued and extended its campaign of intimidation. On 17 January the Council of State decided that the concert of European powers should be formally reactivated and the following demands put to the French: the armies in the process of being formed on the frontiers of the Holy Roman Empire should be disbanded; all the rights of the German princes in Alsace should be restored; Avignon and the Comtat Venaissin should be returned to the Pope; complete security, liberty and respect should be granted to the French royal family; the monarchical form of government should be upheld in France and everything contrary to it should be abolished; all treaties between France and the other powers should be confirmed.89

Once the decision to exert full pressure on the revolutionaries had been taken, the need to cement relations with the Prussians became urgent. Back in the autumn of 1791, Leopold had resisted Prussian moves to have the concert implemented forthwith (see p. 88). Now a personal message was sent to Frederick William II asking for the peripatetic Bischoffwerder to be sent to Vienna, this time to negotiate a formal alliance.90 There was a ready response from Berlin. All the oldacquisitiveimpulseswerejustasstrongthereasinthepast(seep.88). As Frederick William II told his man in Vienna on 14 January 1792, it was high time that the Austrians came up with specific proposals relating to the 'compensation' to be extracted from the French to cover the costs of a military intervention.91 By early the following month, he was being more specific: Prussia should take the long-covetcd prize of Jiilich and Berg, while the existing ruler of these two principalities-the Elector of Bavaria and the Palatinate - should be compensated with territory in Alsace and Lorraine, as should the Austrians.92

The Austrian search for an alliance with Prussia was also encouraged by the imminence of Russian intervention in Poland. On 9 January 1792 the Peace of Jassy was concluded, finally freeing Catherine the Great's hands by bringing her war with the Turks to an end. At about the same time news reached Vienna that she would soon take military action to destroy the new regime created in Poland by the revolution of 3 May 1791 and to restore Russian control of the country.93 That was not unexpected, but it was very bad

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.