Week 9: Monday, March 20
The armies of the new, revolutionary French Republic did not look particularly impressive on the march. In fact, this collection of troops looks more like pirates than soldiers. At the same time, however, they were numerous, highly motivated, and led by innovative commanders. These men, who belonged to the Army of the Rhine, purchased much experience with their blood in the mid-1790s. Veterans such as these became the heart and soul of the huge forces with which Napoleon won dramatic victories in the next decade.
1) This chapter reiterates some of the limits associated with war during the absolutist period. What were they?
2) At the same time, the period before 1789 witnessed a number of important developments (particularly in France) that helped set the stage for the military revolution associated with France's political revolution. What were these important military developments?
3) What was at the heart (or "crux") of the military changes associated with the French Revolution?
4) Although the French Revolution was a complex event that experienced several phases, no document comes as close to capturing the spirit of the revolution as the Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) which served more or less as a statement of principles. As you read this document, think of the following: how did the new relationship between citizen and state outlined in this declaration help unleash the full military potential of France?
5) According to the Declaration of the Rights of Man,
- Who or what is the ultimate source of authority?
- What institution acts in the name of this ultimate authority?
- At the same time, what limits (or ought to limit) the exercise of power by this institution?
6) How could one justify or legitimate the levée en masse through the Declaration of the Rights of Man?
Other Questions
1) The text describes Napoleon as an "inheritor" of a revolution in the art of war. That is to say, Napoleon's achievements would probably have been impossible without the military changes associated with the French Revolution. How did Napoleon benefit from this military revolution?
Here, a line of French skirmishers uses haystacks for cover as they harass and attempt to disrupt approaching enemy formations. Both this illustration and the one above were produced by Edouard Detaille (1848-1912), a French artist well known for painting military subjects.
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Copyrighted by Hugh Dubrulle, 2006.