Revolutionary France's War of Conquest in the Rhineland
Conquering the Natural Frontier, 1792-1797

Shows how revolutionary France's war for liberty in the Rhineland was transformed into a war for conquest.

Jordan R. Hayworth (Author)

9781108703055, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 11 March 2021

358 pages, 1 map
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.483 kg

'Hayworth's book is an invaluable contribution to the historiography of the Revolutionary Wars. He revives an old debate, breathing new life into the natural frontiers idea by analyzing both strategic decision points and operational accounts. Scholarly and hobbyist readers alike will find a fine companion piece to the many books on Napoleon's war in Italy during the same time period, and hope that Hayworth will continue to produce accounts of other understudied Revolutionary campaigns.' Jonathan Abel, Journal of Military History

In May 1790, the French National Assembly renounced wars of conquest. Two years later, France declared war on Austria and invaded Belgium and the Rhineland, claiming it was to spread the benefits of the Revolution. Soon, however, military and economic crises drove a shift in the nature of France's war effort. What started as a war for liberty became a war for conquest, one that brought devastating exploitation to the Rhineland. It was during this time that French foreign policy became influenced by the idea of attaining the natural frontiers - the Alps, the Pyrenees, and, most significantly, the Rhine. Although often portrayed as a diplomatic tradition of the French monarchy, Jordan R. Hayworth shows how the natural frontiers policy was born during the Revolution. In addition, he examines the intense and consequential debates that arose over the policy, which caused much confusion in the war and helped to undermine France's democratic experiment.

1. The Ancien Régime
2. The Brissotin crusade for war
3. War, conquest, and disaster
4. The organization of victory
5. The Thermidorean republic
6. The Directory's war
7. A shattered army
8. The generals' war
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW]