the psychology of revolution-第42章

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built　beside　the　Nile。　　We　must　not；　therefore；　be　surprised　to

see　the　leaders　of　the　Revolution　attacking　the　monuments　and

works　of　art　which　for　them　were　the　vestiges　of　an　abhorred

past。



Statues；　manuscripts；　stained　glass　windows；　and　plate　were

frenziedly　broken。　　When　Fouche；　the　future　Duke　of　Otranto

under　Napoleon；　and　minister　under　Louis　XVIII。；　was　sent　as

commissary　of　the　Convention　to　the　Nievre；　he　ordered　the

demolition　of　all　the　towers　of　the　chateaux　and　the

belfries　of　the　churches　‘‘because　they　wounded　equality。''



Revolutionary　vandalism　expended　itself　even　on　the　tomb。　

Following　a　report　read　by　Barrere　to　the　Convention；　the

magnificent　royal　tombs　at　Saint…Denis；　among　which　was　the

admirable　mausoleum　of　Henri　II。；　by　Germain　Pilon；　were　smashed

to　pieces；　the　coffins　emptied；　and　the　body　of　Turenne　sent　to

the　Museum　as　a　curiosity；　after　one　of　the　keepers　had　extracted

the　teeth　in　order　to　sell　them　as　curiosities。　　The　moustache

and　beard　of　Henri　IV。　were　also　torn　out。



It　is　impossible　to　witness　such　comparatively　enlightened

men　consenting　to　the　destruction　of　the　artistic　patriotism　of

France　without　a　feeling　of　sadness。　　To　excuse　them；　we　must

remember　that　intense　beliefs　give　rise　to　the　worst　excesses；

and　also　that　the　Convention；　almost　daily　invaded　by　rioters；

always　yielded　to　the　popular　will。



This　glowing　record　of　devastation　proves；　not　only　the　power　of

fanaticism：　it　shows　us　what　becomes　of　men　who　are　liberated

from　all　social　restraints；　and　of　the　country　which　falls　into

their　hands。







CHAPTER　VI



THE　ARMIES　OF　THE　REVOLUTION



1。　　The　Revolutionary　Assemblies　and　the　Armies。



If　nothing　were　known　of　the　revolutionary　Assemblies；　and

notably　of　the　Convention；　beyond　their　internal　dissensions；

their　weakness；　and　their　acts　of　violence；　their　memory　would

indeed　be　a　gloomy　one。



But　even　for　its　enemies　this　bloodstained　epoch　must　always

retain　an　undeniable　glory；　thanks　to　the　success　of　its　armies。　

When　the　Convention　dissolved　France　was　already　the　greater　by

Belgium　and　the　territories　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Rhine。



Regarding　the　Convention　as　a　whole；　it　seems　equitable　to　credit

it　with　the　victories　of　the　armies　of　France；　but　if　we　analyse

this　whole　in　order　to　study　each　of　its　elements　separately

their　independence　will　at　once　be　obvious。　　It　is　at　once

apparent　that　the　Convention　had　a　very　small　share　in　the

military　events　of　the　time。　　The　armies　on　the　frontier　and　the

revolutionary　Assemblies　in　Paris　formed　two　separate　worlds；

which　had　very　little　influence　over　one　another；　and　which

regarded　matters　in　a　very　different　light。



We　have　seen　that　the　Convention　was　a　weak　Government；　which

changed　its　ideas　daily；　according　to　popular　impulse；　it　was

really　an　example　of　the　profoundest　anarchy。　　It　directed

nothing；　but　was　itself　continually　directed；　how；　then；　could　it

have　commanded　armies？



Completely　absorbed　in　its　intestine　quarrels；　the　Assembly　had

abandoned　all　military　questions　to　a　special　committee；　which

was　directed　almost　single…handed　by　Carnot；　and　whose　real

function　was　to　furnish　the　troops　with　provisions　and

ammunition。　　The　merit　of　Carnot　consisted　in　the　fact　that

besides　directing　over　752；000　men　at　the　disposal　of　France；

upon　points　which　were　strategically　valuable；　he　also　advised

the　generals　of　the　armies　to　take　the　offensive；　and　to　preserve

a　strict　discipline。



The　sole　share　of　the　Assembly　in　the　defence　of　the　country　was

the　decree　of　the　general　levy。　　In　the　face　of　the　numerous

enemies　then　threatening　France；　no　Government　could　have　avoided

such　a　measure。　　For　some　little　time；　too；　the　Assembly　had　sent

representatives　to　the　armies　instructed　to　decapitate　certain

generals；　but　this　policy　was　soon　abandoned。



As　a　matter　of　fact　the　military　activities　of　the　Assembly　were

always　extremely　slight。　　The　armies；　thanks　to　their　numbers；

their　enthusiasm；　and　the　tactics　devised　by　their　youthful

generals；　achieved　their　victories　unaided。　　They　fought　and

conquered　independently　of　the　Convention。





2。　　The　Struggle　of　Europe　against　the　Revolution。





Before　enumerating　the　various　psychological　factors　which

contributed　to　the　successes　of　the　revolutionary　armies；　it　will

be　useful　briefly　to　recall　the　origin　and　the　development　of　the

war　against　Europe。



At　the　commencement　of　the　Revolution　the　foreign　sovereigns

regarded　with　satisfaction　the　difficulties　of　the　French

monarchy；　which　they　had　long　regarded　as　a　rival　power。　　The

King　of　Prussia；　believing　France　to　be　greatly　enfeebled；

thought　to　enrich　himself　at　her　expense；　so　he　proposed　to　the

Emperor　of　Austria　to　help　Louis　on　condition　of　receiving

Flanders　and　Alsace　as　an　indemnity。　　The　two　sovereigns　signed

an　alliance　against　France　in　February；　1792。　　The　French

anticipated　attack　by　declaring　war　upon　Austria；　under　the

influence　of　the　Girondists。　　The　French　army　was　at　the　outset

subjected　to　several　checks。　　The　allies　penetrated　into

Champagne；　and　came　within　130　miles　of　Paris。　　Dumouriez'

victory　at　Valmy　forced　them　to　retire。



Although　300　French　and　200　Prussians　only　were　killed　in　this

battle；　it　had　very　significant　results。　　The　fact　that　an　army

reputed　invincible　had　been　forced　to　retreat　gave　boldness　to

the　young　revolutionary　troops；　and　everywhere　they　took　the

offensive。　　In　a　few　weeks　the　soldiers　of　Valmy　had　chased　the

Austrians　out　of　Belgium；　where　they　were　welcomed　as　liberators。



But　it　was　under　the　Convention　that　the　war　assumed　such

importance。　　At　the　beginning　of　1793　the　Assembly　declared　that

Belgium　was　united　to　France。　　From　this　resulted　a　conflict　with

England　which　lasted　for　twenty…two　years。



Assembled　at　Antwerp　in　April；　1793；　the　representatives　of

England；　Prussia；　and　Austria　resolved　to　dismember　France。　　The

Prussians　were　to　seize　Alsace　and　Lorraine；　the　Austrians；

Flanders　and　Artois；　the　English；　Dunkirk。　　The　Austrian

ambassador　proposed　to　crush　the　Revolution　by　terror；

‘‘by　exterminating　practically　the　whole　of　the　party　directing

the　nation。''　　In　the　face　of　such　declarations　France　had

perforce　to　conquer　or　to　perish。



During　this　first　coalition；　between　1793　and　1797；　France　had　to

fight　on　all　her　frontiers；　from　the　Pyrenees　to　the　north。



At　the　outset　she　lost　her　former　conquests；　and　suffered　several

reverses。　　The　Spaniards　took　Perpignan　and　Bayonne；　the　English；

Toulon；　and　the　Austrians；　Valenciennes。　　It　was　then　that　the

Convention；　towards　the　end　of　1793；　ordered　a　general　levy　of

all　Frenchmen　between　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　forty；　and

succeeded　in　sending　to　the　frontiers　a　total　of　some　750；000

men。　　The　old　regiments　of　the　royal　army　were　combined　with

battalions　of　volunteers　and　conscripts。



The　allies　were　repulsed；　and　Maubeuge　was　relieved　after　the

victory　of　Wattigny；　which　was　gained　by　Jourdan。　　Hoche　rescued

Lorraine。　　France　took　the　offensive；　reconquering　Belgium　and

the　left　bank　of　the　Rhine。　　Jourdan　defeated　the　Austrians　at

Fleurus；　drove　them　back　upon　the　Rhine；　and　occupied　Cologne　and

Coblentz。　　Holland　was　invaded。　　The　allied　sovereigns　resigned

themselves　to　suing　for　peace；　and　recognised　the　French

conquests。



The　successes　of　the　French　were　favoured　by　the　fact　that　the

enemy　never　put　their　whole　heart　into　the　affair；　as　they　were

preoccupied　by　the　partition　of　Poland；　which　they　effected　in

1793…5。　　Each　Power　wished　to　be　on　the　spot　in　order　to　obtain

more　territory。　　This　motive　had　already　caused　the　King

of　Prussia　to　retire　after　the　battle　of　Valmy　in　1792。



The　hesitations　of　the　allies　and　their　mutual　distrust　were

extremely　advantageous　to　the　French。　　Had　the　Austrians　marched

upon　Paris　in　the