The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792–1801 offers a comprehensive and jargon-free coverage of this turbulent period and unites political, social, military and international history in one volume.
Carefully designed for undergraduate students, through twelve chapters this book offers an introduction to the origins and international context of the French Revolution as well as an in-depth examination of the reasons why war began. Aspects unpicked within the book include how France acquired a de facto empire stretching from Holland to Naples; the impact of French conquest on the areas concerned; the spread of French ideas beyond the frontiers of the French imperium; the response of the powers of Europe to the sudden expansion in French military power; the experience of the conflicts unleashed by the French Revolution in such areas as the West Indies, Egypt and India; and the impact of war on the Revolution itself.
Offering extensive geographical coverage and challenging many preconceived ideas, The Wars of the French Revolution, 1792–1801 is the perfect resource for students of the French Revolution and international military history more broadly.
Chapter 1: The origins of the French Revolutionary Wars
Chapter 2: The armies of the ancien régime
Chapter 3: From the Bastile to Valmy
Chapter 4: Saving the Revolution
Chapter 5: Exporting the Revolution
Chapter 6: Sympathy, admiration and collaboration
Chapter 7: Resistance and revolt (1): Frances
Chapter 8: Resistance and revolt (2): the French imperium
Chapter 9: The reaction of the ancien régime
Chapter 10: The wider world
Chapter 11: The road to 18 Brumaire
Chapter 12: The end of the French Revolutionary Wars
Bibliographical note
Biography
Charles J. Esdaile has been a member of staff in the Department of History at the University of Liverpool, UK, since 1989. He was awarded a personal chair in 2004. His previous publications include Napoleon, France and Waterloo: The Eagle Rejected (2016); Burgos: Occupation, Siege, Aftermath, 1808–1814 (2014); Women in the Peninsular War (2014); Outpost of Empire: The French Occupation of Andalucía, 1810–1812 (2012); Napoleon’s Wars: An International History of Napoleonic Europe (2007); and The Wars of Napoleon (1995).
'Professor Esdaile has written a wide-ranging history of the French Revolutionary Wars. His insightful interpretation is presented in a clear and crisp narrative that explores the complex international dimensions of the conflict. The internal politics of Revolutionary France and European monarchies are woven into the decision-making process and conduct of the decade of war that preceded the climactic Age of Napoleon.'
–Frederick C. Schneid, High Point University, USA
