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What dangers did Maximilien Robespierre predict before France went to war with Austria and Prussia?
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Maximilien Robespierre
One of the leading figures of the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre.
Before France declared war on Austria and Prussia, Maximilien Robespierre actively opposed the conflict, which was being advocated by Jacques-Pierre Brissot as a means to spread the aims of the Revolution. In his speeches at the Jacobin Club, Robespierre warned of several specific dangers:
- Secret Intrigues: He denounced the collusion between the royal court, royalists, and Austria.
- Military Unpreparedness: He highlighted the lack of readiness of the French army.
- Treason: He warned of the potential for betrayal by aristocratic officers, demanding their dismissal in February 1792.
- Military Dictatorship: He expressed suspicion that the commander of the French army, the marquis de Lafayette, intended to use the war as a pretext to establish a military dictatorship.
The military reverses that France subsequently suffered after declaring war were indeed foreseen by Robespierre.1