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How did the Declaration of Pillnitz affect French attitudes toward war in 1791?

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Napoleon I — French Revolutionary wars *Bonaparte on the Bridge at Arcole, 17 November 1796*, oil on canvas by Antoine-Jean Gros, 1796; in the Versailles Museum.

The Declaration of Pillnitz, issued in August 1791 by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and King Frederick William II of Prussia, was intended by its authors to be a symbolic gesture to appease French émigrés and intimidate revolutionaries into moderation. However, it had the opposite effect on French attitudes toward war.

The French government largely interpreted the declaration as a direct threat to its sovereignty and the French Revolution itself. Rather than fostering conciliation, the document fueled suspicion and radicalization within France. This perception of an external threat intensified tensions, leading the National Assembly to adopt an increasingly aggressive stance. These provocations ultimately culminated in France declaring war on Austria in April 1792, marking the beginning of the French Revolutionary wars.1