Why did the National Convention claim that France should have the Rhine, Alps, and Pyrenees as natural frontiers?

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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.

During the radical phase of the French Revolution (1793–1794), the National Convention promoted the concept of "natural frontiers"—specifically the Rhine, Alps, and Pyrenees—as the ideal geographic boundaries for France.1

This policy was driven primarily by strategic considerations and the pursuit of French national interest. By establishing these borders, the revolutionary government sought to secure the nation against foreign threats and consolidate its territorial integrity following military successes in the war against the coalition. These frontiers were viewed as defensible, logical limits that would provide France with a more stable and secure geopolitical position in Europe.1

While the expansion was framed through this geographic doctrine, it was also inextricably linked to the broader military conflict, as territories like the Austrian Netherlands and the left bank of the Rhine served as critical battlefields. Following occupation, France often implemented administrative reforms, such as the abolition of feudalism, to integrate these regions into the French state.1