French Revolution Wars, April 20, 1782 to March 25, 1802

From 1792 until 1802, the French Revolutionary Wars were a series of large-scale military battles. France was arrayed against the United Kingdom, Austria, the Holy Roman Empire, Prussia, Russia, and a number of other monarchies. They are separated into two periods: the First Coalition War and the Second Coalition War. Initially confined to Europe, the conflict grew to include the entire globe. France had conquered lands in the Italian Peninsula, the Low Countries, and the Rhineland in Europe after a decade of relentless conflict and hard diplomacy, but had abandoned Louisiana in North America. The triumph of the French in these conflicts assured the spread of revolutionary ideas throughout much of Europe.

The other European kingdoms were outraged by the revolution and its upheavals as early as 1791, and they debated whether to act, either in support of King Louis XVI to prevent the revolution from spreading, or to profit from the instability in France.

Dates: April 20, 1782 to March 25, 1802