Essay - Why did France declare War on Austria in 1792?

In April 1792, the French Legislative Assembly declared war against the King of Hungary and Bohemia, for plotting aggression. They declared war in the name of the French nation in defence of liberty; it began the first 'War of the People's' in the Modern world. Only 7 deputies voted against the war, which was thought by the majority to be in France's best interests. The conflict lasted nine years and France lost 1.4 million inhabitants, and dramatically altered …

…would put a block on the spreading of revolutionary ideas. Fear of the other side is what provoked the war, and pressure from the people of France and those in the Assembly is what finalised the decision for France to declare war. By evaluating the evidence shown, we can see that both sides were not taking the prospect of war seriously, they both regarded it as a stepping stone to what they wanted to achieve.