As part of their broader efforts to consolidate France both socially and politically into a purer "Republic of Virtue," the Jacobins mandated the conscription of young men in an effort to create a powerful, patriotic military machine.
Political context
By this time, Robespierre and his faction of Montagnards were controlling policy in the National Convention
Ideologically, the Mountain believed that a Republican state could only be formed if the populace possessed the "virtue" to maintain it-- an idea borrowed from the writings of Montesquieu and Rousseau
The group had two main priorities in the short term:
1. Restore internal stability: the "counterrevolution" was raging in the countryside, and the Convention needed to re-centralize the authority of the state
2. Push outward: the Mountain realized France's precarious strategic position. On one hand, they had to parry looming threats from the east; at the same time, many hoped to spread the values of the Revolution to Belgium and other neighboring areas
The Levy in Mass: a political necessity?
Establishing a large army became an immediate priority--it was simply necessary for the Jacobin agenda
The Levy itself extends far beyond a conscription: it even engages the non-fighting to participate in the functioning of the military machine
The new French army was both a military and an ideological weapon. Every battalion was organized under the banner, "The French people risen against tyrants"
To accomplish these lofty goals, the Levy gave clear authority to officials and bureaucrats to enforce the will of the Convention
In many ways, ahead of its time
The Jacobins foreshadowed the usage of conscription to quickly and efficiently build an army
In addition, they helped crystallize the feelings of national patriotism (which would become important in all European nations throughout the following eras of history)
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