CHAPTER III
.
THE GENERAL POLITICAL AND STRATEGIC CONDITIONS, AND THE EVENTS OF 1793.
France declares war against Spain, March 7, 1793 79
Character of the governments arrayed against France 79
Mutual jealousy of Austria and Prussia 80
Attitude of the smaller German States 80
Military and naval situation of Spain 81
Policy of Great Britain 82
Attitude of Russia 82
Second Partition of Poland 82
Course of Sweden and Denmark 83
Internal dissensions and external dangers of Holland 83
Dutch colonies 83
Relations between Portugal and Great Britain 84
Attitude of the Italian States 84
Extent and disorganization of the Turkish Empire 85
Strategic importance of the Mediterranean islands 85
Their political distribution 86
Value of Malta and of Port Mahon 87
Corsica in the beginning of the French Revolution 88
Internal commotions in France 89
Reverses in Belgium and treason of Dumouriez 89
Reorganization of the Committee of Public Safety 90
Revolt of Lyon against the Convention 90
Fall of the Girondists 90
Risings of their followers throughout France 90
Siege of Lyon by Conventional troops 91
Toulon delivered to the British and Spanish fleets 92
French reverses on the eastern and northeastern frontiers 93
Desperate state of France 93
Mistakes of the allies 94
Energy of the Convention and its commissioners 94
Effect upon the armies 94
Failure to attain similar results in the navy 95
Causes of this failure 96
Naval unpreparedness of Great Britain in 1793 96
Difficulty in manning the fleet 96
Distribution of the British naval forces 96
Military and naval problem before Great Britain 97
Military value of insurrections in an enemy's country 98
Measures to compel the French navy to leave port 99
Difficulty of blockading French ports 99
Maritime claims of Great Britain 100
Military character of Lord Howe 101
His views of naval policy 101
Proper strategic use of the British fleet 102
Effects of inactivity upon a naval force 102
Successes of the French armies toward the close of 1793 103
Disasters of the Vendean insurgents 104
Fall of Lyon 105
The allies abandon Toulon, Dec. 19, 1793 105
Disadvantages of Toulon for the allies 106
End of the maritime year 1793 106
##