The French Revolutionary Wars began in 1792 and lasted until 1802. Pre-Revolutionary France was essentially a feudal nation, ruled by King Louis XVI. France was heavily in debt and King Louis XVI was considered weak and indecisive. He said taxes should be raised to combat the country's growing debt, sparking national outrage. Tensions between the peasants, the nobles and the clergy increased even more. A National Assembly was formed to reshape French politics and society. Small revolutions broke out throughout France, which later turned into revolts against the monarchy itself. There was a “reign of terror” from 1793 to 1794 during which seventeen thousand people considered enemies of the revolution were executed. The king and his family tried to flee France on June 20, 1791. They hoped to reach Montmédy, on the border between France and Luxembourg. It was hoped that the troops of Leopold II of Austria, the brother of Queen Marie Antoinette, would meet them there. However, the family was caught and had to return to Paris. Louis XVI was reinstated as king on the condition that he constituted himself. There was a growing threat from abroad from émigrés. The émigrés were a number of aristocrats, including the king's brothers, who had gone abroad and plotted against the new French government with the help of foreign armies. Concerned for the safety of his sister and her husband, Emperor Leopold II of Austria met with King Frederick William of Prussia. They issued the Pillnitz Declaration to France as a warning not to harm Louis XVI and allow his authority to be maintained in France. On April 20, 1792, France declared war on Austria. King Louis XVI was executed in 1793. Europe was shocked by ...... middle of paper ...... which made the French army the largest and most powerful in Europe , with ten times more soldiers than any other army. . The French army also changed the way soldiers fought; they were divided into groups of twelve thousand people, they rushed at the enemy with bayonets, which shocked the enemy and caused a large number of victims. They also adopted an approach to living off the land, which allowed them to do away with heavy supply wagons and travel quickly and lightly. Although the introduction of these new tactics marked the beginning of a change in European warfare, it still had many drawbacks. Conscription was not popular among the French population; many fled the army and were executed for desertion. The shock tactics implemented also caused numerous victims. Even if this measure was effective, the enemy saw it as a total disregard for human life..