French Revolutionary Army
The French Revolutionary Army (French: Armée révolutionnaire française) was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipment and their great numbers. Although they experienced early disastrous defeats, the revolutionary armies successfully expelled foreign forces from French soil and then overran many neighboring countries, establishing client republics. Leading generals included Napoleon Bonaparte, Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, André Masséna and Jean Victor Marie Moreau.
| French Revolutionary Army | |
|---|---|
General Dampierre leading the French troops at the Battle of Jemmapes, November 1792, in an early 20th-century painting by Raymond Desvarreux | |
| Active | 1792–1804 |
| Country | French Republic, and European émigré groups. |
| Allegiance | French First Republic |
| Motto(s) | Honneur et Patrie |
| Colours | |
| Engagements | War of the First Coalition War of the Second Coalition |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Napoleon Bonaparte Pierre Augereau Auguste Marie Henri Picot de Dampierre Louis Desaix Thomas-Alexandre Dumas Lazare Hoche Jean-Baptiste Jourdan François Christophe de Kellermann Jean-Baptiste Kléber Jean Lannes François Joseph Lefebvre André Masséna Jean Victor Marie Moreau Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier Joseph Souham |
As a general description of French military forces during this period, it should not be confused with the "revolutionary armies" (armées révolutionnaires) which were paramilitary forces set up during the Terror. Following the proclamation of the French Empire in 1804 the Revolutionary Army became the Imperial Army.