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MONASH UNIVERSITY
School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies

ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET

Students name
Students I.D. number Unit name Title of assignment Name of lecturer Name of tutor Tutorial day /time Due date 16 March 2012
(Surname) (Given names)

Kellett
24192031 Nations at War I Document Exercise David Garrioch Stephanie Rocke Tuesday/1 pm

Michael Joseph
Phone number 0412 438 166 ATS1320 Unit code

Email Date submitted

mjkel19@student.monash.edu 16 March 2012

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ATS1320 Nations at War: Document Analysis Document A: Robespierre on Joseph Bara

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Q1. Joseph Bara- a thirteen year old boy assigned to the Revolutionary Childrens Battalionbecame a martyr and hero of the French Revolution. Bara was brutally murdered by counterrevolutionary brigades when attempting to prevent the rebels from embezzling horses. His death was to reach the Convention (1793) where Robespierre used the boys death as a means of forging an account of heroism, patriotism and bravery stemming from nationalistic principles. From the creation of speeches, stage-plays, poems and Jacques-Louis Davids renowned painting venerating Bara, the importance of self-sacrifice became associated with an object of aspiration and purity for the welfare of the nation. 7/10 Q2. Robespierre believed that only the French nation had the capability of producing thirteen year old heroes- such as Bara and Viala. For Robespierre this audacious nature of the French character was a direct result of the assertion of the human right to liberty. Conversely other nations, such as Austria and Prussia, still used an autocratic means of government where people where subordinates of the state and were oppressed from rising to any greatness. For French civilians their acceptance of liberty and rejection of the ancien regime meant they could advance through society on merit without subservience to social hierarchy. 11/15 - even young people could understand the benefits of personal liberty espoused by the Revolutionaries Q3. Robespierre wanted Baras account publicised in order to create an embodiment of virtues- such as integrity and self-sacrifice- to which the French population could use to replicate in their own behaviour, bolstering the identity of the French citizen. Robespierre believed Baras story could be used against enemy soldiers and counter-revolutionaries resulting in their despondency for attempting to defeat an enemy of young virtuous heroes. Effectively, he believed it was an important response to the many crises affecting France. He was utilising this propaganda to increase enthusiasm of the National Army and conscripts from the levee en masse (1793) who faced war on all fronts against the First Coalition (1793) experiencing many defeats, while glorifying sacrifice for the nation as a desirable outcome. Socially, Baras account aided in the radicalisation within France increasing fears of Civil War (1793) and reparations from migrs.
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Comment [S1]: Embezzling relates to fraudulent theft (i.e by someone in a position of trust) just use stealing

Comment [S2]: You havent communicated your meaning clearly here

Comment [S3]: Not quite the right word

13/15 Q4. Bara represented a martyr, a soldier who was prepared to forgo his life for the interests of the nation; a citizen-soldier. This new national soldier with a national purpose fought patriotically for his nation who transcended his predecessor-the mercenary- whose soul sole motivation was payment for military service. Through total war everyone had become, to some extent, a soldier-citizen. The army institutions proselytised soldiers to become politically and revolutionary active. This new class of solider was encouraged to relish in their rights as humans; they even had the ability to democratically divorce themselves from officers they were displeased with (i.e. due to mortality rates). 10/15 Document B: extract from General Von Clausewitz, On War (1831) Q5. According to Clausewitz the nature of war had significantly changed from its previous structure under the ancien regime. Firstly, war had become a direct concern of the people. Previously, combat had held aristocratic characteristics, where subjects of the kingdom had no edict over military affairs, where those born in the upper echelons of society used warfare to shape their public identity and where hierarchy and subordination was respected. As a part of the new order soldier-citizens were encouraged to be politically active as they were given democratic rights within their battalion- to divorce themselves of their officers- as citizens of the state. This meant the distinction between soldier and citizen had been blurred as France entered into a period of total war, where the entire energy of the French nation was placed into an unrelenting force surpassing limitations experienced by traditional armies of the time. Hence, war was no longer conventional as France abandoned the established code of combat creating a more brutal and aggressive conflict, such as the Conventions announcement of a no prisoner policy resulting in the execution of surrendered enemy soldiers and Frances disregard for treaties after aggrandising land. Clausewitz further observes how a National Army- of volunteers and conscripts- were driven by the enthusiasm to protect the patrie under motives of patriotism and nationalistic belief which far transcends the use of mercenaries whose soul incentive is payment. 18/20 Q6. Clausewitz believed that the nature of warfare had changed as a result of the political activism of the people, their unparalleled rights as citizen-soldiers and their involvement in state affairs- all which were caused by the French Revolution. Yet, Clausewitz notes the Revolution was threatening the affairs of other countries, where the new political attitude of the French nation undermined despotic rulers who fought to destroy the new republic, creating a hostile war of ideology. 10/10 Q7. In the final paragraph of Clausewitzs extract he poses a question of whether war will completely change to a nationalistic and democratic agenda where the state considers the interests of the public, or whether warfare will return to a separation between the Government body- as an absolute power- and the people. Clausewitz poses this question about the future of warfare due to Frances unrivalled success through a xenophobic approach where the French National Army was able to deter and pervade enemy kingdoms of the First Coalition. Hence, these patriotic methods far exceeded the out dated and traditional approach that countries such as Austria and Prussia had adopted. Clausewitz discerns that the betterment of these primitive military methods can be achieved through either national reform in theseautocratic kingdoms- or revolution. Conversely, if the French nation were to collapse from the pressure of the war on all fronts then the climate of warfare would return back to a government, detached from the people, declaring war on its own basis on a system of social
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and military hierarchy. Henceforth, Clausewitz queries the outcome of Frances international conflict which held potential to influence the prospect of war. 10/15

Michael Excellent work demonstrating not only a good grasp of the key concepts and terms of the French Revolution, but also an excellent understanding of how the specific detail of the documents fits within the Units broad themes of nationhood and war. While the clarity of your expression could be improved at times, your writing is generally succinct and in keeping with academic conventions.

OVERALL GRADE: 16/20