Declaration of Pillnitz
필니츠 선언
Joint declaration issued on 27 August 1791 by Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II and King Frederick William II of Prussia. It called the situation of the French king a matter of common interest to all European sovereigns and announced readiness to use force if the other powers joined.
In depth
The declaration followed the requests of Monsieur and the Count of Artois. Action hinged on the words "then and in that case", meaning Austria and Prussia would move only if all the other major powers joined the intervention. Leopold is said to have chosen the wording to avoid being drawn into war, knowing that the British prime minister Pitt opposed one. The French assembly nonetheless read it as a direct threat to the Revolution, and Brissot and others used it to justify the declaration of war of 20 April 1792. That a conditional text meant as restraint instead fed the case for war is an interpretation.
Related people
Related historical events
Sources
- /commulingo/docs/france-war-debate-and-declarations-1791-1792
- Wikipedia (EN)