134] 
thus revolutionised, into co nfusion, 
and embroiling the French with se- 
veral princes, the amity of whom they 
were desirous to obtain, and were 
at that time earnestly seeking, But 
a measure of this kind must at once 
have rendered these princes irrecon- 
cilably averse to any connections. 
with a state evidently bent on the 
destruction of every species of so- 
vereignty, but that of the people at 
large; and determined to abolish 
every where the rights of princes and 
reigning families, and every trace of 
hereditary government. 
The real truth was, that the situa- 
tion of France, at this period, was 
extremely critical. The pecuniary 
wants of the republic were such, 
thatit could not provide the sup- 
plies required by the commanders 
of their numerous armies abroad, 
which, though victorious, were fre- 
quently reduced to the most deplor- 
able need of the commonest neces- 
saries. It was therefore indispen- 
sibly requisite to procure them at 
any rate, and with the most effec- 
tual expedition, for men who nei- 
ther would, nor indeed could, wait 
for them, and who thought them- 
selves entitled to a comfortable 
Maintenance, and some remuneras 
tion for the services they were con- 
tinvally performing for their country. 
The German people, in conse- 
quence of the depredations exer- 
cised upon them by the French ar- 
mies, became their most invete- 
rate foes, and lost no opportunity 
of doing them every species of de- 
triment. They joined in crowds 
the Imperial armies; they formed 
themselves into bodies under chiefs 
of their own chusing, and fell upon 
the French wherever they could do 
it with advantage. They proved, 
inshort, the most useful auxiliaries 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
to the Austrian troops, through 
their local knowledge of the coun. 
tries where the war was waged, 
and through the resentment that 
animated them against the French, 
for the losses they had sustained in 
the predatory incursions of the re- 
publican soldiery, and the avidity 
of booty for which these were pecu- 
liarly. noted. 
Such was the causes of the rapid 
decline of that partial disposition 
towards the French, expressed by 
the commonalty in.so many coun- 
tries in Germany, at their first en- 
trance. As they viewed them in 
the light of friends and brethren, 
coming to their relief, they were 
the more exasperated, when they 
found them to be enemies and 
plunderers. = — 
In the mean time, the army, com- 
manded by Jourdan, having over- 
run Franconia, was advancing to- 
wards Ratisbon, levying contribu- 
tions from all the distviéts in its 
way. The diet of the empire, sit- 
tingin that city, was struck with 
consternation, at the rapidity of its 
approach, notwithstanding that the 
Imperial army disputed every step 
with the utmost resolution. 
The army, under general Mo- 
reau, was, at the same time, march- 
ing from Swabia, of which he had 
completed the reduction, by taking 
Ulm and Donawerth, places of 
great importance. on the Danube. 
He was now master of both sides 
of that river, and proposed to pass 
the Lech, dividing Swabia from 
Bavaria, in order to penetrate into 
this circle. The Austrians, ap- 
prised of his intention, collected a 
strong force to oppose him ;’ but he 
forced his passage over,on the twenty- 
fourth of August, near the city of 
Augsburgh, and compelled the Aus- 
trians 
