Background
In the war's early encounters, French troops did not distinguish themselves, and enemy forces advanced dangerously deep into France intending to pacify the country, restore the traditional monarchy, and end the Revolution. King Frederick William II of Prussia had the support of Great Britain and the Austrian Empire to send the Duke of Brunswick towards Paris with a large army. Brunswick's allied invasion force of veteran Prussian and Austrian troops was augmented by large complements of Hessians and the French royalist Army of Condé. The French commander Dumouriez, meanwhile, had been marching his army northeast to attack the Austrian Netherlands, but this plan was abandoned because of the more immediate threat to Paris.
Just over half of the infantry of Dumouriez's army were regulars of the old Royal Army, as were nearly all of the cavalry and, most importantly, the artillery. These provided a professional core to steady the enthusiastic volunteer battalions raised in June and July 1791.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Valmy
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