ABSTRACT
Sheridan was correct, although as we shall see, there are important qualifications that must be made. Under her Revolutionary governments, French forces had more success in Europe than their predecessors since the 1690s, although this success was conspicuously not matched at sea. In part, this was a reflection of British strength in this sphere and of British concentration on war with France, whereas, on land, Austria, and, even more, Prussia and Russia, also had other interests to pursue (particularly in Poland), a reminder of the primacy of political considerations. Other factors, however, were also pertinent, although it is difficult to gauge their respective impact. At sea, the French could not match the organisational and tactical advances they showed on land. In part, this was because naval capability and warfare were more reliant on institutional continuity. In contrast, the adversarial nature of the French Revolution and its commitment to struggle helped lead to a major increase in the French resources available for war on land, although campaigning swiftly became dependent on the looting of conquered areas.
