War and the Second Revolution 463the end of September. They declared them within the “natural frontiers”
of France—a claim that contradicted the principles of popular sovereignty
and self-determination contained in the annexation decrees themselves.
On December 15, 1792, the Convention abolished all feudal dues and
tithes in those territories occupied by French armies.
The governments of Britain and the Dutch Republic viewed the occupa
tion of the Austrian Netherlands as a great threat. When it appeared that
both states were considering joining Austria and Prussia in taking action
against France, the Convention on February 1, 1793, declared war on Britain
and the Dutch Republic. Spain and the Kingdoms of Sardinia and Naples
joined this First Coalition against France.
When correspondence between Louis XVI and the Austrian government
was discovered, his trial became inevitable. Accused of treason, the king
defended himself with grace and dignity. He called on the Convention to
look after his family as he had tried to watch over those of France. But with
the words “one cannot reign innocently” ringing in the hall, the Convention
condemned the king to death. On the morning of January 21, Louis XVI was
guillotined. The huge throng roared its approval as the executioner held up
the severed royal head, symbol of the Old Regime, for all to see.
As the Convention and the more radical Paris Commune vied for author
ity, the French Republic, still at war, began to split apart. The Girondins
and the Jacobins quarreled bitterly. The Girondins were popularly identi
fied with the economic liberalism that characterized the port cities and
with the desire to carry the Revolution aggressively beyond the frontiers of
France. Opposed to centralizing power in Paris, they wanted a significant