'The Real Grounds of the Present War': John Bowles and the French Revolutionary Wars, 1792-1802

Citation

Vincent E (1993) 'The Real Grounds of the Present War': John Bowles and the French Revolutionary Wars, 1792-1802. History, 78 (254), pp. 393-420. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-229X.1993.tb02251.x

Abstract
First paragraph: John Bowles (1751-1819), one of the most successful British loyalist writers of the French Revolutionary period, admired the writings of Edmund Burke on the French Revolution, and he was substantially influenced by them. He was a 'war crusader' by conviction, wishing to see the downfall of the revolutionary regime in France as the primary aim of the British war, and not simply because the government paid him to be one. Moreover, he was intellectually sophisticated and eloquent enough to be judged more than a mere copyist of Burke's views.

Keywords
Britain and the French Revolution; John Bowles (1751-1819); French Revolutionary Wars; Edmund Burke; propaganda; crusade.

Journal
History: Volume 78, Issue 254

People

Dr Emma Macleod

Senior Lecturer, History