The French Declare War on France

The legislative assembly swore that this would only be a defensive war waged against an aggressive tyrant who threatened french liberty. Back on the other side of the lines, king frederick william the second of prussia was simply delighted that the french were taking the initiative to declare war. The austrians, for their part, did not wait for the french to take the initiative. On april 20, eighth, two days before they actually received the french declaration of war, francis the second and his ministers themselves declared war on france. And so it was war.