Why did nobles and monarchs from other countries fear about the French Revolution?

Answer 1

One element that did not sit well with the American Public was the liberal use of the guillotine in France. John Q. Public had begun to see public execution as just fine for the gallows execution of convicted highwaymen, but regicide and women on the chopping block seemed out of the bounds of propriety and better handled out of the public view. This form of populism like "bread and circuses" was a little to much for American sensibilities.

Answer 2

Despite the fact that the French Revolution was carried out with a similar idea to that of the American Revolution, the Revolutionary French were considerably more violent in their pursuit of expanded freedoms. After the Revolutionary War the American state was still a fragile construct, and the French monarchy had helped to win their independence as well as helped to support them in that wars aftermath. The Revolutionary French were contemptuous of the US administration due to their hesitance to involve themselves in any foreign war. The French reasoned that as they had helped the Americans in their war against the British, it was right for the Americans to return the favor; but as all treaties and alliances were formed with the monarchy of King Louis, they were no longer binding on the United States government. When the American Government would not act on France's behalf, many French agitators moved through the American populace to rally the people to force their government to act. These actions, and the Revolution in general, created a tense atmosphere in the United States where opinions differed wildly on the matter. Ultimately it was determined that the United States would honor trade agreements with Britain and stay out of the conflict all together, but it created a tense period of diplomatic and political struggles for the Americans, both with other nations and within itself. This was the cause for American displeasure over the French Revolution.

Answer 3

The French Revolution lasted from 1789 until 1799. The Revolution precipitated a series of European wars, forcing the United States to articulate a clear policy of neutrality in order to avoid being embroiled in these European conflicts. The French Revolution also influenced U.S. politics, as pro- and anti- Revolutionary factions sought to influence American domestic and foreign policy.

When the first rumors of political change in France reached American shores in 1789, the U.S. public was largely enthusiastic. Americans hoped that the existing Franco-American alliance would be solidified by democratic reforms that would transform France into a republican ally against aristocratic and monarchical Britain. However, with revolutionary change also came political instability, violence, and calls for radical social change in France that frightened many Americans. American political debate over the nature of the French Revolution exacerbated pre-existing political divisions and resulted in the alignment of the political elite along pro-French and pro-British lines. Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson became the leader of the pro-French Democratic-Republican party that celebrated the republican ideals of the French Revolution. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton led the Federalist Party, which viewed the Revolution with skepticism and sought to preserve existing commercial ties with Great Britain. With the two most powerful members of his cabinet locked in mutual opposition, President George Washington tried to strike a balance between the two.

From 1790 to 1794 the French Revolution became increasingly radical. After French King Louis XVI was tried and executed on January 21, 1793, war with Great Britain and Spain was inevitable, and the two powers joined Austria and other European powers in the war against Revolutionary France that had already started in 1791. The United States remained neutral, as both Federalists and Democratic-Republicans saw that war would lead to economic disaster and the possibility of invasion. This policy was made difficult by heavy-handed British and French actions. The British harassed neutral American merchant ships, while the French government had dispatched a controversial minister to the United States, Edmond-Charles Genêt, whose violations of the American neutrality policy embroiled the two countries in the Citizen Genêt Affair until his recall in 1794.

In 1794, the French Revolution entered its most violent phase, the Terror. Under foreign invasion, the French Government had declared a state of emergency, and many foreigners residing in France were arrested, including American revolutionary pamphleteer Thomas Paine, owing to his British birth. Although American minister to France Gouverneur Morris did not obtain Paine's release, Morris was able to intercede successfully on behalf many Americans imprisoned during the Terror, including the American consuls at Dunkirk, Rouen, and Le Havre. Once the Terror ended in late July of 1794, the arrests ended, and Paine, who had been scheduled to be executed, was released.

Answer 4

They were afraid that it would spread and destroy the civilized world.

Answer 5

The fear was that what was happening in France, could happen in their own country - leading to their overthrow or death.

Answer 6

The whole "revolution" part...