Tarnished Eagles: With Goethe and the German Campaign in France in 1792

When a coalition army of Austrians, Prussians, Hessians, and other German forces, as well as a contingent of French Royalists, invaded France in 1792 to restore Louis XVI to the throne, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1833) of Weimar accompanied this ill-fated expedition. His journal is a record of his observations and reflections made during the campaign, and provides a candid account of its events, which culminated in the cannonade at Valmy. Focusing primarily on the day-to-day life of the soldiers and civilians caught up in this war, Goethe provide a unique perspective on war and society.