Republic of Mainz

During the War of the First Coalition against France, the Prussian and Austrian troops that had invaded France retreated after the Battle of Valmy, allowing the French revolutionary army to counterattack. The troops of General Custine entered the Palatinate in late September and occupied Mainz on 21 October 1792. The ruler of Mainz, Elector-Archbishop Friedrich Karl Joseph von Erthal, had fled the city. == Jacobin club ==

On the next day, 20 citizens of Mainz founded a Jacobin club, the ' (). Together with their filial clubs founded later in Speyer and Worms, they promoted the Enlightenment and the French revolutionary ideals of ' in Germany, aiming for a German republic to be established following the French model. Most of the founding members of the Jacobin club were professors and students of the University of Mainz, together with the university librarian, Georg Forster, some merchants and Mainz state officials. For some time the ecclesiastic was president of the club and editor of the '''' (). == Founding ==

By order of the French National Convention, elections in the French-occupied territories west of the Rhine were held on 24 February 1793. 130 cities and towns sent their deputies to Mainz. and delegates (among them Georg Forster and Adam Lux) were sent to Paris. The French National Convention granted the request on 30 March. == End ==

Soon after, Prussian troops retook all the French-occupied territory except for the heavily fortified city of Mainz itself. After a long siege in which much of the city was destroyed, Prussian and Austrian troops conquered the city on 22 July 1793. The republic ended, and the Jacobins were persecuted until 1795 when Mainz came under French control again. == Notes ==