How did the government respond to the French Revolution?

The response of "the government" to the French Revolution greatly depends on which government you are referring to. The French government itself underwent rapid and radical changes during the Revolution. However, if we consider the broader European and global reaction, many governments responded with alarm and hostility as the Revolution represented a threat to the established social and political order.

Within France, the initial Revolution led to a constitutional monarchy being established in 1789, but this was short-lived. By 1792, the French Republic had been proclaimed. The National Convention took control and ushered in a period known as the Reign of Terror, during which many of the revolutionaries and perceived enemies of the revolution, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, were executed. Eventually, the Directory took power, followed by the Consulate, leading to the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte as the ruler of France.

Outside of France, the response varied:

1. Monarchies across Europe responded with alarm. The French Revolution was seen as a threat to the divine right of kings, and its republican ideals were potentially subversive to other monarchical governments.

2. The Holy Roman Empire, Prussia, and Austria formed the First Coalition against France in an attempt to quash the revolutionary government. This led to the Revolutionary Wars, which evolved into the Napoleonic Wars during Napoleon's rule.

3. Britain, seeing the Revolution as a threat to its own stability and an opportunity to weaken its long-term rival, also opposed France diplomatically and militarily.

4. Meanwhile, neighbors with significant French populations or influence, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, experienced their own internal struggles with revolutionary ideas.

The responses ranged from offering support to fellow monarchs, trying to contain the spread of revolutionary fervor, to engaging in outright conflict against the new French government.