the french fleet was in a state of disorder at the start of the french revolutionary wars. although successful in the american revolutionary war of 1775–1783, there had been little investment in the intervening decade; one of the causes of the revolution were efforts to raise naval taxes by the french crown. toulon had been a political flashpoint during the revolution, including a strike and riot by dockyard workers in november 1789. directives from the french national convention targeting the professional officer class, mainly drawn from the aristocracy, led to widespread desertion by experienced officers while waves of revolutionary sentiment swept though the seamen of the fleet; the atlantic fleet at brest experienced a series of mutinies between 1790 and 1792. in toulon the fleet and the town dissolved into factional infighting, and in september 1792 the commander of the mediterranean fleet joseph, marquis de flotte was dragged from his home and beaten to death by a revolutionary mob.