Why did the French revolutionary leaders institute the levee en masse? The French revolutionary leaders institute levee en masse because what was left of the old royal army were not capable of exercising attacks. How did the levee en masse change the French armies? The levee en masse changed the French armies by forcing more people to perform services in battles and instead of selecting only an unfortunate minority to fight in war, anyone could be selected. What “basic principle” does the author refer to? The author refers to the “basic principle” of liberty and equality. He states “...,with its principles of liberty and equality, first stimulated and then exploited a fervent nationalism which made conscription acceptable.” “The