As a means of loosening old ties of allegiance, and of rationalizing administration, the old divisions based on feudal ownership were replaced by départements of roughly uniform size and named after geographical features such as rivers.
Vanade truudussidemete kaotamise abil ja halduse ratsionaliseerimiseks asendati feodaalomandil põhinev vana jaotus peaaegu ühesuuruste departemangudega ja nimetati geograafiliste tunnuste, nagu jõed, järgi.