Pitt and the French Wars

• Summery of the War 1793-1807:

  • Britain joined a coalition of Holland, Spain, Austria, Prussia and the Northern Italian state of Piedmont in 1793
  • coalition had no concrete strategy
  • British force sent to help the Dutch was defeated at Honscoote in September 1793
  • Autumn 1793 —>> brief British occupation of French port and military harbour of Toulon on the Mediterranean —> ended by the actions of Young Napoleon
  • Pitt gave large subsidies to his continental allies
  • 1796 -> only Austria was left as a major ally -> 1797 signed peace treaty with France
• Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821): early career

  • Born on Corsica after the island’s cession to France by Greece
  • son of a minor Corsican
  • 1778 -> Napoleon and his brother Joseph —> military school in France called College d’Autun
  • young general —> defeated Austria in Italy 1796-1797
  • led an expedition to Egypt in attempt to establish French control in eastern Mediterranean 1798 -> stopped by Nelson
  • 1699 -> First Consul of France —> after leading a coup for power
  • signed peace treaty with Britain 1802
  • became Emperor in 1804
• The First Coalition 1793-1797:

  • WHO: Spain, Holland, Austria, Prussia, England and Sardinia then joined by Russia
  • 1793 -> Britain arranged it
  • to defeat the revolutionary forces of France
  • very little unity between these Allies
  • France had young inspiring leaders emerge
  • The French were enthusiastic to defend their country against foreign invasion
• Failures of the First Coalition:

  • the allies weren’t unified —> Britain wanted to develop their empire, Russia + Prussia + Austria wanted Poland
  • 1793 —> Toulon -> Royalists rose up against French gov. British tried to take advantage of this by sending a fleet and a troop -> Napoleon drove the British out
  • 100 000 soldiers died in the West Indies = 1794 expedition in 1798
  • 1795 -> Prussia makes peace with France
  • 1796 -> Austria makes peace with France + Spain and Holland declare war on Britain
  • failure of the Netherlands campaign
• Strengths of the First Coalition:

  • Britain took over the cape of Good Hope --> 1795
  • victory on 'The glorious First of June' --> although ships got through the blockade, Britain won against the French warships
• 1797: the Year of Crisis

  • break-up of the the Coalition and the attempt by Spain and Holland to take advantage of the difficulties in which Britain found itself
  • Ireland -> danger of the French invading Ireland which was on the edge of revolution
  • Naval Mutinies -> naval bases at Nore and Spithead held mutinies due to the discontented sailors who had been press-ganged, Britain depended on the navy. This danger was short lived --> became more humane
• Why was Britain dependent on their Navy:

  • Britain had a small army
  • Britain is an island -> protect her boarders
  • had to protect her trade routes -> main source of income with other countries
  • only protection from strong European Nations
  • to colonise
• The Second Coalition 1798:

  • WHO: Britain, Austria, Russia, Turkey
  • shorter lived, March 1799 Austrian and Russian armies drove France from Italy, but the Russian and British expeditions failed in the Netherlands. This led to quarrelling and the Russians withdrew and in 1800 they joined the Armed Neutrality. Austrians signed the Treaty of Lenenville in 1801 -> with France
  • British Naval success -> May 1798 Napoleon tried to conquer Egypt, Nelson stopped this as he defeated the fleet at the Aboukir Bay. 1800 recaptured Malta. April 1801 -> Nelson defied orders and destroyed the danish fleet
• The Second Coalition 1798: cont'd

  • The Peace of Amiens -> Pitt had resigned over the issue of Catholic Emancipation, succeeded by Addington. Signed in March 1802 as he wanted to make peace with France. Britain returned all colonial conquests from France, Spain and Holland, with the exception of Trinidad and Ceylon. French withdrew from Rome, Naples and Egypt. Handed back Malta to the Knights of St.John.
• Armed Neutrality

  aim was to limit British trade and influence in the Baltic (the source of most of its Timber required for shipbuilding).
• The Third Coalition 1804:

  • 17th May 1803 -> Britain re declared war on France
  • WHO: Britain, Russia and Austria
  • Austrian army suffered a series of crushing defeats, Napoleons triumph in Vienna (Austria's capital) 1805, Austria + Russia defeated at the Battle of Austerlitz 1805
  • Napoleon now had an army ready for the invasion of Southern England. Admiral Villeneuve (French) was blockaded by Nelson and other admirals, ensure they could't escape. Won against the French at the Battle of Trafalgar 1805. Captured 18/35 French ships
• Pitt made good use of Britain's naval power:

  • world's most powerful navy
  • 1793 -> 661 naval vessels compared to France's 291
  • well-led -> maintained a demanding blockade of France to ensure Britain possession of the Channel
  • Quota Acts 1795 ->required counties to identify and provide men as recruits for the navy -> although many were not happy to
  • 1794 - Admiral Lord Howe destroyed 22 French Ships at the Battle of the Glorious First of June
  • French plan to go to Ireland failed due to Admiral Jervis
  • Battle of Trafalgar win and the destruction French fleet in Egypt
  • effectively used
• Limited deployment of Force in Europe:

  • Britain had a small army compared to Europe
  • seizure of valuable French colonies in the Caribbean in 1795-97
  • economic warfare was used --> overrode ethical considerations
  • attempted to revive League of Armed Neutrality of 1780 was met by force
  • subsidised Austria and Prussia by £9 million in the period 1793-1802
  • but the £4 million given to Austria in 1795 was limited and Austria lost to France
  • colonial war was effective, economic not as much
• Pitt used Britain's wealth and its financial system effectively:

  • Pitt's earlier financial successes allowed him to subsidise allies
  • increase in tax
  • paper money in 1797 -> Bank of England
  • treble indirect taxation
  • 1798 -> income tax
• Pitt's determination:

  • Pitt's war speeches were solidly argued as they weren't to a large crowd. Lacked fire and inspiration.
• Pitts weaknesses:

  • France dominated continental Europe
  • Three coalition broken down since 1793
  • Russia made an agreement with France 1807 -> work together
  • trade was interrupted and restricted
• Pressgangs

  traditionally recruited for the navy. They virtually kidnapped men and boys who were forced to take the "King's Shilling" and serve at sea. This is to do with the 1795 Quota Acts
• Blue Water Strategy:

  • capturing Frances colonies
  • during 1794-96 => Britain captured West Indian islands from the French and Dutch
  • the cost was high however as 40 000 British troops were killed which is similar to the amount wounded during the Peninsular war
  • 1795 - Guadelopue and St.Lucia were recaptured by the French
  • Captured the Cape of Good hope and Ceylon
  • increased the army from 15 000 1793 to 133 000 1801
• Was Pitt's foreign policy working by 1802:

  Yes

  • blue water strategy ensured that British economic interests were protected. 1800s over half of British exports went to the Americas
  • after 1802 - economic strength Pitt's policies had protected would allow Britain to continue the war with France until Napoleon's final defeat in 1815
  • France was unable to defeat British naval power, making it impossible to invade Britain
• Was Pitt's foreign policy working by 1802:

  No

  • policies were expensive -> cost of maintaining coalitions was a strain on the economy and caused high prices which led to discontent and rebellion in Ireland 1798
  • coalitions were ineffective
  • Pitt avoided land campaigns on the Continent