French revolutionaries and British reformers

• 1789 French revolution
• National Assemble organized
• French declaration of right of man and citizen
• Charles Fox leader of opposition in British parliament praises French
• Joseph Priestley detested established church and applauded the French revolutionaries assault of the church of French

Whigs consider themselves friends of liberty

• Edmund Burke – French revolution was subverting the social order
• Burke – reformer
• Burke attacked the French principle that sovereignty resides in the entire body of citizens
• Thomas Paine supported the American revolution wrote common sense
• Paine 1791 published the rights of man attached the whole nature of British society. Outlined a welfare system similar to the one in use today in US.
• Paine indicted for treasons flees to France where he has to flee again to US
• Mary Wollstonecraft writes the Vindication of the Rights of women – mother of Shelly who wrote Frankenstein

War breaks out

• 4 years after Revolution
• French expansion into low countries and across alps
• French soldiers enthusiastic changed the fighting man – French army moved swiftly and triumph

Impact of war on England

• Conquests toppling old order on continent
• Taxes high
• Huge debt
• Shipbuilders and munitions makers experiencing a boon
• High inflation
• Crops not doing well

Impact of French revolution on Britain

• Government paranoia
• All government critics labeled traitor and deemed sympathetic to French cause
• Paranoia leads to crack down on liberties
• 1795 treasonable practices Act broadens the law of treason
• Seditious meeting act required license for gathering of 50 or more
• Freedom of press curtailed
• Loyal societies grow
• King George III hailed as the symbol of his nations will to resist

Naval conflict

• Hatio Nelson = hero at sea – left his post without orders interposed his vessel between the divided French ships to keep them from uniting
• Captured 2 Spanish vessels
• Battle of cape st Vincent defeat of the Dutch ended threat of invasion from Holland.
• Mutiny breaks out due to frustrations of men – sailors pressed into service, harsh discipline, low pay, poor conditions.
• 29 ringleaders executed or punished but the men gained reform

The Egyptian Expedition

• General Bonaparte commanded army massed in channel as decoy
• French attached Egypt
• Captured Malta
• Battle of Trafalgar – Nelson approached to destroy every ship he could reach regardless of losses, won the battle
• Bonaparte locked in Egypt – Syria declared war on French
• French defeated in Egypt
• Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself first consulate

War of second coalition

• Vitamin C fond to prevent scurvy
• Tsar Paul of Russia assassinated
• Russian Anglo coalition – problems no one trusted the other

Irish Crisis

• Gratton parliament had restored the right to vote to Presbyterians
• Catholics given right to be lawyers or schoolmasters
• Wolfe Tone – leader of Irish Wexford rebels Irish revolt
• French attempt to aid Irish but arrive too late
• British crush revolt, Wolfe tones put in jail committed suicide
• Ireland joined to United Kingdom

Peace of Amiens

• False peace only gives Napoleon time to regroup
• Pitt resigns
• Harvest poor, national debt staggering
• People’s moral low no will to fight anymore
• Henry Addington elected
• Negotiates treaty

War breaks out again in 1803

• Napoleonic Wars
• French used peace to rearm for war
• British blockade
• French regained Louisiana territory from Spain with treaty
  • French sell Louisiana territory to US
  • Add profit 15 million to war machine

British Women in war

• Women gathered shoes and clothing for troops
• Sewed flags, uniforms etc
• Shocked at execution of Marie Antoinette
• Shocked by French ideals that service to country came before duty to family

War of 3rd coalition

• Pitt dies
• Napoleon marches through Europe
• July 1807 – French sign treated with Russia = divides Europe up into French and Russian sides
• Unrest in Britain due to industrialization loss of jobs, inflation, taxes etc.
• Napoleon controls continent
• Attempts to bring economic sanctions on Britain
• Britain tightens Blockade
• Napoleon kidnaps Spanish royal family

Wellington liberates Spain

• Gains control of Spanish coast
• Gives some relief to merchants suffering from Napoleons blockade
• King George loses his sanity and oldest son takes crown
• Assassination of prime minister Perceval by Anglo Russian
• British success in Spain loosens French grip

Raw material for industry suffer from French grip

• Jobs life or death for worker
• Violence breaks out
• Luddites organized in 1811
• Rioters break up manufacturing plants in midlands
• Return to day of no machines
• Troops squash rebellion
• 17 leaders hand – 6 sent to Australia

• Opposition to French oppression grows in occupied countries

American and British Wars

• Grew directly out of struggle in Europe
• British sailors deserted and joined American shipping
• British press gangs abducted Service Americans who could not prove citizenship
• US protest falls on deaf ears in London
• War breaks out, War of 1812

Napoleon invades Russia

• Lines of communication and supplies overstretched
• Beginning of the end for Napoleon
• Retreats after battle of the nations at Leipzap 3 day battle
• Austria, Sweden, Russian and Prussians in hot pursuit
• Wellington invades France from Pyrenees 1814. British take Toulouse
• Napoleon abdicated April 11, 1814
• Made sovereign of Elba since he gave up France and Italy crowns

French veterans return home

• Find France not to their liking
• Napoleon returns to France gathers forces
• The British converged at the village of Waterloo under Wellington.
• Defeat Napoleon and his army
• Napoleon Retreats, surrenders and exiled to St Helena 1815
• Napoleon dies in 1821.