3.1 - Wars of Empire 1756-1902

Question 1

What were the causes for the 7 Years war? (3)

Answer 1

Britain and France = enemies.

Britain wanted to stop France becoming too powerful whilst France saw Britain as a threat to its own ambitions.

Both believed best way to improve strength was to expand through colonies.

Question 2

Why did Britain win the 7 Yeats war?

Answer 2

Paid its ally Prussia to send soldiers to stand against the French next to their own. = Won victory at Minden in 1759.

Destroyed French power in Canada and most of North America.

Navy had 105 large warships, France only had 70. = Captured most of Frances colonies in Caribbean.

Question 3

How did the 7 years war end?

Answer 3

With the Treaty of Paris in 1763 in which France and Spain returned everything they had conquered from Britain.

British and Indian allies won a victory at Plassey in 1757 which drove the French out of India.

Question 4

What were the ST impacts of the 7 years war?

Answer 4

Recruitment – Navy impressed men into service and ‘press gangs’ were sent out to round up suitable men. Army used financial incentives and appeals to patriotism to recruit young men.

Higher taxes – Government covered costs by borrowing money = huge rise in national debt so put taxes on goods i.e tea and sugar.

Question 5

What were the LT impacts of the 7 years war?

Answer 5

Military success turned Britain into an imperial power.

However this was expensive so navy and army were reduced after war but still remained larger than before and stationed across several continents.

Question 6

What were the trade and industry impacts of the 7 years war?

Answer 6

Britain dominated global trade

Had access to the riches of India, provided them with huge manpower and Indian troops became the backbone of many British campaigns.

Control of the Atlantic, Caribbean and North America gave Britain control of the trans-Atlantic slave trade as well as the tobacco and cotton trades.

All this trade worked well with Britain’s Industrial Revolution.

Question 7

How did media play a role in the 7 years war?

Answer 7

Newspapers and journals supported the war which helped mobilise positive public opinion though stories of popular heroes, such as, James Wolfe who commanded the British forces at Quebec.

Question 8

What happened in the war of American independence?

Answer 8

Britain’s American colonies rebelled against them.

France backed Americans.

Britains surrendered.

Question 9

When and why did Britain surrender in the American Independence war?

Answer 9

1783

Military overstretched

Already fighting war with Netherlands.

Question 10

What was the impact of the war of American independence on Britain?

Answer 10

Threatened to be economic disaster as it relied so heavily on Atlantic trade.

HOWEVER

Trade with colonies quickly recovered = economy recovered = Britain no longer had to pay for troops and ships to protect them

Question 11

When was the French Revolution?

Answer 11

1789

Question 12

Why was there a French Revolution in 1789?

Answer 12

American war cost more than they could afford = poverty rose.

Question 13

What happened in the French Revolution in 1789?

Answer 13

Monarchy overthrown

Old government lost power

1793 - Britain, Prussia and Austria formed coalition against France to crush new government and reinstall old one. = War broke out which TORE Europe apart.

Question 14

What was Britains military war effort like in the Wars with France 1792-1815?

Answer 14

Fought sea battles

Blocked French ports

Protected British merchant ships

British troops then became more involved, especially against Napoleons forces in in Spain and Portugal in 1808-14.

Question 15

What happened in the 1st revolutionary war in 1792-1797?

Answer 15

Coalition invaded France

French introduced mass conscription - drove back coalition.

1795 - Napoleon Bonaparte led French forces to victory over Austrian empire.

Austria surrendered and only Britain remained.

Question 16

What happened in the 2nd revolutionary war in 1798-1802?

Answer 16

1798 - Britain, Austria and Russia formed new coalition.

Attacked and succeeded.

HOWEVER

1799 Napoleon ruled France as well as leading its armies = defeated enemies and forced them to sign treaty in 1802.

Question 17

What happened in the 3rd Revolutionary (Napoleonic Wars) in 1803-1815?

Answer 17

7 coalitions vs Napoleon

Napoleon defeated most.

1812 Nap invaded Russia but overstretched forces and suffered.

Not until 1815 was he finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.

Question 18

What was Britains economic war effort like in the Wars with France 1792-1815?

Answer 18

1806 - Napoleon introduced continental system (banned French territories from trading w/ Britain)

= Wanted to damage British trade.

BUT

Did more damage to Europe than it did Britain. For 3 years Britain flourished as it supplied new markets France couldn’t.

Question 19

How did Britains war economy improve after the Napoleonic wars?

Answer 19

Farming improvements

Trade boom i.e Cotton textiles let export drive

Industrial growth i.e steam power began to replace water power = more effective

Question 20

What was Britains attitude and response to the French Wars?

Answer 20

Generally supported by Britains ruling classes.

Had powerful propaganda campaign.

Newspapers and theatre encouraged patriotism by celebrating heroics of British forces.

= Effective and government disguised it well.

Question 21

What was the impact of the French Was on the relationship between the British people and government?

Answer 21

High food prices =disturbances in 1794-95 = government worried about level of unrest so suspended the Habeas Corpus Act in 1794. (Meaning people couldn’t be imprisoned w/out a trial)

1799 Parliament passed combination acts designed to prevent revolutionary activity and made strikes illegal.

Question 22

Who fought in the crimean war?

Answer 22

Alliance of Britain, France, Turkey and Sardinia against Russia

Question 23

What was Britain’s attitude towards the Crimean War? (2)

Answer 23

Could easily afford

Didn’t need to recruit men as the war wasn’t as big as other wars

Question 24

What was the impact of the crimean war on the government and people?

Answer 24

Government introduced sanitary commission - to improve hospital conditions

Military administration was reformed and you had to be qualified to be appointed to some posts in the Civil Service.

Question 25

Who were the unexpected heroes in the crimean war?

Answer 25

The troops – Public regarded them as brave and determined.

Nurses – Famous women like Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole inspired many to become nurses during the Crimean war.

Question 26

Define the background to the Boer wars

Answer 26

In 1600s European settlers (Boers) arrived in Southern Africa and seized lands from Native Africans.

The discovery of diamonds increased tensions and conflict broke out in 1880 when the Boers rebelled against the British rule.

By 1881 there was peace but war broke out again in 1899.

Question 27

What were the 2 phases of the Boer Wars?

Answer 27

Phase 1 - 1899-mid 1900

Phase 2 - Late 1900-1902

Question 28

Why did people oppose the Boer Wars?

Answer 28

Distracting people from the social problems that Britain needed fixing at home.

Newly formed Labour party argued the war was to make people rich rather than a threat to the empire.

Question 29

Why did people support the Boer Wars?

Answer 29

Seen as a just cause, Britain need to just protect the rights of others

Early British defeats led to the desire for revenge

Question 30

What were the impacts of the Boer Wars on Britain?

Answer 30

Military reputation badly damaged

Financial impact – Boer war cost Britain £217 million and only a 1/3rd of this was met by an increase in taxes. 2/3rds was covered by the money the government borrowed which increased the national debt.

Political Impact – Poor leadership, poor quality of troops and the horror of concentration camps which erupted into a national scandal all helped weaken the government.

Casualties and memorials – 22,000 British soldiers died in the war.