Army - The French Wars 1793 - 1815

Question 1

What state was the British army in before the French wars? (3)

Answer 1

• Poor state defeated by America
• Low in morale
• Smaller than French conscript army

Question 2

Why is the French army smaller than the British army?

Answer 2

The British did not partake in conscription unlike the French because they believed it crossed Brits’ freedoms

Question 3

Compare the pay of soldiers to farm workers:

Answer 3

It was much lower, but the army did offer food

Question 4

Between 1793 and 1815, how many soldiers died?

Answer 4

Between 16000 and 24000 casualties

Question 5

What kind of families were recruits for army from?

Answer 5

• Poor families
• Considered to be on same level of common criminals

Question 6

What was discipline in the army like and give an example of this?

Answer 6

• Brutal
• Flogging was most common punishment varying from 25 to 1200 strokes

Question 7

What were the 2 different types of artillery and cavalry?

Answer 7

• Horse and foot artillery
• Heavy and light cavalry

Question 8

What is the difference between heavy and light cavalry?

Answer 8

Heavy cavalry consisted of large men mounted on big horses, whereas light cavalry consisted of troopers riding smaller mounts

Question 9

Typically, how did the French and British attack?

Answer 9

French attacked in columns, whereas the British attacked in lines

Question 10

What was the weakness of attacking in columns?

Answer 10

Only its first 2 ranks could fire effectively, whereas the British in lines could fire constantly

Question 11

What formation would infantry take when being attacked by cavalry?

Answer 11

• Form squares
• Outer rank would kneel, holding musket butts on ground at an angle to deter horses

Question 12

Strength and weakness of forming squares:

Answer 12

+ Rare for cavalry to break it
- Vulnerable to enemy artillery and infantry attack

Question 13

What corps was developed against French light cavalry?

Answer 13

Experimental Rifle Corps

Question 14

Who was victorious in the Peninsular War and why?

Answer 14

• Britain under the command of Wellington
• Napoleon left Peninsular battles to his generals

Question 15

Describe the 3 impacts of the French Wars on the British economy:

Answer 15

1) British industry grew in several key sectors like coal, iron
2) Trade embargoes imposed by Napoleon were unsuccessful - smuggling was rife
3) Cotton exports rose

Question 16

Give 3 aspects of Wellington’s character:

Answer 16

1) Attention to detail, esp in picking battle locations
2) Keen eye for slackness among officers
2) Distant and strict disciplinarian

Question 17

By 1805, who had Napoleon defeated, what did he want to do and why couldn’t he?

Answer 17

• Austria, Prussia and Russia
• Wanted to invade Britain
• But Nelson was victorious at naval Battle of Trafalgar

Question 18

As a result, what did Napoleon turn to and how did he anger his ally?

Answer 18

• Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal)
• Replaced Spanish King with his bro Joseph

Question 19

What happened in 1807 and why?

Answer 19

• French army moved into Portugal
• To prevent British navy using Portugal’s ports (Portugal and Britain were allies)

Question 20

When did Wellington arrive in Portugal and how many forces did he have?

Answer 20

• July 1808
• 5000 Portuguese and extra British troops commanded by Sir John Moore

Question 21

Where had the British defeated the French?

Answer 21

Battle of Vimeiro where French were led by Marshal Junot

Question 22

What happened soon after Battle of Vimeiro?

Answer 22

Wellington was superseded by newly arrived commander-in-chief Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Harry Burrard

Question 23

What deal did Dalrymple and Burrard agree on, which made Wellington so annoyed that he returned to Britain?

Answer 23

Convention of Sintra, allowing French troops to be evacuated in British ships and to keep all their loot

Question 24

When did Wellington return to the peninsula but what was different this time?

Answer 24

• April 1809
• He was in sole command

Question 25

What happened to Moore during the evacuation of British survivors by the navy, where, why and when did this happen?

Answer 25

• He died
• Corunna
• He was outnumbered and Spanish allies had routed
• Jan 1809

Question 26

Describe one way in which Corunna was a setback for the British:

Answer 26

Returning troops were demoralised and half-starved

Question 27

Describe the way in which Wellington came out victorious from the Peninsular War:

Answer 27

• War of invasion and retreat against experienced generals (Massena, Marmont and Soult)

Question 28

When did Wellington go on the offensive again and invade France and how did the campaign end?

Answer 28

• 1813
• Ended the campaign in 1814 when Soult yielded the city of Toulouse

Question 29

Give 2 reasons for Wellington’s success:

Answer 29

1) Used Iberian geography and his local allies eg Portuguese and Spanish army, Spanish guerrillas
2) Often chose rearguard action over risking defeat

Question 30

What was Wellington’s preferred tactic for defeating the French? (3)

Answer 30

1) Position army on reverse slope of hill, out of sight and w/ protection from cannon fire
2) This meant French had to run uphill into volley musket fire from British infantry, while rifle-firing sharpshooters shot them from sides
3) When attack faltered, British infantry w/ bayonets and cavalry could advance to complete the rout

Question 31

Describe the British army’s weaponry:

Answer 31

1) Standard musket ‘Brown Bess’ - 4 shots a min
2) Baker rifle, handled by skirmishers - 2 shots a min but more accurate over long distance

Question 32

Compare the French and the British’s supply lines in Portugal:

Answer 32

• GBR: Secure lines of supply from Lisbon, w/ navy support
• FRA: Long supply lines across rugged terrain, at risk from Spanish guerrillas

Question 33

Whose army did Wellington rely upon more: Portugal or Spain and why?

Answer 33

• Portuguese
• Spanish army were very weak

Question 34

As a result, what support was provided to this army?

Answer 34

Retrained by Viscount Beresford and later integrated into British army in 1810

Question 35

What were the lines of Torres Vedras?

Answer 35

• Massive fortification works across N of Lisbon
• Army could be supplied at sea

Question 36

Give 3 reasons why the lines of Torres Vedras was created:

Answer 36

1) Army could be supplied at sea
2) Wellington knew French would be unable to bring up siege train/have enough men to break through
3) Protect his supply lines

Question 37

As the British withdrew, what policy did they adopt?

Answer 37

• A scorched Earth policy
• Removing or destroying what food and other supplied remained in countryside

Question 38

What happened on 3 May and why?

Answer 38

• French army attacked Wellington at Fuentes de Oñores, a village S of Almeida
• Because Wellington had moved into Spain trying to besiege Almeida, which the French under Massena were now trying to relieve

Question 39

How long did the battle at Fuentes de Oñores last and how did it end?

Answer 39

• 3 days
• Bayonet fighting
• French slipped most of their troops out of Almeida

Question 40

What border fortresses did Wellington attack in 1812, what did both assaults involve and how many men did he lose as a result?

Answer 40

• Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz
• Siege work
• Aftermath of victory involved rape, murder and wild looting
• Lost 5000 men

Question 41

What tactics did Wellington use at the Battle of Salamanca and what was the impact of this?

Answer 41

• Used hills to shield his army, which took French by surprise
• French were scattered w/ heavy losses
• Allies entered Madrid

Question 42

By summer of 1813, where had the French retreated to, how did the British attack and what were the consequences of this?

Answer 42

• Wellington attacked from both front and rear
• This finished the war in Spain and French retreated

Question 43

What happened in 1814?

Answer 43

Wellington invaded Southern France

Question 44

Why did the Hundred Days War happen?

Answer 44

• After Napoleon’s forced abdication in 1814 when France was invaded, Napoleon escaped exile in Feb 1815 and entered Paris as emperor once again
• Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria declared war

Question 45

What countries were part of the coalition that Wellington led?

Answer 45

British, Belgians, Dutch and Germans

Question 46

What 2 battles happened on 16 June 1815 and what happened at each?

Answer 46

• Quatre Bras –> Wellington was attacked but held position
• Ligny –> Prussians and Wellington withdrew, after the former lost to Napoleon

Question 47

When was the Battle of Waterloo fought and what was most significant about it?

Answer 47

• 18 June 1815
• It was the battle that ended the French Wars

Question 48

How many men and guns did both Napoleon and Wellington have at the Battle of Waterloo?

Answer 48

• W: 68000 men and 156 guns
• N: 72000 men and 246 guns

Question 49

What advantages did Wellington have geographically in the Battle of Waterloo?

Answer 49

• 3 strongpoints eg Chateau at Hougoumont and farm of Papelotte
• Hedges and hummocks to provide cover

Question 50

What 3 issues did Napoleon face on the morning of the Battle of Waterloo?

Answer 50

1) Unwell and unable to sit on horse for long
2) His men would be attacking uphill (location chosen by Wellington)
3) Ground was waterlogged

Question 51

Describe the events of the Battle of Waterloo: (7)

Answer 51

1) Initially battle was very much balanced
2) Napoleon left the field ill, leaving Ney to command
3) Ney mistakenly believes Wellington is retreating when he is actually just moving his troops out of artillery range and sends all French cavalry in pursuit
4) Allied infantry formed squares, firing volleys into French horsemen
5) Napoleon committed his elite guards to hold up the Prussians and the Old Guard veterans to break the British line
6) French columns marched uphill under heavy fire from British infantry
7) British charged w/ bayonets and Old Guard broke