How far was the success of the British army in the French wars due to the role of Wellington? Flashcards
what strengths did Britain have over the French when it came to the war?
-Britain had a more modern economy and transformed its agriculture due to the new overseas markets in its expanding empire
-it had a stable and relatively sophisticated financial system to back a war effort
-by managing the national debt through borrowing, and selling government stocks, the British treasury could finance military expenditure on a far larger scale than the French
-income tax (1798) was an innovation to help finance the cost of war.
-over the course of the French Wars, Britain gave £50 million to its allies and loaned Austria a further £4.6 million.
what was the role of the royal navy in the French Wars?
-supported overseas campaigns, such as those in India and in the Peninsular war, where Wellington made his reputation as a soldier
-British ships blockaded French ports to strangle trade, while protecting British commerce on the high seas. The fleet in home waters defended Britain from invasion. Though Napoleon gathered a large army for invasion, no full-scale landing was attempted. two small raids failed: in Ireland in 1796, bad weather prevented troops from landing; and in Wales in 1797, a small force was met by British militia and surrendered after two days.
what was the British army’s state before the French wars?
the British army was in a poor state, defeated in America and low in morale
-from about 40,000, its strength rose to about 250,000 men by Waterloo in 1815, but was still much smaller than the conscript French army
-the British gov, wary of risking its military against Napoleon in central Europe, was yet willing to fight peripheral campaigns such as the Peninsular War in the Iberian Peninsula
how did the French wars effect the British economy? (positive)
-British industry grew in several key sectors, such as coal, iron and textiles.
-trade embargos imposed by Napoleon as part of the so-called Continental System were unsuccessful, and smuggling was rife.
-cotton exports rose, even to France, where industry was technologically backward. France had, e.g. far fewer ‘spinning jennies’ (machines for spinning cotton yarn) in the 1790s - only a few hundred machines compared with thousands at work in British textile mills
-British factories were even supplying the French with cloth for uniforms
how did the French wars effect the British economy? (negative and positive)
-to help fund the war, the gov introduced Britain’s first ever income tax.
-food prices went up and so did unemployment, with many jobless men joining the army, but changes in the way poor relief was administered helped to alleviate poverty and prevent the disorder the government feared - though it did crack down on workers’ efforts to form trade unions.
-farmers sold home-produced wheat at high prices; their reliance on high prices led to the protectionist Corn Laws 1815, banning cheaper imports
-Britain’s agricultural sector had been modernised (compared with France) by its agrarian revolution in the 1700s and home food production was sufficient to prevent mass starvation and food riots
what was Wellingtons character like?
-he was the commander of allied forces in Peninsular war in Spain and Portugal
-known for attention to detail and for picking battle locations that gave him some advantage
-he had a keen eye for slackness among officers or men, and believed his army must be supplied from Britain using the navy rather than living off the land and so alienating the locals
-rather aloof and a strict disciplinarian, he always made sure his men were fed and equipped, and came to respect the British soldiers qualities
what are the dates of the French wars?
from 1793-1815
when did Wellington arrive to Portugal?
1808, his small force strengthened by 5,000 Portuguese and extra British troops commanded by Sir John Moore
what was the technique of rearguard action?
a defensive engagement by a small force of soldiers to hold off and delay a pursuing enemy while the main army withdraws
did Wellington embark on a long campaign throughout the years 1809 to 1814?
yes, he embarked on a long campaign, a war of invasion and retreat, sieges and attrition against experienced French generals in Massena, Marmont and Soult
rather than risk defeat, Wellington often chose what action?
rearguard action
what were some of the things Wellington had to do to ensure success?
-he had to use the Iberian geography and his local allies: the Portuguese regular army, the Spanish army (unreliable) and Spanish guerrillas (hard to control)
-above all, he had to maintain his own troops morale and readiness for battle, at times and places preferably of his own choosing.
-Wellington had to neutralise French strengths: artillery, massed infantry and mobility with large formations or corps. After an artillery barrage, French infantry would attack in columns, often creating panic. Most of Wellingtons infantry soldiers had single-shot muskets, and were trained to fire volleys and reload rapidly. The standard musket was the Brown Bess, which in expert hands could manage four shots a minute. The army also had skirmishers, riflemen with the new Baker rifle, which took longer to load, and so fired only two shots a minute, but was more accurate over a greater distance.
what was Wellingtons preferred tactic?
it was to position his infantry on the reverse slope of a hill, out of sight and with some protection from enemy cannon fire
-the French infantry had to run uphill, into volley musket fire from the British infantry, while rifle-firing sharpshooters peppered the French columns from the side. When attack faltered, British infantry with bayonets and cavalry could advance to complete the route
when was the battle of Talavera?
1809
the ferocity of the Spanish guerrillas contrasted with what?
-contrasted with the weakness of the regular Spanish army
-at the Battle of Talavera in September 1809, the Spanish were ill-equipped and let down by incompetent leaders, but Wellington was unable fully to exploit a narrow victory
-Portugal was a more reliable ally.
-Wellington recommended William Carr, to retrain the Portuguese army, which by 1810 he trusted enough to integrate alongside the British
