Key Battles of The French Wars

Question 1

Name the British Admirals and Strengths in the Glorious First of June, 1 June 1794

Answer 1

Admiral Lord Howe
25 ships of the line
7 frigates

Question 2

Name the opposing Admiral and Strengths in the Glorious First of June, 1 June 1794

Answer 2

Villaret de Joyeuse (France)
26 ships of the line
5 frigates

Question 3

State the reason for the Glorious First of June

Answer 3

Due to severe crop failure in France and the risk of famine within the country, the French liased with America in order to secure some grain. Britain wanted to prevent this grain from reaching its destination so Admiral Lord Howe’s fleet engaged with the ships escorting the merchant fleet from America to France.

Question 4

State the outcome of the Glorious First of June

Answer 4

British losses: 1,200 killed and wounded
French losses: 6 ships of the line captured, 1 ship of the line sunk, approximately 4,000 killed and wounded, 3,000 captured
Despite Britains blockade being unsuccessful and the grain arriving in France, they saw this as a victory due to the number of ships captured. Additionally, the failure of the Flanders’s Campaign on land the same year meant that Britain was using the Royal Navy’s success to overshadow this humiliating loss, hence the name ‘Glorious’ First of June.
However, France got their grain so they too saw this as a victory.

Question 5

Name the British Admirals and Strengths in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, 14 February 1797

Answer 5

Admiral Sir John Jervis (‘Old Jarvy’)
15 ships of the line
5 frigates

Question 6

Name the opposing Admiral and Strengths in the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, 14 February 1797

Answer 6

Admiral Don José de Córdoba (Spain)
25 ships of the line
7 frigates

Question 7

State the reason for the Battle of Cape St. Vincent

Answer 7

The Spanish fleet were given orders to join up with a French fleet to invade Britain, and Britain’s navy needed to prevent Spain from joining the French.

Question 8

State the outcome of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent

Answer 8

British losses: 73 dead, 227 wounded
Spanish losses: 4 ships of the line captured, 250 dead, 550 wounded, 3000 prisoners captured
Nelson was promoted to Rear Admiral, received a knighthood and became a national celebrity for his gallant work despite disobeying orders. By breaking the line and engaging 3 ships, Nelson created the ‘Bridge of Battleships’, ultimately winning Britain the battle, after noticing Admiral Jarvis’ manoeuvre could not be executed.

Question 9

Name the British Admiral and Strengths in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 22-25 July 1797

Answer 9

Admiral Horatio Nelson
3 ships of the line
400 guns
4,000 men

Question 10

Name the opposing Admiral and Strengths in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 22-25 July 1797

Answer 10

Admiral Antonio Gutiérrez de Otero y Santayana (Spain)
1,700 men
91 guns

Question 11

State the reason for the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Answer 11

Following the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, which the British won but failed to strike a solid blow to the Spanish fleet, Admiral Jarvis was instructed to blockade the port of Cádiz where the Spanish fleet were resting, which he failed to do. After successfully raiding Spanish treasure convoys in Tenerife and feeling encouraged, Jarvis sent recently promoted Rear Admiral Nelson and a small squadron to seize Santa Cruz using an amphibious attack.

Question 12

State the outcome of the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Answer 12

British losses: 250 dead, 128 wounded, approximately 300 captured
Spanish losses: 30 dead, 40 wounded
A truce was signed, which allowed the remaining British to return to their ships.

Question 13

Name the British Admiral and Strengths in the Battle of the Nile, 1-2 August 1798

Answer 13

Amiral Horatio Nelson
14 ships of the line
1 sloop

Question 14

Name the opposing Admiral and Strengths in the Battle of the Nile, 1-2 August 1798

Answer 14

Brueys d’Aigalliers (France)
14 ships of the line
4 frigates

Question 15

State the reason for the Battle of the Nile

Answer 15

Following Napoleon’s success at capturing Egypt during the Battle of the Pyramids on 21 July as a stepping stone to invading India, Nelson was ordered to patrol the Mediterranean in search of the French fleet and Napoleon. By luck, he discovered their whereabouts mid-afternoon, the French assumed the British would not attack as there was limited daylightleft. However, Nelson went straight in and used lanterns to help lead their offence.

Question 16

State the outcome of the Battle of the Nile

Answer 16

British losses: 218 dead, 677 wounded
French losses: at least 2,000 killed, 2 ships of the line destroyed, 9 ships of the line captured, 2 frigates destroyed
Napoleon was stranded on land in Egypt in a humiliating turn of events for the French.

Question 17

Name the British Admirals and Strengths in the Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801

Answer 17

Admiral Hyde Parker
Horatio Nelson

12 ships of the line
5 frigates
7 bomb vessels
6 sloops

Question 18

Name the opposing Admiral and Strengths in the Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801

Answer 18

Admiral Fischer (Denmark)
9 ships of the line
11 sloops
17 other ships
1 land battery to protect the court

Question 19

State the reason for the Battle of Copenhagen

Answer 19

Denmark was part of an armed neutrality along with Sweden and Russia, but Britain feared that due to being a maritime nation, Danish ships could be used by Napoleon against them to assume naval dominance. Therefore, Britain were aiming to neutralise the Danish, whilst the Danish remained neutral as a result of the war’s threat to French trading.

Question 20

State the outcome of the Battle of Copenhagen

Answer 20

British losses: over 1000 dead or wounded, 3 ships of the line ran aground (‘shoaled’)
Danish losses: 2 ships of the line sunk, 1 ships of the line destroyed, 6 ships of the line captured, 1,700 killed, captured or wounded
Nelson was given Commander of Baltic, undermining Parker’s power

Question 21

Name the British Admirals and Strengths in the Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805

Answer 21

Admiral Horatio Nelson (Commander of Navy)
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood
27 ships of the line
4 frigates
17,000 men

Question 22

Name the opposing Admirals and Strengths in the Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805

Answer 22

Villeneuve (France)
Gravina (Spain)
33 ships of the line
5 frigates
30,000 men

Question 23

State the reason for the Battle of Trafalgar

Answer 23

Napoleon wanted to invade Britain, with the Franco-Spanish fleet aiming to take control of the English Channel in order to let Napoleon’s army in. Nelson’s fleet was already assembled and prepared to take on the enemy ships, meeting the Franco-Spanish fleet off Cape Trafalgar after set off from the port of Cadiz. However, the Royal Navy had recently had its funding cut, meaning Nelson had to rely on the skills of his men as opposed to having more resources to hand.

Question 24

State the outcome of the Battle of Trafalgar

Answer 24

British losses: 448 dead, 1208 wounded
French/Spanish losses: 395 dead, 2541 wounded, over 7,000 captured
Britain take 18 ships, one of which being on fire, and catch 4 which attempt to escape, with 11 ships returning to France.
Britain achieve naval supremacy for decades to follow.

Question 25

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Flanders Campaign, 1792-1795

Answer 25

Duke of York
100,000 men (accumulative)

Question 26

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Flanders Campaign, 1792-1795

Answer 26

Adam Phillippe, Comte de Custine
100,000 men (accumulative)

Question 27

State the reason for the Flanders Campaign

Answer 27

Britain wanted to force France to withdraw from Austria Netherlands, whilst Revolutionary France wanted to keep the territory they had gained for the expanding French Empire.

Question 28

State the outcome of the Flanders Campaign

Answer 28

Britain were forced out of the Flanders region in an embarrassing blow for the British and their army and a glorious victory for France.
However, the future Duke of Wellington was working under the Duke of York during this campaign, where he learnt how to win a battle and shaping his cautious military strategy.

Question 29

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Helder Campaign, 1799

Answer 29

Duke of York
40,000 men

Question 30

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Helder Campaign, 1799

Answer 30

Guillaume Brune
25,000 men

Question 31

State the reason for the Helder Campaign

Answer 31

Britain believed, with Russian support, they could make a bridgehead in Europe to counter the expansion of the French Empire. They had two strategic objectives: neutralise the Batavian fleet and promote an uprising against the Batavian government (modern day Belgium - Austria Netherlands)

Question 32

State the outcome of the Helder Campaign

Answer 32

British and Russian losses: 18,000 killed, wounded or captured
French losses: 7,000 killed, wounded or captured, 25 ships lost
Anglo-Russians completed their first objective but were unable to encourage an uprising against the Batavian government, meaning a victory for the French.

Question 33

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Corunna, 16 January 1809

Answer 33

General Sir John Moore
16,000 men - 15,000 infantry, 1,000 cavalry
9-12 guns (less - making a retreat)

Question 34

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Corunna, 16 January 1809

Answer 34

Marshal Soult
15,000 men - 12,000 infantry, 3,200 cavalry
20 guns

Question 35

State the reason for the Battle of Corunna

Answer 35

The French wanted to expel Britain from Spain for good, and the British were aiming to retreat on a fleet of ships which arrived a few days late without losing too many men and weapons. As the British were embarking these ships, the French attacked, meaning the British Army could not retreat immediately.

Question 36

State the outcome of the Battle of Corunna

Answer 36

British losses: 900 dead or wounded
French losses: 600-700 dead or wounded
Lieutenant General Sir John Moore died in battle, paving the way for Arthur Wellesley being entrusted to gain a foothold in Portugal.

Question 37

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Talavera, 27-28 July 1809

Answer 37

Arthur Wellesley
50,000 men - 20,000 British, 30,000 Spanish (most Spanish soldiers fled)
60 guns

Question 38

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Talavera, 27-28 July 1809

Answer 38

Marshal Victor and Marshal Jourdan
50,000 men
80 guns

Question 39

State the reason for the Battle of Talavera

Answer 39

Following Sir John Moore’s death in the Battle of Corunna, Wellesley convinced the British government to give him 20,000 men to defend Portugal and eventually amassed an army of 50,000 to take the Spanish capital of Madrid.

Question 40

State the outcome of the Battle of Talavera

Answer 40

British losses: 6,268 killed, wounded or captured
Spanish losses: 1,200 killed, wounded or captured
French losses: 7,389 killed, wounded or captured
Talavera was a hard-fought battle between the allied British and Spanish and the French, which eventually led to a first victory for Britain against Napoleon’s ‘Grande Armée’. The British government were so thrilled by the result of this battle that they elevated Wellesley into peerage, making him Viscount Wellington of Talavera.

Question 41

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, 3-5 May 1811

Answer 41

Viscount Wellington
Approximately 40,000 men
48 guns

Question 42

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro, 3-5 May 1811

Answer 42

Marshal Massena
Approximately 50,000 men

Question 43

State the reason for the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro

Answer 43

Wellington, after spending a year behind the Lines of Torres Vedras, chooses to go on the offensive and besieged Almeida, a fortress town. Massena then met Wellington at Fuentes de Oñoro after restoring his army, where they fought fiercely for three days.

Question 44

State the outcome of the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro

Answer 44

British losses: 2,000 killed, wounded or captured
French losses: 3,000 killed, wounded or captured
Fuentes de Oñoro concluded with no decisive victory as both armies claimed to have won the battle, but it is highly likely that low French morale played a part in the outcome.

Question 45

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, 7-20 January 1812

Answer 45

Viscount Wellington
20,000 men
36 guns

Question 46

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Siege of Ciuded Rodrigo, 7-20 January 1812

Answer 46

Jean Léonard Barrié (garrison leader)
2,000 men
153 guns

Question 47

State the reason for the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo

Answer 47

Wellington wanted to capture the two ‘Gateways to Spain’: Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. Ciudad Rodrigo was considered a second-class fortress with bad masonry and a garrison to weak to properly man defences.

Question 48

State the outcome of the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo

Answer 48

British losses: 250-318 killed, approx. 1,200 wounded
French losses: whole garrison either killed or captured
Wellington claimed victory over the castle, but still had the immensely difficult task of besieging Badajoz, which took three attempts.

Question 49

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Siege of Badajoz, 6 April 1812

Answer 49

Viscount Wellington
27,000 men
52 guns (large siege guns)

Question 50

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Siege of Badajoz, 6 April 1812

Answer 50

Armand Phillipon (Commandant of garrison)
5,000 men

Question 51

State the reason for the Siege of Badajoz

Answer 51

Capturing the castles of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz would give Wellington and his forces footholds in Spain in order to carry out his strategic offensive (long term) on the French with the option of having a launch attack.

Question 52

State the outcome of the Siege of Badajoz

Answer 52

British losses: approx. 4,800 killed or wounded
French losses: 1,300-1,500 killed or wounded, 3,500-3,700 captured
Ultimate victory for the British but at the cost of 5,000 men; however, after the events of the battle, British infantry pillaged the village and murdered Spanish citizens in a brutal violent attack.

Question 53

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Salamanca, 22 July 1812

Answer 53

Viscount Wellington
48,000 men

Question 54

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Salamanca, 22 July 1812

Answer 54

Marshal Marmont
45,000 men

Question 55

State the reason for the Battle of Salamanca

Answer 55

Wellington truly established his offensive stance in his previous battles, wanting to seize initiative and secure victory over the French as soon as possible. This was due to the depletion of their forces as a result of Napoleon’s imperial overstretch in his 1812 Russian campaign.

Question 56

State the outcome of the Battle of Salamanca

Answer 56

British losses: 5,000 killed, wounded or captured
French losses: 1,200-1,700 killed, wounded or captured
Madrid was liberated for 2 months before Wellington retreated to Portugal

Question 57

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Vitoria, 21 June 1813

Answer 57

Viscount Wellington
80,000 men

Question 58

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Vitoria, 21 June 1813

Answer 58

King Joseph Bonaparte of Spain
60,000 men

Question 59

State the reason for the Battle of Vitoria

Answer 59

Joseph Bonaparte was fleeing Spain entirely after abandoning Madrid, taking as much gold and jewels as he could.
The British wanted to drive out Napoleon’s forces in Spain for good, particularly after previous victory’s against their depleted forces.

Question 60

State the outcome of the Battle of Vitoria

Answer 60

British losses: 3675 killed, wounded or captured
French losses: 756 killed, 4414 wounded, 2,800 captured
Astounding victory for the British, marking the end of the Peninsular Wars.

Question 61

Name the Commander of the Prussian Army and strengths in the Battle of Ligny, 16 June 1815

Answer 61

Marshal Blücher
Approximately 83,000 men

Question 62

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Ligny, 16 June 1815

Answer 62

Napoleon Bonaparte and Marshal Soult
Approximately 62,000 men

Question 63

State the reason for the Battle of Ligny

Answer 63

Napoleon wanted to keep British and Prussian forces separate as he knew the combined strength could not be beaten, and Prussia wanted to join Wellington in preparation for Waterloo.

Question 64

State the outcome of the Battle of Ligny

Answer 64

Prussian losses: 16,000 killed or wounded, 8,000 captured or missing
French losses: 8,300-12,000 killed, wounded or captured
Prussia was defeated by Napoleon’s ‘Grande Armée’

Question 65

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Quatre Bras, 16 June 1815

Answer 65

Duke of Wellington and William of Orange (Seventh Coalition forces)
32,000-36,000 men

Question 66

Name the Commanders of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Quatre Bras, 16 June 1815

Answer 66

Marshal Ney and Jerome Bonaparte
20,000-21,000 men

Question 67

State the reason for the Battle of Quatre Bras

Answer 67

Wellington was essentially playing a ‘holding game’ by drawing in Napoleon’s army to Waterloo, whilst Napoleon is attempting to keep British and Prussian forces separate to secure victory.

Question 68

State the outcome of the Battle of Quatre Bras

Answer 68

British losses: 4,800-5,600 killed or wounded
French losses: 4,140-4,400 killed or wounded
No decisive victory, but Britain’s efforts diverted the French, meaning they didn’t arrive at Waterloo as quickly as first anticipated

Question 69

Name the Commander of the British Army and strengths in the Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1815

Answer 69

Duke of Wellington + Blücher (Coalition)
68,000 men + 156 guns (W)
50,000 men (B)

Question 70

Name the Commander of the French Army and strengths in the Battle of Waterloo, 18 June 1815

Answer 70

Napoleon, Marshal Ney, Marshal Soult
73,000 men
252 guns

Question 71

State the reason for the Battle of Waterloo

Answer 71

Napoleon wanted to split the two armies to ensure they never joined, so defeated the Prussians in the Battle of Ligny and took on the British Army with an inconclusive result.
British wanted to defeat Napoleon once and for all, with Wellington drawing French forces to Waterloo as he had meticulously planned.

Question 72

State the outcome of the Battle of Waterloo

Answer 72

British losses: 17,000 killed, wounded or missing
Prussian losses: 7,000 killed, wounded or missing
French losses: 25,000 killed, 8,000 captured, 6,000-7,000 wounded
Britain secured a glorious victory after the arrival of Blücher’s forces in the late afternoon, with Napoleon being exiled to St Helena where he continued to live until his death.