The British Army Before 1815 Flashcards
What did Napoleon describe the battle between the British and the French?
- As a struggle between whale and elephant
- Both could not challenge each other outside their natural environments
How did Napoleon rise to being an Emperor?
Between a mix of luck, military genius and political opposition he was Emperor in 1804
What was Britains original plan to defeat Napoleon and why did this fail miserably?
They wanted to join coalitions with other European powers that did have the military to defeat France
- Napoleon smashed the Austro-Russian army at Austerlitz
- 1806 he defeated Prussia and 1807 he forced Russia into making peace
- 1807 controlled most out Europe
By 1798 what French islands had the British captured and why? Was this not a complete success?
- St Lucia and Grenada
- They had plantations and were used by privateers preying on British merchant ships
- However 40,000 Brits died of yellow fever and tropical diseased and another 40,000 were dismissed as no longer fit for service
What two Dutch colonies did the British capture and what did this provide?
- Captures the Cape Colony and Trincomalee in Ceylon
- This provided a strategic vantage point to India
What are examples of Britains lack of success in Continental Europe?
- British allied army in Flanders with Hanoverians, Dutch, Austrian and Prussians were pushed back from the French border in 1793
- British troops were evacuated from Germany in 1795
Where did Britain enjoy success in the years 1793 and 1809?
Fighting on the side of East Indian Company against the Kingdom of Mysore who were supported by France
When did Arthur Wellesley get sent on Military Duty to India and what role did his brother play?
- 1797 he was sent to India
- His brother Richard arrived in Calcutta as governor general the following year and saw the military ability of his brother
What were Wellesley’s successes in India?
- 1799 assisted capture of Mysores main city Seringapatam under Lord Cornwallis
- 1800 he engaged in a campaign as an independent commander against Doondia Wao and defeated their larger force in Conagul in September
What was the Mahratta Confederacy and when did war break out with them?
- A loose association of the princes in central India
- War broke out in 1803
Against the Mahratta Confederacy what did Wellesley command?
- An army of 19,000 mostly built up of Sepoys
What were Wellesley’s major successes against the Mahratta Confederacy?
- Sept 1803 with 7,000 men he attacked an Indian army of 40,00 and won at Assaye
- At Argaum two months later he defeated 30,000 with 11,000
- He stormed the fortress in December whilst the Mahratta army took refuge in Gawilghar
- With General Lake’s dominance in the North the Mahratta Confederacy was forced to mark peace
When was Wellesley knighted?
1804, he displayed immense ability
What did British do after colonies were returned to France and its allies by the Treaty of Amiens (1802)
- They set about recapturing French, Spanish andDutch islands in the Caribbean
- Dutch Cape Colony was also taken
What happened in the expedition of 1805 in Hannover?
- 15,000 troops sent but had to be evacuated
