the British war effort (1793-1815) Flashcards
when did William Pitt the Younger become PM?
1783
why did Pitt resign in 1801?
he resigned over King George III’s opposition over including Catholics in the Armed Forces?
who became PM after Pitt in 1801?
Henry Addington
when did Pitt return as PM?
1805
when did Pitt die?
January 1806
what did Pitt do in his first term?
restored Britain’s finances after the War of Independence
held the First Coalition together through large subsidies
which countries composed the First Coalition?
Britain
Austria
Prussia
Netherlands
Spain
Sardinia
which countries composed the Second and Third Coalition?
Britain
Austria
Russia
what led to the collapse of the coalitions?
French military victory
what were subsidies?
sums of money given to Britain’s allies
what did Addington do in office?
signed the Treaty of Amiens which created peace with France
when was the Treaty of Amiens signed?
March 1802
when did the French restart the war?
May 1803
what was the Ministry of All the Talents?
an administrative ministry formed after the death of Pitt by Grenville
what did the Ministry of All the Talents achieve?
they failed at making peace with the French
when did Grenville resign?
1807
why did Grenville resign?
he tried to appease the Catholics by allowing them to join the Armed Forces, which the King refused
who was PM after Grenville?
The Duke of Portland
when did The Duke of Portland die?
October 1809
who was PM after The Duke of Portland?
Spencer Perceval
what did Perceval contribute to the war effort?
he ensured there was funding for the wars in Spain and Portugal
when was Perceval assassinated?
May 1812 by a merchantman
who was PM after Perceval?
Lord Liverpool
what was the problem with government bureaucracy in the early 1800s?
it was extremely corrupt and inefficient
what commissions exposed corruption in the Army and Navy?
Commission of Naval Revision
Commission of Military Enquiry
what led to a reduction in corruption?
ancient customs were abandoned
money was saved
stricter accounting methods
sinecures dropped
what were sinecures?
well paid jobs which required little work
which bank were loans raised from?
the City of London
how many new taxes were introduced during the war?
21
when was graduated income tax introduced?
1799
who had to pay income tax from 1799?
anyone earning more than £60 a year
how much was raised in taxes during the war?
£30 million
what was the relationship between the government and merchants/bankers?
they both worked together, with the government borrowing money in return for providing security for merchant ships
who organised the funding for Wellington’s advances in Spain and France?
Nathan Rothschild
what was the total government expenditure in 1811?
£85 million
breakdown of total government expenditure
£43 million on armed forces
£35 million on interest from national debt
what was the total government income in 1811?
£69.2 million
how much was paid in subsidies to allies during the war?
£66 million
what industrial advances did Britain make during the war?
cotton production increased threefold
iron and steel manufacturing increased fourfold
steam power became more popular
how many steam engines in 1805?
112
what improvements were made in agriculture during the war?
better breeding
crop rotation
ploughing techniques
how much did corn output increase by?
over a 1/5th
which canal linked London to the Midlands and when was it built?
Grand Junction Canal
completed in 1805
how many registered British merchant ships in 1815?
22,000
why did British trade flourish despite the Continental System deployed by Napoleon?
Britain had gained territories in South America and the Caribbean
why did British trade decline after 1810?
poor harvest
war with America in 1812
how did the East India Company help the British war effort?
exported goods to India and China
imported saltpetre (important in gunpowder)
its ships transported troops abroad
paid high duties for importants
how did the Convoy System help the British war effort?
merchant ships were protected from privateers and trade could be completed
how many dockyards did the RN have in Britain?
6
what did RN dockyards do?
built warships
repaired and refitted ships
stored raw materials
how many private shipyards by 1815?
over 500
what did private shipyards do?
built warships and merchant ships
built smaller ships faster than RN dockyards
how many warships did private shipyards build during the war?
436
how many warships did RN dockyards build during the war?
82
how important were the private sector for shipbuilding?
very important
allowed the government to exceed the capacity of shipbuilding locations to meet the requirements of war
when and why did the RN begin building ships from fir timber?
1804
because it was cheaper and easier to build ships
what was the new method of ship repairing?
laying a timber bottom over the hulls of ships
using diagonal iron braces to strengthen the hull
what was a block mill?
factories which produced pulleys for ships
what new docks were built in London?
West India Dock 1802
London Dock 1805
East India Dock 1806
what was the Board of Ordnance?
controlled the manufacturing of all kinds of munitions
how many muskets were sent to Prussia and Russia in 1813?
100,000 muskets
what did the Board of Ordnance conduct?
weapons testing
improving weapons
where were gunpowder cartridges manufactured?
the Royal Laboratory at Woolwich
what was the Victualling Board?
controlled distribution of provision
successes of Board of Ordnance?
produced better gunpowder than the French
mass production of muskets allowed both British and allied troops to be armed to fight the French
testing of munitions ensured reliability on the battlefield
what was the Victualling Board?
responsible for provisioning men of the RN and BA abroad
where was the Victualling Board HQ?
Deptford
how were provisions distributed out?
from the central yards, the provisions were sent to smaller yards at naval bases where they would be transported to warships and army transports
why was a competitive market-based system a benefit for Britain?
a competitive market generates greater supply and demand which allows the British government to be in supply all the time thus ensuring troops were fully provided with provisions
why were the French and Spanish poorly supplied?
their provisions came from the state which was an inferior supply chain
what was the Transport Board?
responsible for chartering merchant ships needed for expeditions overseas
how many British troops had been transported out of Britain by 1802?
135,000
shows importance of RN in helping the BA
