the British war effort (1793-1815) Flashcards

1
Q

when did William Pitt the Younger become PM?

A

1783

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2
Q

why did Pitt resign in 1801?

A

he resigned over King George III’s opposition over including Catholics in the Armed Forces?

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3
Q

who became PM after Pitt in 1801?

A

Henry Addington

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4
Q

when did Pitt return as PM?

A

1805

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5
Q

when did Pitt die?

A

January 1806

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6
Q

what did Pitt do in his first term?

A

restored Britain’s finances after the War of Independence

held the First Coalition together through large subsidies

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7
Q

which countries composed the First Coalition?

A

Britain
Austria
Prussia
Netherlands
Spain
Sardinia

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8
Q

which countries composed the Second and Third Coalition?

A

Britain
Austria
Russia

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9
Q

what led to the collapse of the coalitions?

A

French military victory

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10
Q

what were subsidies?

A

sums of money given to Britain’s allies

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11
Q

what did Addington do in office?

A

signed the Treaty of Amiens which created peace with France

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12
Q

when was the Treaty of Amiens signed?

A

March 1802

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13
Q

when did the French restart the war?

A

May 1803

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14
Q

what was the Ministry of All the Talents?

A

an administrative ministry formed after the death of Pitt by Grenville

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15
Q

what did the Ministry of All the Talents achieve?

A

they failed at making peace with the French

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16
Q

when did Grenville resign?

A

1807

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17
Q

why did Grenville resign?

A

he tried to appease the Catholics by allowing them to join the Armed Forces, which the King refused

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18
Q

who was PM after Grenville?

A

The Duke of Portland

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19
Q

when did The Duke of Portland die?

A

October 1809

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20
Q

who was PM after The Duke of Portland?

A

Spencer Perceval

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21
Q

what did Perceval contribute to the war effort?

A

he ensured there was funding for the wars in Spain and Portugal

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22
Q

when was Perceval assassinated?

A

May 1812 by a merchantman

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23
Q

who was PM after Perceval?

A

Lord Liverpool

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24
Q

what was the problem with government bureaucracy in the early 1800s?

A

it was extremely corrupt and inefficient

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25
Q

what commissions exposed corruption in the Army and Navy?

A

Commission of Naval Revision
Commission of Military Enquiry

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26
Q

what led to a reduction in corruption?

A

ancient customs were abandoned
money was saved
stricter accounting methods
sinecures dropped

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27
Q

what were sinecures?

A

well paid jobs which required little work

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28
Q

which bank were loans raised from?

A

the City of London

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29
Q

how many new taxes were introduced during the war?

A

21

30
Q

when was graduated income tax introduced?

A

1799

31
Q

who had to pay income tax from 1799?

A

anyone earning more than £60 a year

32
Q

how much was raised in taxes during the war?

A

£30 million

33
Q

what was the relationship between the government and merchants/bankers?

A

they both worked together, with the government borrowing money in return for providing security for merchant ships

34
Q

who organised the funding for Wellington’s advances in Spain and France?

A

Nathan Rothschild

35
Q

what was the total government expenditure in 1811?

A

£85 million

36
Q

breakdown of total government expenditure

A

£43 million on armed forces
£35 million on interest from national debt

37
Q

what was the total government income in 1811?

A

£69.2 million

38
Q

how much was paid in subsidies to allies during the war?

A

£66 million

39
Q

what industrial advances did Britain make during the war?

A

cotton production increased threefold

iron and steel manufacturing increased fourfold

steam power became more popular

40
Q

how many steam engines in 1805?

A

112

41
Q

what improvements were made in agriculture during the war?

A

better breeding
crop rotation
ploughing techniques

42
Q

how much did corn output increase by?

A

over a 1/5th

43
Q

which canal linked London to the Midlands and when was it built?

A

Grand Junction Canal

completed in 1805

44
Q

how many registered British merchant ships in 1815?

A

22,000

45
Q

why did British trade flourish despite the Continental System deployed by Napoleon?

A

Britain had gained territories in South America and the Caribbean

46
Q

why did British trade decline after 1810?

A

poor harvest
war with America in 1812

47
Q

how did the East India Company help the British war effort?

A

exported goods to India and China
imported saltpetre (important in gunpowder)
its ships transported troops abroad
paid high duties for importants

48
Q

how did the Convoy System help the British war effort?

A

merchant ships were protected from privateers and trade could be completed

49
Q

how many dockyards did the RN have in Britain?

A

6

50
Q

what did RN dockyards do?

A

built warships
repaired and refitted ships
stored raw materials

51
Q

how many private shipyards by 1815?

A

over 500

52
Q

what did private shipyards do?

A

built warships and merchant ships
built smaller ships faster than RN dockyards

53
Q

how many warships did private shipyards build during the war?

A

436

54
Q

how many warships did RN dockyards build during the war?

A

82

55
Q

how important were the private sector for shipbuilding?

A

very important

allowed the government to exceed the capacity of shipbuilding locations to meet the requirements of war

56
Q

when and why did the RN begin building ships from fir timber?

A

1804
because it was cheaper and easier to build ships

57
Q

what was the new method of ship repairing?

A

laying a timber bottom over the hulls of ships
using diagonal iron braces to strengthen the hull

58
Q

what was a block mill?

A

factories which produced pulleys for ships

59
Q

what new docks were built in London?

A

West India Dock 1802
London Dock 1805
East India Dock 1806

60
Q

what was the Board of Ordnance?

A

controlled the manufacturing of all kinds of munitions

61
Q

how many muskets were sent to Prussia and Russia in 1813?

A

100,000 muskets

62
Q

what did the Board of Ordnance conduct?

A

weapons testing
improving weapons

63
Q

where were gunpowder cartridges manufactured?

A

the Royal Laboratory at Woolwich

64
Q

what was the Victualling Board?

A

controlled distribution of provision

65
Q

successes of Board of Ordnance?

A

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

66
Q

what was the Victualling Board?

A

responsible for provisioning men of the RN and BA abroad

67
Q

where was the Victualling Board HQ?

A

Deptford

68
Q

how were provisions distributed out?

A

from the central yards, the provisions were sent to smaller yards at naval bases where they would be transported to warships and army transports

69
Q

why was a competitive market-based system a benefit for Britain?

A

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

70
Q

why were the French and Spanish poorly supplied?

A

their provisions came from the state which was an inferior supply chain

71
Q

what was the Transport Board?

A

responsible for chartering merchant ships needed for expeditions overseas

72
Q

how many British troops had been transported out of Britain by 1802?

A

135,000

shows importance of RN in helping the BA