The French Wars Flashcards
Shortened Timeline of French Wars
1793 - Britain goes to War against revolutionary France - assured the conflicted public that it would last only a few months.
1802 March- Treaty of Amiens was a temporary peace between Britain and France, ending the French Revolutionary Wars. Britain returned most conquests but kept Trinidad and Ceylon, while France withdrew from Naples and the Papal States.
1803 Peace collapsed due to the British distrust of Napoleon, leading to the Napoleonic wars.
1813- in 20 years over 300,000 British soldiers had died.
1815 - ended with Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815)
French Revolutionary Wars
Trigger = Execution of Louis xvI and the September Massacres - September 2–6, 1792.
Revolutionary mobs stormed prisons, killing around 1,100–1,400 prisoners, including nobles, priests, and suspected royalists.
1793-1802
Resulted in French Victory and saw the emergence of Napoleon.
What were the social impacts of the French wars?
1808 minmium wage bill rejected - social unrest
War spurred the growth of technology - 1811 Luddism
2010-2011 economic crisis caused by bad harvests, higher food prices than any time in the 19th Century.
1799 income tax put pressure on upper and middle classes
At least 240,000 British Deaths
300,000-400,000 men served - created employment but also shortages
Bread prices remained 50% higher
Demands for reform and riots- eg Peterloo 1819.
What were the political impacts of the French Wars?
1802 Treaty of Amiens ended the 1st phase, but Napoloen’s breath of peace = renewed conflict 1803 Under Addington. Addington was criticised on his hesitation to react, so he introduced the Levee on Massacre Act in July 1803, which mobilised over 80,000 men - the largest force to date.
Addington resigned in early 1804, and Pitt returned in March. He boosted morale with 1805 victory at Trifalgar. However, he failed to counter Napoleon’s dominance in Europe with British coalition allies in disarray. He was criticised for lacking strategic unions. He died in 1806.
Lord Grenville’s government 1806-7 failed to develop a clear war strategy as the 3rd Coalition collapsed. Gov was brought down by the issue of Catholic Emancipation.
What were the economic impacts of the French Wars?
National debt doubled. £228million at the start of war, £456 million by 1801 and by 1815 £876million.
1815 Corn Laws
400,000 men served - shortages
Wheat Prices peaked at £6.40 per quarter in 1812 which was nearly double of pre war prices.
Bread prices remained 50% more than pre war prices.
Exports grew from £30 million (1793)
to £52 million (1815), despite
Napoleon’s Continental System (1806).
1799 Income tax - negative for upper and middle classes however raised £14 million annually by 1815.
Expansion of the industry due to increased demands - output of pig iron rose from 56,000 is 1773 to 250,000 by 1801.
