Britain and French Wars 1793 - 1815

How long did the Great French Wars last?

1793-1815

What date did Prime Minister Pitt declare war against France? What did he call this war?

31st January 1793

“War of extermination“

What four reasons caused the war between France and Britain?

1. France supported the independence of USA

2. French executed their king and had a revolution (worried similar ideas would spread to Britain)

3. Wanted to colonies/ the creation of the British Empire

4. Trade - Napoleon had made it illegal to buy British products

What does Harvey describe the Great French Wars as?

“first global war“

When was the Peninsular War?

1808 - 1814

When was the Battle of Waterloo?

18th June 1815

What did Napoleon say about England in terms of destruction?

“Let us concentrate all our efforts on the navy to annihilate England. That done, Europe is at our feet.“

How many coalitions were there during the Revolutionary wars?

2

How many coalitions were there during the Napoleonic wars?

5

What country was apart of all coalition throughout the French Wars?

Britain

Which two members made peace with France thus withdrawing from coalition? And when?

Spain

Papal States - 1801

Which country did France defeat 5 times?

Austria

What did Napoleon say about France’s needs?

“France has more need of me than I have need of France”

What does Tousignant question about Napoleon as a Leader?

Was he…

• “power-hungry dictator whose wars left more than three million people dead”

• “military genius“

What does Zamoyski argue?

his identity as a “towering genius is flawed“

“What motivated Napoleon was his profound insecurity“

How did The Times summarise the death of Horatio Nelson? Anything else?

“The great and gallant Nelson is no more“

outpour of public grief that wouldn’t be matched until the death of Princess Diana 200 years later

When was Nelson’s famous Mediterranean battle? Why was it significant? What was he labelled?

• April 1798

• 11/13 battleships destroyed or captured

• trusted his captains implicitly allowing them autonomy to decide how to carry it out

• “Hero of the Nile”

When was the Battle of Trafalgar?

21st October 1805

What were frigates?

fast lightly armed warships that were the navy’s eyes and ears

How does Historian Dr Zack White describe the Duke of Wellington?

“He was only second to Napoleon in his military skill at the time“

“worst elitist prejudices“

“devoted servant of the nation and monarchy“

What did Wellington call the British army of numerous occasions?

“scum of the earth“

When and where did Wellington get sent during the Napoleonic Wars?

1808 takes on French in Portugal

What was the nature of Wellingtons most significant battle at Waterloo?

• Shattered Napoleons dream of European dominance

• It was not singlehandedly his victory it included Russia, Austria and the British around three quarters of a million men

How does Dr Zack White describe the the nature of Wellingtons most significant battle at Waterloo?

“lovely little narrative“

“ignores significance“ (of other troops)