History 330 – BRITISH HISTORY – October 7, 2004 

BRITAIN v. NAPOLEON  

I.                   Endless War:

A.    Chronology  

1793	FRANCE DECLARES WAR ON BRITAIN First Coalition – as always, Britain forges international alliance Alien & Sedition Acts – ominous sign – will Britain adopt an “authoritarian” politics?
1798	Nelson & the Battle of the Nile Second Coalition
1799-1800	Combination Acts – another sign of drift away from democracy?
1801	Nelson wins Battle of Copenhagen;  Henry Addington Prime Minister; Union of Britain and Ireland
1802	Peace of Amiens
1803	War resumed
1804	Pitt Prime Minister
1805	Battles of Austerlitz & TRAFALGAR
1806	Death of Pitt;  Ministry of All Talents;  Fox dies;  Napoleon begins Continental System; Britain issues Orders in Council
1812	Wellington wins at Vitoria;  War of 1812 with USA;  Napoleon in Russia
1814	Napoleon defeated at Leipzig and in France;  exiled to Elba
1815	Napoleon’s comeback!  WELLINGTON DEFEATS NAPOLEON AT WATERLOO;  Congress of Vienna

 B.     TYRANNY v. LIBERTY: Who is the Tyrant?  Who is for Liberty?

1.      Since 1600s – Tyranny v. Liberty is key British theme;  repeated in American Revolution

2.      1789-92: BRITAIN & TYRANNY – France for Liberty?

(a)    French Revolutionaries call for radical change! Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

(b)   British Conservatives are deeply worried

3.      1799-1815: BRITAIN & LIBERTY – Napoleon as Tyrant?

(a)    1799 – Napoleon seizes power;  military dictatorship

(b)   1804 – Napoleon becomes EMPEROR NAPOLEON I

(c)    British defend their Constitutional System against Napoleon’s Imperial system

4.      1815 – BRITAIN & TYRANNY?

(a)    CONGRESS OF VIENNA tries to return to pre-Revolution Europe

(b)   Return of the Kings, Aristocrats, Top-Down Gov’t

(c)    Even Britain adopts anti-change, authoritarian tone  

II.                The French Revolution & Britain  

Edmund Burke, “Reflections on the Revolution in France” (1790)
Thomas Paine, “Rights of Man” (1791)
Mary Wollstonecraft, “Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (1792)
Hannah More, “Village Politics” (1793)

 

 

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