Impact of the Napoleonic Wars 1802 - 1812
Political Impact
Treaty of Amiens - 1802 ~ Halted war for 1 year.
Pitt replaced by Addington in 1801, but came back in 1804. He died in 1806 due to ill health.
After Pitt's death, Grenville's Government was introduced. They fell apart due to the issue of Catholic Emancipation.
Levee en Masse Act - July 1803 ~ Listed all men between 17 and 55 to be trained and armed to fight.
An estimated 800,000 men were under arms.
Neither Addington, Pitt, Grenville, Portland or Perceval managed to end the war.
Social Impact
On a positive note: Britain was not invaded , trade and industry continued, some trades stimulated by war, high rates of employment, Landowners and farmers benefitted from high prices and rent.
Peter Mathias: belived the living standards during war might have been lower than any other time since the beginning of the 18th century.
Mackinnion, a Tory politician remarked that 'the mass of people did not suffer as severely as would seem probable.'
Industry and Commercial activity was not repressed and actually grew.
Taxation was high.
Land produce and manufactured goods increased so the high tax wasn't too hard hitting.
Those with fixed wages and the poor suffered from high taxes.
Many gained job opportunities because of the War
Luddism - 1811
Unrest like Luddism suggests that discontent came from the changing means of livelihood and changing state at home, not the war.
In 1792, 75,000 troops were deployed. In the latter years there was 500,000.
Child labour increases.
Economic Impact
Napoleon's Blockade - 1806
Limitations to Berlin decrees blockade - British ships still found safe harbour in Spain & Portugal and trade continued.
Napoleon couldn't invade Britain by sea due to Lord Nelsons win at Trafalgar (1806) despite an attempt in 1804.Therefore though he could destroy Britain through economic warfare as he knewy she depended on imports of food & raw materials
He tried to prevent Britain's imports and exports. He wanted to starve Britain into surrender and so he forbid trade between Europe and Britain. He used the Berlin Decree of 1806- Blocked Britain's access to continental ports.
The Blockade affected France more than it did Britain, Britain could still trade with India, West Indies, China, South America and Australia.
Britain retaliated with the Orders in council - 1807 ~ Orders in Council stated that anyone who seized or excluded a British ship would be subject to British blockade. Also imposed restrictions on any neutral ships trading with a blockaded country.- Boycott of French trade
French Wheat Shortages 1808 - 1810
During Harvest shortages, Napoleon sabotaged his own blockade by allowing French wheat to be imported into Britain.
Bank Restriction Act 1797
Allowed banks to refuse to turn money and notes into gold in order to print money to finance the war.
Income Tax
Introduced by Pitt in 1799 to temporarily help finance the war.
Everyone who earned over £60 a year had to pay it. The richest paid 10% of their income
Unpopular with M/C. Did not affect the poor.
War Finance
1797- Finance strained to breaking point. The government borrowed heavily and the Bank of England had to issue paper money instead of using gold to conserve its reserves.
1801- nations debt stood at £456 million - Pitt continued using the sinking fund which was a poor tactic at the time. Debt rose to £876 million in 1815.
USA closed its ports to Britain and France
The war Helped Econmic growth in some industries such as iron and textile trades as they equipped the armies of Britain and her allies.