British Strategy and the Struggle with France 1793–1815

Abstract

This article examines the various constraints under which the conduct of British strategy operated during the French Wars – examples include its political and geographical situation, its far-flung colonial interests and its limited military resources and its need to maintain a strong alliance system in continental Europe – and shows how the direction that it took closely mirrored a variety of campaigns in the eighteenth century. That said, the position in which Britain found herself in the struggle against the French Revolution and Napoleon was frequently contradictory, and it is no coincidence that it was some time before the ideal combination of strategies was found that marked the period 1808–14. The fact that the difficulties involved were overcome said a great deal for the underlying strength of the British state.

Key Words:

• Strategy
• Napoleonic Wars
• Britain
• Alliance Politics

Notes

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⁶State of Forces in Great Britain, Feb. 1798, [London] B[ritish] L[ibrary]: Add[itional Manuscript] 59281, fol. 15.

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