Invasion
Invasion
Britons had feared French invasion since the outbreak of the Revolutionary War in 1793.
Prints of the nightmarish craft supposedly being prepared for the invasion were widely circulated from the late 1790s onwards. There had been several attempts to land French troops on British soil, including an expeditionary force that actually managed to disembark at Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, in 1797.
The renewal of war in 1803 and the massing of troops on the French coast raised fears that Napoleon was now really ready to invade Britain.
Loyalist patriotism and unity in the struggle against Napoleon helped to mask the internal political divisions which the war had intensified. Propaganda encouraged loyalty to the Crown, drew attention away from those calling for political reform and urged people to join one of the mobilised land forces – the army, militia or volunteers.
- Britons had feared French invasion since the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. The renewal of war...
- Britain's land defence force amounted to some 500,000 armed men. There were also numerous maritime...
- The defensive strategy of the British government depended heavily on the strength of the Royal...
- Napoleon's ambitious invasion scheme was first devised in July 1803. It involved the French Army and...
- The plan to invade Britain involved luring the British fleet away from the Channel. To do this,...
- Nelson got word back to the Admiralty about the returning French fleet which allowed the British to...
- Nelson returned to Britain on 18 August 1805. He travelled to Merton with Emma Hamilton, where they...