The Napoleonic Wars

INTRODUCTION

The Napoleonic Wars were wars which were fought during the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte over France. They started after the French Revolution ended and Napoleon Bonaparte became powerful in France in November 1799. War began between the United Kingdom and France in 1803. This happened when the Treaty of Amiens ended in 1802. The French became powerful very fast, and conquered most of Europe, for example between 1797 and 1805 that France would invade Britain.The Napoleonic Wars ended with the Second Treaty of Paris on 20 November 1815. Napoleon's empire lost the wars.(Herold,& Christopher, 2002). 

According to Michael, (1980) defined Napoleonic war as the series of wars between Napoleonic Frances and shifting alliances of the European power that proceeded a brief French hegemony over the most of Europeans. Napoleonic wars constitute of 23 years period of recurrent conflict between France and England, marked by series of wars. Through this period, England feared a French invasion led by napoleon. (Ruth, M. 2014).

The Napoleonic Wars were massive in their geographic scope, ranging, as far as Britain was concerned, over all of the five continents. They were massive, too, in terms of expense. From 1793 to the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 the wars cost Britain more than £1,650,000,000. Only 25 percent of this sum was raised by government loans, the rest coming largely from taxation, not least from the income tax that was introduced in 1798.

Napoleonic war led to the establishment of British rules in south Africa due to the following extent,

·         War unable Britain to won substantial victories on land. Its fleet captured St. Lucia, Tobago, Dutch Guiana, the Cape of Good Hope, French Guiana, Java, Martinique, and other West Indian and African territories, After defeating French. Therefore the Cape Colony was annexedby the British and officially became their colony in 1815.The British response to these developments was to concentrate on home defense and to consolidate its imperial and naval assets. In 1801 the Act of Union took effect amalgamating Ireland with Great Britain and creating the United Kingdom. (Chandler, David, 1966).

·         Napoleonic war brought unemployment and poverty to British, after the Napoleonic wars Britain experienced a serious unemployment problem, therefore encouraged by the British government to immigrate to the cape colony, the first 1820 settlers arrival in table bay on board the Nautilus and chapman on 17 march 1820. From the cape colony, the settlers were sent to algoa bay know as today as Port Elizabeth.(Michael, 1980).

·         Napoleonic wars led British to control sea route to east. When Great Britain went to war with France in 1793, both countries tried to capture the Cape so as to control the important sea route to the East. After the French lost a war The British occupied the Cape in 1795, ending the Dutch East India Company’s role in the region. Although the British relinquished the colony to the Dutch in the Treaty of Amiens (1802), they annexed it in 1806 after the start of the Napoleonic Wars. The Cape became a vital base for Britain prior to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, and the Cape’s economy was meshed with that of Britain. (Parsons, 1993).

·         Presence of precious metals in South Africa, this also is why British establish role in South Africa. The one among the reason of the war is presence of precious metals in Cape colony, many nations wanted to control the Cape colony in order to acquire metals, this is because at that moment metals were the only thing that makes a nation strong than other that's why British after being a victory in the war at 1815 they direct establish role in South Africa.

·         War expanding British army. Between 1789 and 1815 British army had to expand more than six fold, to about a quarter of million men. The royal navy, bedrock of British defense, aggressive, trade and empire, grew further and faster still. Before the war it had employed 16,000 men; by the end of them, it employed more than 140,000, because there was an acute danger between 1795 and 1805 that French would invade Britain. Expanding of this military army unable for self-protection and expanding colonies for deference purpose, for example British military expedition lunched in 1795 against the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope. This making a point of Britain to establish his roles in South Africa. (Godfrey, 1905).

·         War make British were free to establish role in South Africa, this mean that after the war in 1815 British gain victory against Napoleon Bonaparte of France and there were no anyother country in Europe that can defeat him during that time all European countries fear British army, so it was easier for British to establish his role in South Africa because it is free for him.

Conclusion

Therefore, the Napoleonic wars contributed much to the British Empire to establishment it’s roles to the South Africa because this war strength military army of Britain that enable thier for defending , expanding  territories and compete for precious valuable materials in various part of the world. Hence controlling the Cape of Good Hope in southAfrica 1815.

REFERENCES

Chandler, David, G.(1966). The campaigns of napoleon. New York. Macmillan.

Herold, J. & Christopher. (2002). The age of napoleon. London. Weidenfeld & Nicolson.

Michael, G. (1980). The Napoleonic wars: an illustrated history 1792-1815. London. Book club associates.

Pivka&OttoVon.(2000). Armies of the Napoleonic era.Newton abbot.

Parsons, N.(1993). A new history of South Africa. Macmillan. London

Godfrey, L. (1905). The native question in south Africa. The empire and the century, london