Treaty of Amiens
The
Treaty of Amiens was signed on
March 25,
1802 (Germinal 4, year X in the
French Revolutionary Calendar) by
Joseph Bonaparte and the
Marquis Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace" between
France and the
United Kingdom. Under the treaty, the United Kingdom recognised the
French Republic, and the consequent peace, which lasted only one year, was the only period during which the United Kingdom was not at war with France during the so-called '
Great French War'.
Together with the
Treaty of Lunéville (1801) the treaty of Amiens marked the end of the
Second Coalition. The War started well for the Coalition, with General Bonaparte's reverses in Egypt. But, after France's victories at
Marengo and
Hohenlinden, Austria, Russia and Naples asked for peace.
Nelson's victory at
Copenhagen (
April 2,
1801) halted the creation of the
League of Armed Neutrality and led to a ceasefire (October) and negotiations. The Treaty was made possible by
William Pitt's resignation in London on a separate issue with
Addington replacing him. The British negotiators were led by
Robert Jenkinson, Lord Liverpool.
The treaty, beyond confirming "peace, friendship, and good understanding" arranged for the restoration of prisoners and hostages; the United Kingdom gave up much of the
West Indies to the
Batavian Republic and also withdrew from Egypt but was granted
Trinidad and Tobago and
Ceylon; France withdrew from the
Papal States; it fixed the borders of
French Guiana;
Malta, Gozo, and Comino were restored to the
Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the islands were declared
neutral.
However, objections to the treaty were growing in the United Kingdom, especially as it seemed that the UK was making all the concessions. In addition Bonaparte had interfered with the Batavian and Cisalpine Republics and sent troops into Switzerland, breaking earlier treaties. Concerns were also raised by the sending of a major French Army to the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo, where it reimposed slavery and cracked down on the independence movement. As a result the British Government balked at implementing certain terms, such as evacuating their military presence from Malta, due to this French refusal to respect other terms of the treaty. Despite appeals from French Foreign Minster
Talleyrand, Bonaparte refused to concede much, especially as it was rumoured that he had designs on Egypt again. As a result Addington strengthened the Royal Navy, and imposed a blockade of France.
Although it is frequently written by the French that the United Kingdom seized all French ships in British ports, there appears to be no evidence to support such an assertion. Napoleon certainly believed it, or invented it. He said that 6 ships had been seized 'on the high seas', although these ships and their captains have never been named. In response on 2 Prairial in year 11 of the Revolution Calendar (22 May 1803) Bonaparte, as Consul, ordered the imprisonment of almost all British civilians who happened to be travelling through France. This was an act that was denounced as illegal by all the major powers. The detenus were men between the ages of 18 and 60. Napoleon claimed in the French press that the British hostages that he had taken amounted to 10,000, but French documents compiled in Paris a few months later show that the numbers were 1,181. It was not until the Abdication of Napoleon in 1814 that these British hostages were at last allowed to return home.
Addington was not an effective war Prime Minister, and was replaced on
10 May 1804 with William Pitt, who started the
Third Coalition. Pitt has been alleged to be behind assassination attempts at the Bonaparte's life (by
Cadoudal and
Pichegru).
Napoleon, now Emperor, assembled armies on the coast of France to invade the
British Isles, but Austria and Russia, the United Kingdom's allies, were preparing to invade France. The French armies were christened
La Grande Armée and secretly left the coast to march against Austria and Russia before their armies could combine. It defeated Austria at
Ulm the day before the
Battle of Trafalgar, and France effectively destroyed the Third Coalition thanks to Napoléon's victory at the
Battle of Austerlitz.
*A street in
Dublin was named after the treaty. Dubliners call the street ay-me-ens street, but still manage the correct pronouncation of the French city.
