ISSUE 14 : Jan/Feb - 1979 - Australian Defence Force Journal

NapoleonandSpainMajt >r G. G. MidtlletonRoyal Australian Corps of SignalsON 25 June 1807 Napoleon Bonaparteeffected the Treaty of Tilsit with TzarAlexander of Russia, it marked the height ofhis power having conquered Russia, Prussiaand Austria as well as most of the lesser statesof Europe.' He was. however, still at war withBritain which maintained a naval blockadeagainst France, a blockade which enabledBritain to control the seas and had resulted inher gaining a stranglehold over maritime trade,a consolidation of her existing colonies andthe acquisition of Capo Colony, Mauritius,Ceylon, British Guinea and several West Indianislands. 2Although France had extended peace feelersfrom time to time, they were rejected by Britainwho was not prepared to tolerate any singlepower dominating Europe, a situation whichwould inevitably lead to unfavourable tradingconditions.' The expeditionary forces Britainhad dispatched to the continent since theFrench Revolution had shown themselves tobe ill-organized, ill-supplied and ill-led. 4 Hercontinued existence as a belligerent dependedon the Royal Navy, but the Royal Navy alonecould not affect Napoleon's Grand Armeeduring a period in which Britain could raisean expeditionary army of only 60,000 soldierscompared with a million French and followingTilsit. Napoleon could call upon assistancefrom powerful European allies.Major Middlelon graduated from OCS Porisea in1968. After serving in several signals units, he waxappointed Adjutant of (he School of Signals in 1973and held the same appointment in 2 Sig Regt in 1975.From 1975 to 1977, he was an instructor at theSchool of Signals and is currently S02, Directorateof Communications—Army in Canberra. He is studyingfor a BA at the Australian National University.The Royal Navy ruled the seas with approximately100 battleships opposed to a combinedFrench-Dutch fleet of 75, some of which werein disrepair. French calculations had determinedthat they needed 50 per cent superiorityof ships to force the Straits of Dover andimpose a peace settlement on Britain, that isapproximately 150 ships. Napoleon attemptedto establish this superiority by treaty and byannexation and after gaining the support ofRussia and Spain by treaty, planned on annexingthe fleets of Denmark and Portugal.This was agreed on with Alexander in one ofthe secret clauses of the Tilsit Treaty.The British quickly learned of this threatand dispatched a powerful fleet to Copenhagenwhich seized the Danish fleeF while at thesame time retaining friendly relations with herlong time ally Portugal. However, the outnumberedBritish realized that they mustultimately be outstripped in the naval racesince Napoleon controlled much greater resourcesfor the manufacture of ships andarmaments as well as the manpower resourcesto crew a much bigger navy.The British strategy was one of maintaininga naval blockade against France, often bydesperate measures, and at the same timesearching for situations on the continent whichwould allow her to weaken France at an acceptablecost to herself. Napoleon responded with acontinental blockade aimed at stifling Britain'strade and collapsing her economy by drainingall currency from her. In order to mount aneffective blockade he needed the support of allmaritime trading nations of Europe and afterTilsit only Portugal, Sweden and Sicily maintainedtrade with Britain. The latter two wereeasily coerced into ceasing trade but Portugal