Treaty of Amiens

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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. Most importantly, Britain was recognizing the French Republic at last.

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 loss of power in London — Addington replaced him. The British negotiators were led by Robert Jenkinson, Lord Liverpool. 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.

The treaty, beyond confirming "peace, friendship, and good understanding" arranged for the restoration of prisoners and hostages; the British monarchy surrendered its claim to the throne of France, a claim it had held since the beginning of the Hundred Years' War, additionally the UK 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 Britain, especially as it seemed that Britain 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. Though it is frequently written by the French that Britain 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 May 10th 1804 with William Pitt, who started the Third Coalition. Pitt has been alleged to be behind terrorist attempts at the Bonaparte's life (Cadoudal, Pichegru).

Napoleon, now Emperor, assembled armies on the coast of France to invade the British Isles, but Austria and Russia, Britain's allies, were preparing to invade France. The French armies were christened the 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.

It has been said that Austerlitz killed Pitt.de:Friede von Amiens fr:Paix d'Amiens nl:Vrede van Amiens nds:Freed vun Amiens ja:アミアンの和約 ru:Амьенский мир sl:Amienski mir zh:亞眠和約