William Pitt the Younger

The Right Honourable William Pitt, the Younger (28 May 1759–23 January 1806) was a British politician during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He served as Prime Minister from 1783 to 1801, and again from 1804 until his death. He is known as William Pitt the Younger to distinguish him from his father, William Pitt the Elder, who also served as Prime Minister of Great Britain.

French Revolution

After the French Revolution began in 1789, the Pitt administration attempted to delay intervention in European conflicts for as long as possible. The aggression of the French revolutionary Government, however, did not permit Great Britain to remain neutral. Especially alarming to the British were decrees issued by the French in 1792, vowing to aid any attempts other Europeans may undertake to overthrow their own monarchies. On 1 February 1793, the French, believing that they could precipitate a British Revolution, declared war on Great Britain, forcing Pitt to reciprocate by declaring war on France. Pitt did not seek to restore the French monarchy by crushing the revolutionaries, instead confining Great Britain to the protection of its own interests. He agreed to take part in the First Coalition, an alliance with Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, Spain, and the United Provinces.

Related Topics:
French Revolution - 1792 - 1 February - 1793 - First Coalition - Austria - Sardinia

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The French Revolution encouraged many in Great Britain to once again speak of parliamentary reform, an issue which had not been at the political forefront since Pitt's reform bill was defeated in 1785. The reformers, however, were quickly labelled as radicals and as associates of the French revolutionaries. Parliament began to enact repressive legislation in order to silence the reformers. Individuals who published seditious material were punished, and, in 1794, the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus was suspended. Other repressive measures included the Seditious Meetings Act (which restricted the right of individuals to assemble publicly) and the Combination Acts (which restricted the formation of societies or organisations that favoured political reforms).

Related Topics:
Seditious - 1794 - Habeas corpus

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The war with France was extremely expensive, straining Great Britain's finances. In 1797, Pitt was forced to protect the kingdom's gold reserves by preventing individuals from exchanging banknotes for gold. Great Britain would continue to use paper money for over two decades. Pitt was also forced to introduce Great Britain's first ever income tax. The new tax helped offset losses in indirect tax revenue, which had been caused by a decline in trade. Despite the efforts of Pitt and the British allies, the French continued to defeat the members of the First Coalition, which collapsed in 1798. A Second Coalition, consisting of Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire, was formed, but it, too, failed to overawe the French. The fall of the Second Coalition with the defeat of the Austrians at Marengo (14 June 1800) left Great Britain facing France alone.

Related Topics:
1797 - Income tax - 1798 - Second Coalition - Ottoman Empire - Austria - Marengo - 14 June - 1800

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