Treaty of Amiens

Categories: French Revolutionary Wars | Peace treaties | Napoleonic wars | 1802 in law

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, England was recognising 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 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, William Pitt came back to power on 16 March, 1803, and when the time came for the implementation of the treaty, the UK balked at implementing certain terms, such as evacuating their military presence from Malta, under the pretext of French refusal to respect other terms of the treaty. William Pitt violated the Treaty, declared war on France, and started a Third Coalition. He was also 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, England's allies, were preparing to invade France. The French armies were christened the Grande Armée and secretely left the coast to march against Austria and Russia before Prussia could join Pitt's coalition. It defeated Austria at Ulm the day before the Battle of Trafalgar, and France finally won the war thanks to Napoléon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz.

It has been said that Austerlitz killed Pitt.de:Friede von Amiens nl:Vrede van Amiens ru:Амьенский мир sl:Amienski mir fr:Paix d'Amiens