The complex tripartite relations between Russia, England and France in the first half of the 19th century first led to a war between the Russians and the British, in which St. Petersburg supported Paris. A few years later, the situation changed dramatically - now France was at war with Russia, and the British were the allies of the Russians. True, St. Petersburg never received any real help from London. [С-BLOCK]
Consequences of the continental blockade
After Russia, having signed the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, joined France and declared a continental blockade of England, relations between the British and Russians were severed. Obliged under this shameful treaty to assist the French in all wars, Russia could not stand aside when such a conflict arose between England and Denmark - the British attacked a country that also supported the anti-English continental blockade.
The war between Russia and Britain resulted in a series of local skirmishes, the parties did not wage frontal battles against each other. One of the landmark campaigns of this period was the Russo-Swedish War (the Swedes took the side of Britain) of 1808-1809. Sweden lost it, and Russia eventually grew with Finland. [С-BLOCK]
Confrontation Senyavin
A landmark event of the Russian-English war was the "great standing" in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, the squadron of Admiral Dmitry Senyavin. Ten warships under the command of Dmitry Nikolaevich since November 1807 were in the port of Lisbon, where the ships entered, thoroughly battered by the storm. The squadron was heading to the Baltic Sea.
By that time, Napoleon had occupied Portugal, access to the sea, in turn, was blocked by the British. Mindful of the conditions of the Tilsit peace, the French for several months unsuccessfully persuaded the Russian sailors to come out on their side. The Russian Emperor Alexander I also ordered Senyavin to take into account Napoleonic interests, although he did not want an escalation of the conflict with the British.
Napoleon tried in various ways to influence Senyavin. But the subtle diplomacy of the Russian admiral prevailed every time. In August 1808, when the threat of the occupation of Lisbon by the British increased, the French turned to Senyavin for help for the last time. And he turned them down again.
After the occupation of the capital of Portugal by the British, they already began to persuade the Russian admiral to their side. Being at war with Russia, England could easily capture our sailors, and take the fleet for itself as war trophies. Just like that, without a fight, Admiral Senyavin was not going to give up. A series of lengthy diplomatic negotiations began again. In the end, Dmitry Nikolayevich achieved a neutral and, in his own way, unprecedented decision: all 10 ships of the squadron go to England, but this is not a prisoner; until London and Petersburg make peace, the flotilla is in Britain. The crews of Russian ships were able to return back to Russia only a year later. And England returned the ships themselves only in 1813. Senyavin, upon returning to his homeland, despite his former military merits, fell into disgrace. [С-BLOCK]
Fighting in the Baltic and in the East
The English fleet, together with the Swedish allies, tried to inflict damage on the Russian Empire in the Baltic Sea, shelling coastal facilities and attacking military and merchant ships. Petersburg seriously strengthened its defenses from the sea. When Sweden was defeated in the Russo-Swedish War, the British fleet withdrew from the Baltic. From 1810 to 1811, Britain and Russia did not conduct active hostilities between themselves.
The British were interested in Turkey and Persia, and in principle the possibility of Russian expansion in the South and East. Numerous attempts by the British to oust Russia from Transcaucasia were unsuccessful. As well as the intrigues of the British, aimed at encouraging the Russians to leave the Balkans. Turkey and Russia sought to conclude a peace treaty, while the British were interested in continuing the war between these states. In the end, the peace treaty was nevertheless signed. [С-BLOCK]
Why did this war end with Napoleon's attack on Russia
For England, this strange war with Russia was futile, and in July 1812 the countries concluded a peace treaty. By that time, Napoleon's army had been advancing on Russian territory for several weeks. Earlier, Bonaparte failed to negotiate with the British on the conclusion of peace, the recognition of the colonial rule of Britain in exchange for the withdrawal of British troops from Spain and Portugal. The British did not agree to recognize the dominant role of France among other European states. Napoleon, to whom the Peace of Tilsit untied his hands to conquer all of Europe, lacked only "crush Russia", as he himself admitted a year before the start of the semi-annual Patriotic War of 1812.
The Russian-British peace treaty was at the same time allied in the struggle against France. England, like the United States in the Great Patriotic War, took a wait-and-see attitude and the Russian Empire did not wait for significant military and economic assistance from the British. Britain hoped that a protracted military campaign would exhaust the forces of both sides, and then she, England, would become the first contender for dominance in Europe.
On the same topic:
Russian-English war of 1807-1812: what did they fight for Russian-English war of 1807-1812: who became the winner
The accession of Russia after the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807 to the continental system led to a break in relations between St. Petersburg and London. And after England attacked Denmark (the Danes also decided to join the continental blockade), France and Russia went to war with Britain. There were no significant hostilities between Russia and Britain, but in 1808 Sweden entered the war on the side of England. During the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809. The Swedes were defeated. Finland was included in Russia.
The epic of the Senyavin squadron
The British fleet operated in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean and the Baltic Seas. So, the squadron of Dmitry Nikolayevich Senyavin, consisting of 9 battleships and 1 frigate, after the conclusion of the Slobodzeya truce with the Turks on August 12 (24), 1807, went from the Mediterranean to the Baltic Sea, and the war caught Russian ships in Lisbon (they took refuge in the port in early November from - for storms). The situation was extremely difficult: the French army of Junot invaded Portugal - the Portuguese squadron left Lisbon, taking the Portuguese prince regent, the royal family and the government to Brazil (then a colony of Portugal); The British blockaded the city from the sea. The British admiral had 13 battleships, 11 frigates and 5 small craft. By the end of November 1807, the Portuguese territory was all occupied by French troops. General Junot received the title of Duke d "Abrantes and entered Lisbon. The Russian squadron was between two fires. Both forces had the opportunity to destroy the Russian squadron. The order of Alexander I obliged Senyavin to comply with the interests of Napoleon, at the same time, the Russian emperor did not want to enter into open war with England, while it would have been beneficial for France if the Russians had entered into a direct battle with the British.
Senyavin asked the tsar for instructions, but did not wait for them. Napoleon wanted the Russian admiral to receive orders from now on not from Russia, but from France, from the Russian ambassador in Paris, Count Tolstoy, who would simply send Senyavin instructions from the French emperor. At the beginning of 1808, Dubachevsky, who was the Russian representative in Lisbon, received instructions that were obligatory for all Russian military personnel. They said that the actions of the military should correspond to the friendly disposition in which Russia and France now reside. On March 1, 1808, an even clearer imperial decree followed to three commanders of the Russian Naval Forces, who were in foreign lands, including D. Senyavin. It spoke about the provision of naval forces located outside of Russia at the disposal of the French emperor to harm the enemy. The French were informed of this order.
The beginning of the popular war of the Spaniards against the rule of France sharply worsened the position of General Junot and his army in Portugal. In addition, the British saw in Lisbon and in Portugal in general a long-awaited springboard for landing significant landings on the Iberian Peninsula. It is clear that the Russian squadron could not bring a turning point in the struggle between France and England for the peninsula. But the symbol of the joint struggle of the two powers against Britain was important. The guerrilla war in Spain flared up more and more, from Vienna there were reports of military preparations by the Austrians. There was a possibility that, seeing the fact of a real military alliance between Russia and France, Vienna would refrain from going to war with Napoleon. Therefore, the pressure on Senyavin from the Duke d "Abrantes intensified day by day. But Senyavin still did not want to destroy his squadron in order to make a political demonstration pleasing to the French emperor. I must say that Admiral Senyavin was extremely hostile to the Tilsit Treaty and sudden "friendship" of Russia with France. He continued to ignore the proposals of Napoleon and Junot. He was convinced that the alliance of Napoleon with Alexander was a short-lived construction, and refused to help the French emperor and Junot. It is clear that he tried to do this in a diplomatic form, finding pretexts for the inaction of the squadron.
In July 1808, Junot several times ordered Senyavin to land forces on the shore to fight British landings, and send the fleet to attack the weakened British fleet (some of the ships covered the landing). Senyavin rejected all these proposals. He refused to land Russian sailors to defend Lisbon. On August 4, Junot withdrew almost all his forces from the capital of Portugal and went to Torres Vedras. On August 9, 1808, a battle took place near the town of Vemiairo, and the French troops were completely defeated. Junot after the battle, in which he lost more than 4 thousand people, returned to Lisbon. On August 12, Divisional General Kellerman came to the Russian admiral from Junot, he notified Senyavin of the planned truce between Junot and the commander-in-chief of the British forces. But the negotiations ended unsuccessfully. On August 13, Senyavin received a letter from Junot, which proposed to attach the entire crew of the squadron to the French forces (a similar proposal had been made before) and prevent the British from occupying Lisbon and the forts. Senyavin again refused, emphasizing that he did not have the authority to fight the Portuguese and Spaniards who had joined the British. On August 16, Senyavin received the last letter from the French general, in which he left the Russian admiral to negotiate directly with the British about the fate of the Russian squadron. The British occupied Lisbon.
The British were aware of Senyavin's skirmishes with the French and already in July entered into relations with the admiral. They wanted to induce Senyavin to go over to their side and deal a heavy blow to the Russian-French alliance. Even if Alexander subsequently disavowed the actions of Senyavin, the opinion would still be established on the Iberian Peninsula that the Russians were enemies, not allies of the French emperor. On July 16, Admiral Senyavin received a letter from the British admiral "through a certain Portuguese" with a proposal to send his representatives for negotiations. On July 18, representatives traveling from the Russian squadron to the British - collegiate adviser Zass and flag officer Makarov - returned to their squadron. They reported that the British were informing Senyavin about hostile actions against Russia that had begun on the part of the French and about the detention in French ports of all Russian ships that had entered there. As well as the beginning of peace negotiations between Russia and Sweden and England. But Senyavin refused to enter into direct negotiations.
After the departure of the French forces, one had to think about the problem, no matter how the British military declared the squadron to be their military booty, and the Russian admiral with all the crews of the ships - prisoners of war. After all, England at that moment was formally at war with the Russian Empire. Senyavin informed the British that during the ten months of their stay in Lisbon, the Russians had consistently refused to take part in hostile actions against the British. The squadron took a neutral position. In addition, the Russian Admiral Senyavin told Cotton that after the departure of the French invaders, the capital of Portugal was returned to the legal possession of the Portuguese government, and Petersburg was not at war with Lisbon, so he considered himself and his squadron to be in a neutral port. It was a skillful diplomatic move. After all, the British troops landed in Portugal, solemnly declaring before all of Europe that their goal was to liberate the country from the Napoleonic capture and return it to the legitimate government, which fled from the invaders to Brazil. Legally, the position of the Russian admiral was thus very strong and binding on the British.
After some thought, the commander of the British squadron, Cotton, reported that he had ordered British flags to be hung on the forts and that he did not consider the city a neutral port. The moment was critical: the British troops were strengthening their presence in the city, their fleet approached the Russian squadron. The force was on the side of the British. At the same time, Cotton realized that Senyavin would not agree to unconditional surrender and that a bloody battle was ahead. Cotton entered into negotiations and, after rather persistent arguments, recognized the need to sign a special convention with Senyavin. On September 4, it was signed. The British command accepted Senyavin's condition: the Russian squadron was not considered captured, it was sent to England and was supposed to be there until peace was concluded between London and St. Petersburg. After the conclusion of peace, the ships could return to Russia with the same crew and with all their property. Senyavin even insisted on a clause according to which he himself and all his officers, sailors and soldiers (naval infantry) could immediately return to Russia without any conditions, that is, they had the right, having returned to their homeland, even now to take part in hostilities against Great Britain.
It is clear that Cotton agreed to such conditions not only because of the unwillingness to lose, but also for political reasons. A new turn could soon take place in relations between Russia and England (and it did), and it was stupid to irritate Petersburg by sinking the Russian squadron.
On August 31 (September 12), 1808, Senyavin, with his squadron, consisting of seven ships of the line and one frigate, left Lisbon for Portsmouth. Two ships - "Raphael" and "Yaroslav" were so damaged that they had to be left in the Portuguese capital for repairs. The British promised to return them. September 27 squadron arrived in Portsmouth. The British Admiralty felt that Cotton had made a mistake and tried to revise the convention. The two battleships at Lisbon were captured despite Senyavin's protests. Not wanting to release immediately (as it should have been according to the Cotton-Senyavin agreement) Russian officers, sailors and soldiers to Russia, the British at first dragged out the matter for months, until the winter of 1808-1809 came and Russian ports became inaccessible until the opening of spring navigation. Then the British Admiralty began to express concern whether the Swedes, who were at war with Russia, would remove the Russian military from the British transports. In addition, the Admiralty insisted that the Russian landing take place in Arkhangelsk. The Russian admiral insisted that it take place in one of the ports of the Baltic Sea. British officials fed Russian crews disgustingly. Only on June 12, 1809 was the inventory of ships and property completed. On July 31, 1809, the Russian crews were finally transferred to 21 British transport ships and sailed from Portsmouth on August 5. On September 9, 1809, ships arrived in Riga, and people were able to go to the Russian coast.
Officers and sailors highly appreciated the skills of the commander. But Alexander I thought otherwise. The talented naval commander Senyavin, who participated in the campaign of the squadron of F. F. Ushakov in the Mediterranean Sea, successfully fought with the French in 1805, on May 10-11, 1807 he defeated the Turkish fleet in the Dardanelles, and on June 19, 1807 in the battle of Athos, despite on the numerical superiority of the enemy, fell into disgrace. The British returned the ships in 1813.
Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin.
Other events
On May 17, 1809, an English squadron consisting of 3 battleships, 4 frigates and 1 brig attacked the Russian detachment of Captain 1st Rank Bychevsky, consisting of 5 battleships, 1 frigate and 2 corvettes in Trieste, but, having received a rebuff, retreated.
On the Baltic Sea, the British fleet operated jointly with the Swedish Navy in the areas of Revel, Porkkala-Udd, the Baltic Harbor, Vyborg, and others. British ships raided coastal areas, sabotaged and shelled coastal facilities. Their privateers attacked merchant ships in the Baltic and North Seas. The British tried to damage the Russian economy.
The Russian command took serious measures to strengthen the defense of St. Petersburg from the sea. 15 batteries with 120 guns were built in the capital. The fairway to the north of the island of Kotlin was blocked with a stone and wood barrier - a ryazhevy barrier. Kronstadt was prepared for the defense. The squadron of Admiral Pyotr Ivanovich Khanykov based in the Baltic Harbor (9 battleships, 7 frigates, 13 small ships) could not resist the British-Swedish Navy. The ships were in poor condition and could not conduct active operations. In general, the British fleet was unable to provide significant assistance to Sweden. The outcome of the war was decided by the actions of the Russian ground forces. After the defeat of Sweden, the British withdrew ships from the Baltic. In 1810 - 1811. there were no hostilities between Britain and Russia at all.
Confrontation in the East
The British launched a vigorous activity directed against Russia in Turkey and Persia. The British had long feared Russian infiltration into the South and East. The Russians could seize the approaches to India. London was particularly alarmed by the fact of the voluntary annexation of part of Georgia and a number of Azerbaijani khanates to Russia in 1801-1806. In 1809, the British government concluded an agreement with the Iranian Shah, the British undertook to promote the accession of Transcaucasia to Persia. But the actions of the Shah's troops were not successful, and Iran began to seek peace. Under pressure from British agent Jones, negotiations broke down. Soon Malcolm's mission arrived in Persia, which handed over 12 guns and 7 thousand guns to the Persians. In 1810, the Iranian army tried to go on the offensive, but was defeated in Armenia.
The British took Persia more seriously: the reorganization of the Persian army began, an English squadron was sent to the Persian Gulf, and in 1811 another 32 guns and 12 thousand guns were handed over to the Iranians. Small cannon and gun factories were built in Tabriz. But this did not help Persia. At the end of 1811, Russian troops inflicted a new defeat on the Shah's troops and captured Akhalkalaki.
At the beginning of 1812, London sent its ambassador to Iran, who concluded a new Anglo-Iranian treaty. The British allocated money to strengthen the Iranian army. British instructor officers also arrived in the country to prepare the Shah's army for the invasion of Transcaucasia. True, in June 1812 London pretended to be ready to contribute to the conclusion of peace between Persia and Russia. But on the terms of the withdrawal of Russian forces from the territories that previously belonged to Iran. The Iranians tried to assert their rights by force and began hostilities. The best parts of the Iranian army were completely defeated at Aslanduz by General Kotlyarevsky. The shah's artillery was also captured. Then the Russian troops captured the Lankaran fortress. As a result, the British attempt to oust Russia from the Transcaucasus failed. In 1813, the Shah of Persia agreed to the Gulistan peace treaty.
At the same time, the British played against Russia and in the Ottoman Empire. Here the tasks of the British were similar to those of the French. They wanted to drive Russia out of the Balkans and prevent the Russians from taking Istanbul and the straits. The British prevented the conclusion of peace between Turkey and Russia. Repeatedly, the British and French ambassadors made demarches in Istanbul aimed at continuing the war. However, here, too, the successes of the Russian brought victory to Russia. The Turks signed a peace treaty in Bucharest.
Union of Russia and Britain
Having not achieved success in the confrontation with the Russian Empire, British diplomacy went to peace negotiations when it became clear that the war between Russia and France was inevitable. Napoleon's threat was a top priority for London. True, there was the possibility of peace between Paris and London. In April 1812, the French emperor approached the British government with a formal peace proposal. Napoleon agreed to recognize the dominance of the British in the colonies, but in return asked to recognize the dominance of France in Europe. British troops had to leave Spain and Portugal. But the British did not go for it.
On July 6 (18), 1812, in the Swedish city of Örebro, a peace treaty was signed between Russia and England and simultaneously between Great Britain and Sweden. The agreements ended the Anglo-Russian and Anglo-Swedish wars and concluded alliances directed against the French Empire. The Peace of Örebro became the basis for the creation of the 6th Anti-French Coalition in 1813. On August 4 (16) Russian ports were opened for English ships. It was the success of Russian diplomacy. But the agreement had little effect on the outcome of the War of 1812. Petersburg's hopes for London's practical assistance, including financial assistance, did not come true. The British government sold 50,000 incomplete guns to Russia, which ended the participation of the British in the War of 1812. London hoped for a protracted war between France and Russia that would exhaust both empires. Such a war made England the mistress of the situation in Europe.
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Anglo-Russian war of 1807-1812
The Anglo-Russian War of 1807-1812, the war between England and Russia, which arose in connection with the aggravation of relations between them during the Napoleonic Wars after the conclusion by Russia Peace of Tilsit 1807 with France and its accession to the continental blockade 1806-1814. In August - September, the English fleet attacked Denmark - an ally of Russia, which on October 26 (November 7), 1807 declared war on England. For Russia, the situation in the Baltic theater became more complicated in connection with the war against Sweden, supported by England (see Russo-Swedish War of 1808-1809).
In November 1807, the British captured the Russian frigate Speshny and the transport Wilhelmina with cargo and money for the squadron in the Mediterranean, blocked foreign ports where Russian ships were located, seized Russian merchant ships, and raided coastal areas. Vice Admiral's Squadron D. N. Senyavina , blockaded in November 1807 in the port of Lisbon, was forced in August 1808 to move to Portsmouth, where she remained until the end of the war. On April 21 (May 3), 1808, in the South African port of Simonstown, the British detained the Russian sloop "Diana" under the command of V. M. Golovin, which was heading to the Pacific Ocean for scientific work. From August 19 (31) to September 16 (28), 1808, in the Baltic port (Paldiski), the English squadron, together with the Swedish fleet, blocked the Russian fleet. In early June 1809, the English fleet (10 battleships and 17 other vessels) entered the Gulf of Finland and took up positions off the island of Nargen (Naissaar). After the conclusion of peace between Russia and Sweden on September 5 (17), the British ships left the Baltic Sea and hostilities here practically ceased. In the Barents and White Seas, the British continued to operate in subsequent years. During the war, significant damage was done to Russia's economic ties. Both sides shied away from decisive hostilities. On the approaches to Kronstadt, St. Petersburg and Arkhangelsk, a sufficiently strong coastal defense was created, which forced the enemy to abandon the attack on Russian bases and ports in the Baltic and the North. After the invasion of Napoleon's army into Russia on July 16 (28), 1812, an Anglo-Russian peace treaty was concluded in Örebro (Sweden). Both sides proclaimed consent and friendship, in trade - the principle of mutual most favored nation.
Used materials of the book: Military Encyclopedic Dictionary. M., 1986.
The war, which lasted from 1807-1812, was the strangest Anglo-Russian war. She walked for five years. Clashes between opponents took place in various parts of the globe, but no significant battles were observed. We will talk more about this, as well as about the participation of Russians in the Boer War, in our review.
Causes of the war
Let us first look at the causes In the military campaigns against France in 1806 and 1807, Russia was defeated. Therefore, she was forced to negotiate for peace. 06/25/1807 Russian Emperor Alexander I and Napoleon Bonaparte met in Tilsit, where an agreement was signed, according to which Russia supported the economic blockade of Great Britain. As a result, this step had a negative impact on the economy of both states - both Russia and the United Kingdom.
Denmark was ready to join the continental blockade of England, having entered into an alliance with Napoleon. During the war with France, the English fleet inflicted great damage on the Kingdom of Denmark. However, on August 16, 1807, the British landed their troops on the Danish coast, and the war began. As a result, on November 7, 1807, Copenhagen was taken. Since Denmark was a longtime ally of Russia in the Baltic, Petersburg was very unhappy with this fact.
fighting
Military conflicts between Russia and Great Britain were not large-scale, they were expressed in separate clashes of small forces. At the same time, the geography of battles was very extensive. The enemy ships fought in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Adriatic, Baltic, Barents and Mediterranean Seas. Next, let's take a brief look at the events of the Anglo-Russian war.
- On May 15, 1808, the Russian sloop Diana, commanded by V. M. Golovin, was detained by the British in the port of Simonstown in southern Africa. The ship was heading to the Pacific Ocean to carry out scientific work.
- In July 1808, two battles took place in the Baltic Sea, which were the bloodiest in the Anglo-Russian war. Among the Russian losses was a battleship with 74 guns and 3 gunboats. The crews of all ships were almost completely destroyed. At the same time, all British ships remained intact, and the loss of life was negligible.
- In August of the same year, Russian ships caught in a severe storm were forced to enter the port of Lisbon for repairs. The British fleet also entered the same harbor. The commander of the Russian fleet was taken by surprise. But the representatives of Britain did not attack the Russian ships anchored by the storm. The admiral concluded an agreement with the British that the ships were given to them for storage and should be returned 6 months after the end of the Anglo-Russian war. This was done in 1813.
- On June 12, 1809, the British, on the way from the city of Reval to Sveaborg, attacked the boat "Experience" with 14 guns. On the other hand, the 44-gun frigate Salset participated in the operation. As a result, four Russian sailors were killed, the captain was wounded, and the ship was captured by the enemy. In the port of Libava, the crew members were released, having given a written promise not to fight against the British Empire until the end of the war.
- In May 1809, the British attacked the city of Kola and ravaged the fishing shelters on the shores of the White Sea in Murmansk.
In fact, the hostilities between Great Britain and Russia during the Anglo-Russian war ceased after the conclusion of a peace agreement between the Russians and the Swedes, and in 1810-1811 they were not conducted at all.
End of the war
The continental blockade that the Russian Empire was forced to declare to the United Kingdom after the Tilsit meeting of the Russian and French emperors was lifted. Trade relations, necessary for both sides, were restored. On July 18, 1812, a peace treaty was signed between Great Britain and Russia in Örebro (a city in Sweden). The Anglo-Russian war is over.
According to this agreement, not only bilateral trade was resumed, but also the British were supposed to support Russia in the Patriotic War that began in 1812 with Napoleon Bonaparte. Although this treaty was a big step in the political sense, as such it did not have a significant impact on the outcome of the war between Russia and France.
In addition to the events described, some Russian subjects also participated in the Boer War as volunteers.
Two Boer Wars
Under this name, two military conflicts that took place in South Africa between Great Britain and various Boer republics are known.
- The first of them falls on 1880-1881. This war is also called the Transvaal, it was waged by England against the Transvaal - a state that was on the site of the current South Africa.
- The second war - between the Transvaal, the Orange Republic on the one hand and the United Kingdom on the other - falls on the years 1899-1902. Ended in victory for the latter.
When talking about the Anglo-Boer, or Boer War, they usually have in mind the second of the two indicated. She will be discussed.
Who fought against England?
The Republic of South Africa, which existed in southern Africa in the second half of the 19th century, is a country of independent Boers. The Boers are a sub-ethnic group that is part of the Afrikaners living in South Africa and Namibia. These are Afrikaner farmers, rural whites, and simply poor whites. As for the Afrikaner people, they come from colonists who once arrived in South Africa, among whom were the Dutch, French, and Germans.
The Orange Republic, otherwise known as the Orange Free State, was also at that time an independent country settled by Europeans in the 30s of the 19th century. At this time, the Boers (Dutch colonists) fled from British rule from the Cape Colony inland. Then it became part of South Africa as a province.
Causes and results of the conflict
The cause of the 2nd Anglo-Boer War was the desire of the United Kingdom, represented by its financial and industrial circles, as well as the administration of Natal and the Cape Colony, headed by Cecil Rhodes, to seize gold deposits.
As an ideological justification for the British invasion of the Boer republics, the idea of all-African domination by Great Britain was put forward.
The reason for the military conflict was the ban imposed by the President of the Transvaal S. Kruger on the provision of voting rights to European settlers of 1870-1890, who were called "uitlanders", that is, "foreigners". As well as ignoring the requirements of the ultimatum presented by the British government regarding their political equality.
The defeat of the Boers in this war became obvious already at the end of 1901. On May 21, 1902, the parties signed an agreement in Pretoria, according to which the Orange Republic and the Transvaal completely lost their independence, passing under the control of the British administration.
Russian volunteers in the Boer War
On the side of the Boers, as volunteers, representatives of those nations fought who, for one reason or another, felt either sympathy for the Boers or antipathy for the British. Among them were the Dutch, Germans, French, Americans, Norwegians, Swedes, as well as subjects of the Russian Empire. Among the latter there were 225 people. Let's talk about the most famous of them.
- Maksimov Evgeny Yakovlevich, lieutenant colonel in reserve. First, the commander of the "Foreign Legion", and then the head of the "Dutch Corps". He received a severe head wound.
- Nikoloz Bagrationi-Mukhransky, Georgian prince, nicknamed "Niko Bur". He fought as part of a detachment of the French, then in the "Foreign Legion", was taken prisoner. Returning to his homeland, he wrote the book "At the Boers".
- Guchkov Alexander Ivanovich, future statesman, politician, Chairman of the State Duma, minister. In Africa he fought with his brother. He was wounded in the leg and taken prisoner.
- Augustus Evgeny Fedorovich, officer. To participate in the Anglo-Boer War, he took a leave of absence from the regiment. Arriving in Russia, he published a book of memoirs.
- Vandam Alexey Efimovich, major general, intelligence officer, future specialist in the field of geopolitics and geostrategy. Participated in the war as a war correspondent, published Letters on the Transvaal.
| Russia Denmark |
Great Britain Sweden |
| 800 | 120 |
Anglo-Russian war of 1807-1812- armed conflict between the Russian and British empires during the Napoleonic wars.
Causes of the war
After Russia suffered a military defeat in the campaign against France in 1807, she was forced to start peace negotiations. In Tilsit (June 25, 1807) a meeting of the Russian and French emperors Alexander I and Napoleon I took place. At the meeting, Alexander I was the first to speak: "I, just like you, hate the British and am ready to support you in everything you do against them." "In this case," Napoleon I replied, "we will be able to agree, and peace will be concluded."
Between Prussia and the Russian Empire on the one hand and the French Empire on the other, the Treaty of Tilsit was signed, according to which Russia joined the Continental blockade against Great Britain. This blockade hit the economies of both Russia and the United Kingdom.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the British fleet inflicted great damage on Denmark and forced it, thereby, to take the side of Napoleon I. Having concluded an alliance with France, Denmark was preparing to declare a continental blockade to Great Britain. But on August 16, the British landed their troops in Denmark. The Anglo-Danish War began. On November 7, British troops took Copenhagen. Denmark has long been an ally of Russia in the Baltic Sea, and the capture of Copenhagen caused strong discontent in St. Petersburg.
Alexander I, based on treatises concluded between Russia and Sweden in the 1800s, demanded from the latter that her ports be closed to the British, and upon learning that she had entered into an alliance with Great Britain, declared war on her. In February, Russian troops entered Finland, thus starting the last Russian-Swedish war (1808-1809). Sweden was soon defeated by Russia, after which it concluded a peace treaty with Russia and joined the Continental blockade. Finland, as a result, became part of the Russian Empire.
Statistics of the Anglo-Russian War
| Warring countries | Population (as of 1807) | Soldiers mobilized | Soldiers killed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russian empire | 39 675 100 | 24 000 | 800 |
| british empire | 11 520 000 | 20 000 | 120 |
| TOTAL | 51 175 100 | 44 000 | 920 |
fighting
Both the British and the Russians fought in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Barents and Baltic Seas. But these battles were not large-scale and were, rather, in the nature of separate military clashes of small forces from each side.
After a peace treaty was concluded between Sweden and Russia, Great Britain stopped hostilities against Russia in the Baltic Sea, and in and years. there was no hostilities between the United Kingdom and Russia at all.
End of the war
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Notes
Links
- Chronos.. Retrieved April 15, 2008. .
Literature
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
- Mernikov A.G., Spektor A.A. World history of wars. - Minsk, 2005. - 317 - 319 p.
- Troya A. Alexander I. - M ., 2008. - 163 p.
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An excerpt characterizing the Anglo-Russian war
"Let's go to dinner," he said with a sigh, getting up and heading for the door.They entered the elegant, newly decorated dining room. Everything, from napkins to silver, faience and crystal, bore that special imprint of novelty that happens in the household of young spouses. In the middle of dinner, Prince Andrei leaned on his elbows and, like a man who has long had something in his heart and suddenly decides to speak out, with an expression of nervous irritation in which Pierre had never seen his friend, he began to say:
“Never, never marry, my friend; here is my advice to you: do not marry until you tell yourself that you have done everything you could, and until you stop loving the woman you have chosen, until you see her clearly; otherwise you will make a cruel and irreparable mistake. Marry an old man, worthless ... Otherwise, everything that is good and lofty in you will be lost. Everything is wasted on trifles. Yes Yes Yes! Don't look at me with such surprise. If you expect anything from yourself ahead, then at every step you will feel that everything is over for you, everything is closed, except for the drawing room, where you will stand on the same board with the court lackey and the idiot ... Yes, what! ...
He waved his hand vigorously.
Pierre took off his glasses, which made his face change, showing even more kindness, and looked in surprise at his friend.
“My wife,” continued Prince Andrei, “is a wonderful woman. This is one of those rare women with whom you can be dead for your honor; but, my God, what would I not give now not to be married! This I tell you alone and first, because I love you.
Prince Andrei, saying this, was even less like than before, that Bolkonsky, who was sitting lounging in Anna Pavlovna's armchairs and squinting through his teeth, uttering French phrases. His dry face kept trembling with the nervous animation of every muscle; eyes, in which the fire of life had previously seemed extinguished, now shone with a radiant, bright brilliance. It was evident that the more lifeless he seemed at ordinary times, the more energetic he was in those moments of almost painful irritation.
“You don’t understand why I say this,” he continued. “It's a whole life story. You say Bonaparte and his career,” he said, although Pierre did not talk about Bonaparte. – You are talking to Bonaparte; but Bonaparte, when he worked, went step by step towards the goal, he was free, he had nothing but his goal - and he reached it. But bind yourself to a woman, and like a chained convict, you lose all freedom. And everything that is in you of hope and strength, everything only weighs you down and torments you with repentance. Drawing rooms, gossip, balls, vanity, insignificance - this is a vicious circle from which I cannot get out. I am now going to war, to the greatest war that has ever been, and I know nothing and am no good. Je suis tres aimable et tres caustique, [I am very sweet and very eater,] continued Prince Andrei, “and Anna Pavlovna is listening to me. And this stupid society, without which my wife cannot live, and these women ... If only you could know what it is toutes les femmes distinguees [all these women of good society] and women in general! My father is right. Selfishness, vanity, stupidity, insignificance in everything - these are women when everything is shown as they are. You look at them in the light, it seems that there is something, but nothing, nothing, nothing! Yes, don’t marry, my soul, don’t marry, ”Prince Andrei finished.
“It’s funny to me,” said Pierre, “that you yourself, you consider yourself incapable, your life a spoiled life. You have everything, everything is ahead. And you…
He did not say that you were, but his tone already showed how highly he appreciated his friend and how much he expected from him in the future.
"How can he say that!" thought Pierre. Pierre considered Prince Andrei a model of all perfection precisely because Prince Andrei combined to the highest degree all those qualities that Pierre did not have and which can be most closely expressed by the concept of willpower. Pierre was always amazed at Prince Andrei's ability to calmly deal with all kinds of people, his extraordinary memory, erudition (he read everything, knew everything, had an idea about everything), and most of all his ability to work and study. If Pierre was often struck by the lack of the ability of dreamy philosophizing in Andrei (which Pierre was especially prone to), then he saw this not as a drawback, but as a strength.
In the best, friendly, and simple relations, flattery or praise is necessary, as grease is necessary for wheels to keep them moving.
- Je suis un homme fini, [I am a finished man,] - said Prince Andrei. - What to say about me? Let's talk about you," he said after a pause and smiled at his comforting thoughts.
This smile was immediately reflected on Pierre's face.
- And what to say about me? - said Pierre, spreading his mouth into a carefree, cheerful smile. – What am I? Je suis un batard [I am an illegitimate son!] - And he suddenly blushed crimson. It was evident that he made a great effort to say this. - Sans nom, sans fortune ... [No name, no fortune ...] And well, right ... - But he did not say that he was right. - I'm free for now, and I'm fine. I just don't know what to start with. I wanted to seriously consult with you.
Prince Andrew looked at him with kind eyes. But in his look, friendly, affectionate, all the same, the consciousness of his superiority was expressed.
“You are dear to me, especially because you are the only living person among our entire world. You feel good. Choose what you want; it does not matter. You will be good everywhere, but one thing: stop going to these Kuragins, to lead this life. So it doesn’t suit you: all these revels, and hussars, and that’s all ...
“Que voulez vous, mon cher,” said Pierre, shrugging his shoulders, “les femmes, mon cher, les femmes!” [What do you want, my dear, women, my dear, women!]
“I don’t understand,” Andrei answered. - Les femmes comme il faut, [Decent women,] is another matter; but les femmes Kuragin, les femmes et le vin, [Kuragin's women, women and wine,] I don't understand!
Pierre lived with Prince Vasily Kuragin and participated in the wild life of his son Anatole, the same one who was going to be married to the sister of Prince Andrei for correction.
“You know what,” said Pierre, as if he had an unexpectedly happy thought, “seriously, I have been thinking about this for a long time. With this life, I can neither decide nor think about anything. Headache, no money. Today he called me, I will not go.
“Give me your word of honor that you won’t ride?”
- Honestly!
It was already two o'clock in the morning when Pierre went out from his friend. The night was a June, Petersburg, duskless night. Pierre got into a cab with the intention of driving home. But the closer he drove, the more he felt the impossibility of falling asleep that night, which was more like evening or morning. Far away it was visible along the empty streets. Dear Pierre remembered that Anatole Kuragin was supposed to meet the usual gambling society that evening, after which there was usually a drinking bout, ending in one of Pierre's favorite amusements.
"It would be nice to go to Kuragin," he thought.
But at once he remembered his word of honor given to Prince Andrei not to visit Kuragin. But immediately, as happens with people who are called spineless, he so passionately wanted to once again experience this dissolute life so familiar to him that he decided to go. And immediately the thought occurred to him that this word meant nothing, because even before Prince Andrei, he also gave Prince Anatole the word to be with him; finally, he thought that all these words of honor were such conditional things, having no definite meaning, especially if one realized that perhaps tomorrow either he would die or something so unusual would happen to him that there would no longer be any honest , nor dishonorable. This kind of reasoning, destroying all his decisions and assumptions, often came to Pierre. He went to Kuragin.
