Public Opinion, National Character, and Britain’s Failed Defence of the Netherlands, 1793-1795

Abstract

ABSTRACT This analysis examines the British government’s failure to commit adequate resources to defend the Netherlands from the threat of revolutionary France in the campaigns of 1793, 1794, and 1795. Alongside well-known military and diplomatic setbacks, the inadequacy of Britain’s engagement remains best understood by examining ministers’ preconceptions of the Netherlands and Dutch national character. These understandings largely derived from British public opinion concerning the Netherlands. The analysis shows that British perceptions of Dutch strength, wealth, and national character led ministers to presume too much of their ally and contributed to limiting their own commitments.