CHAPTER VII 



THE THIRD ANGLO-FRENCH DUEL, AND 



ENG-LISH VICTORY ; AND THE BEGINNINGS 



OF PERMANENCE, 1763-1818 



The next The diplomatic and military history of the ensuing half- 



^ur^wit- period (1764-18 1 8) may be briefly outlined. There were 



nessedtwo two great wars. In 1775 war broke out between England 



fyTK-sT^ and the American colonies; France (1778), Spain (1779), 



1793-1815, and Holland (1780) joined the colonists, and England faced 



lmi)oriant ^^^ world in arms. It was primarily a civil war between the 



treaties^ or mother country and its colonies, and the adherence of France, 



^treaties ^P^i"» ^^^ Holland did not alter its essential character. Its 



centre of gravity was in the New World. In 1783 American 



Independence was recognized, the Treaty of Versailles was 



concluded, and the war ended. Between 1793 and 181 5 the 



third and greatest Anglo-French duel occurred. Like the 



two previous duels (1689-1713, 1742-63) it exceeded twenty 



years in its duration ; it was divided into two unequal parts 



by a Treaty, which is known as the Treaty of Amiens 



{1802-3), and it was essentially world-wide in its scope. In 



this duel France faced the world in arms, and England was 



only protagonist ; its centre of gravity was Europe, and the 



adherence of the United States to the enemies of England 



(181 2-14) was only an incident and addition to the original 



war. Peace was concluded by the Treaties of Ghent (18 14), 



Paris (18 14), and Vienna (18 15), and by a convention with 



regard to the American fisheries (1818). England gained 



South Africa, the Indian Ocean, and undisputed supremacy 



in India ; while France and the United States gained, or 



regained fishing-rights upon the coasts of British North 



America and Newfoundland similar to those which had been 



