The Official Ratification Authorization For the Convention Implementing the Alliance Between Great Britain and Sweden in the Third Coalition Against Napoleon
Although technically at peace after the Treaty of Amiens on March 25, 1802), neither the French nor British expected that peace to last. Napoleon assembled an invasion force meant to strike at Britain and gathered it around six camps in Northern France, and in early 1803 he interposed himself in Germany and...
Although technically at peace after the Treaty of Amiens on March 25, 1802), neither the French nor British expected that peace to last. Napoleon assembled an invasion force meant to strike at Britain and gathered it around six camps in Northern France, and in early 1803 he interposed himself in Germany and Switzerland. Seeing his intentions and consolidation of power on the European Continent, in May 1803 Britain responded by declaring war on France. At this time other nations remained neutral, while British Prime Minister William Pitt spent 1804 and 1805 in a flurry of diplomatic activity geared towards forming a new coalition against France. After the execution of aristocrat Louis-Antoine-Henri de Bourbon-Condé in 1804 on trumped up charges turned ruling elites against France, Sweden broke diplomatic ties with France and concluded a convention in December 1804 allowing the British to use Swedish Pomerania (now a part of northern Germany) as a military base against France, in exchange for payments. This action would lead to the creation of the Third Coalition.
Then, on March 17, 1805, Napoleon declared himself King of Italy. This meant that France and its allies held sway in most of the territory from the Spanish-Portuguese border on the west to Sicily in the south to the eastern German border in the east and the English Channel in the north. By July Russia and Austria had allied themselves with Britain. All eyes turned to Sweden. On August 9, 1805, after Russia promised Sweden that 40,000 men would come to the aid of that country if it was threatened by French forces, Sweden joined the coalition. However, implementation of the details was left to be negotiated by diplomats Henry Pierrepoint for Britain and Baron De Toll for Sweden. On August 31, a Convention with two instruments was signed whose chief provisions provided:
* The military assistance treaty of December 1804 was renewed and British privileges granted by Sweden continued;
* The British agreed to subsidize Sweden for its expenses in the war; and
* The Swedes agreed to allow Russian troop on their territory; and
The Convention next had to be ratified, which in Britain was a three step process. First a copy of the entire Official Convention text was prepared. This was done. Second, at the end of that was appended a Ratification Statement. In this case, the combined total for both was 20 manuscript pages, all in French or Latin, with the Ratification Statement in Latin reading: “We having seen and considered the Articles…attached….We have approved, ratified, accepted and confirmed these presents…and have caused to be affixed thereto the Great Seal of the United Kingdom…” These two sections together constituted the official ratification copy, to be submitted to and approved by the King. Third, to enable and empower the government to ratify, it was necessary for the Great Seal of the Realm to be affixed to it, and under the British Constitution, the Seal could only be legally affixed with the written authorization and order of the Sovereign. This would be the operative signature for the ratification.
Document Signed, in English, Weymouth, England, September 30, 1805, being the official authorization and instruction to ratify the Treaty, signed by the King George III as “George R”, which document is attached to the official ratification copy. “Our Will and Pleasure is that you forthwith cause the Great Seal of the United Kingdom…to be affixed…to an Instrument bearing date with these presents (copies whereof are hereunto annexed) containing our ratification…of a Convention concluded between us and our Good Brother the King of Sweden, and signed at Helsingborgh on the 31st of August last… And for so doing this shall be your Warrant…” The document is countersigned by Earl Mulgrave, Foreign Minister.
By the time this document was ratified hostilities had opened. Having abandoned his plans to invade England, Napoleon rushed towards southern Germany and confined the Austrian Army in Ulm, which surrendered on October 17. The French then took Vienna without resistance. The decisive meeting of the armies took place at Austerlitz on December 2; there the Austro-Russians were completely routed. As for Sweden, its position in Pomerania became untenable and the province was evacuated and left for the French to occupy. A fourth coalition would be formed in 1806 to continue the war.
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