Anglo-French Rivalry


1337-1453
Hundred Years War
1512-1514
Henry VIII joins efforts to drive France out of Italy and invades France
1522-1526
renewed hostilities between France and England


1643-1715
reign of Louis XIV        
1688
Glorious Revolution: accession of William and Mary
1701-1714
War of Spanish Succession
1702-1714
reign of Queen Anne
1714-1727
reign of King George I
1715-1774
reign of Louis XV
1727-1760
reign of King George II
1739-1748
War of Austrian Succession
1756-1763
"diplomatic revolution" followed by the Seven Years' War
1760-1829
reign of King George III
1774-1792
reign of Louis XVI
1776-1783
War of American Independence
1789
outbreak of the French Revolution; Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
1792-1797
War of the First Coalition: France vs. Prussia, Austria, and (as of 1793) Britain
1793
execution of Louis XVI; Reign of Terror of radical Jacobins under Robespierre (1793-1794)
1794-1795
France occupies the Low Countries, the Rhineland, Switzerland, Savoy and part of Spain
1795
Prussia and Spain sign a treaty with France
1795-1802
first British occupation of the Cape
1797
Austria signs a treaty with France

Britain fights France without allies; defeat the French at Cape St. Vincent and Camperdown
1798
Napoleon's invasion of Egypt; Nelson defeats the French navy in the Battle of the Nile

United Irish Rebellion
1799
Napoleon Bonaparte seizes power
1799-1801
War of the Second Coalition: France vs. Russia, Britain, Austria, Portugal, Naples, and the Ottoman Empire
1800
Act of Union creates the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
1801
Austria signs a treaty with France; Russia abandons the Second Coalition

Nelson defeats the Danish fleet and moves into the Baltic
1802
Treaty of Amiens between Britain and France

explorers Flinders and Baudin encounter each other in southern Australia
1803
Britain renews the war against France
1804
Napoleon proclaims himself emporer of France
1805-1807
War of the Third Coalition: France vs. Britain, Austria, and Russia
1805
Napoleon advances into Germany and then defeats the Austrians

Nelson defeats the French and Spanish fleets at Trafalgar

Austria signs treaty with France
1806
Napoleon continues to advance through Europe; he initiates the Continental System
1807
Prussia and Russia sign treaty with France

France invades Portugal and Spain
1808
Napoleon installs his brother Joseph as king of Spain

Britain sends troops to fight in the Peninsular War to oust Napoleon from Portugal and Spain
1812
Napoleon invades Russia
1812-1814
War of 1812 between Britain and the United States
1813
the British form a new coalition against Napoleon; the coalition defeats Napoleon at the Battle of the Nations
1814
the allied nations enter Paris in March; Napoleon abdicates in April and is banished to Elba
1815
Napoleon returns to France

the alled nations defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo; Napoleon is exiled to Saint Helena

(second) Treaty of Paris followed by the Congress of Vienna

Britain gains the Cape of Good Hope, Ceylon, Trinidad, Tobado, St. Lucia, Hegoland, Malta, Mauritius, the Seychelles