Edinburgh University Press Scotland and the French Revolutionary War, 1792-1802 (Scottish Historical Review Monographs)

This book deals with Scotland's role in the French Revolutionary Wars. What role did Scotland play in the British state's war against Revolutionary France, and its efforts to halt the influence of French revolutionary political ideology at home? This book examines the Scottish contribution to the British state during the 1790s, with a view to establish how the government of Scotland met and handled the specific challenges it faced over the course of the decade, and the extent to which the Scots rallied to the defence of Britain at this time of crisis. In dealing with the government of Scotland, emphasis is placed on the relationship between the central government in London and local government officials in Scotland, and the degree of interaction which took place between the two, as well as on the political trials which followed the government's decision to bring some of the leading radicals before the Scottish law courts on a charge of sedition. Two crucial aspects of the Scottish contribution to the war effort - the recruitment of men for service in the armed forces, and the financing of military operations - are covered, as is the support the government received from the Scottish public, in the shape of demonstrations of loyalty and loyalist ideology. This is an archival study of Scotland's role in the French Revolution. It examines the Scottish government's level of involvement. It covers political trials and military recruitment. It looks at loyalist demonstrations and ideology. It analyses financial backing of wars.