Hello and welcome to a history of the United States.

Episode 110, The Chathamite System.

In our last episode, we looked at the wider American theatre in 1757, covering Lowndon's failed

invasion of Canada and the neutralisation of the threat posed to Pennsylvania by the Eastern

Delaware's. Today, I want to return to Europe,

and specifically to William Pitt, as he created the Chathamite system. 1757, you'll recall,

had not gone well for Britain in the European theatre. Prussia was under threat

from all sides, the Austrians were advancing in the south, the Russians were looming on the eastern

front, the Swedes had invaded Pomerania in the north, and then there was the threat of the

French in the east. The French, you'll recall, had already knocked Hanover out of the war

and sent Cumberland back to London with his tail between his legs. While it was a nightmare for the

British from a military standpoint, it had benefits for Pitt politically. At the beginning of 1757, there had been four powerful individuals

within British politics. There was Newcastle, the heir of Warpole, there was Cumberland,

the Royal War hero, there was Fox, the Master of the Commons, and then Pitt, the orator. Newcastle and Pitt had come into an uneasy

alliance to reopen the government after it shut down for three months, with Pitt taking control

of policy and Newcastle leading the administration. Fox had been shunned to the side in a well-paid role, and this left Cumberland,

who was now humiliated by his defeat in Hanover. This left Pitt in an unopposed position. Even the

king, who rather disliked Pitt for his relationship with the Lester House faction, was now prepared to listen to him.

Pitt had excellent support, bringing into government two gifted allies of Newcastle, Lord Anderson as First Lord of the Admiralty, and Sir John Lesioner as head of the army.

This allowed Pitt to create his imperial system.

You may see this system with several different names, which stems partly from how Pitt is remembered.

Pitt the elder is the more common name, but you will often see him named as the Earl of Chatham in British political history.

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