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Welcome to the Age of Napoleon.

Episode 65, The Blank Slit.

Thanks for joining me.

Before we get started, I'll remind you once again that you can listen to this and all future episodes add free by

pledging at least two dollars a month on Patreon.com. Anyway, we left off last time

in the spring of 1802 with the Treaty of Amiens.

France and Britain were finally at peace after nearly a decade of conflict.

As we discussed last time, some experienced observers of diplomacy had grave doubts about the treaty, especially the British, who were generally considered to have gotten the worse end of the bargain.

In Parliament, opponents of Prime Minister Addington were already hammering the government

over their supposed capitulation to the French.

But for now, doubt was mostly confined to the ranks of the powerful.

Average people were generally ecstatic.

In London, all government buildings were illuminated to facilitate the public celebrations into the night.

A few months later, Britain held a general election,

in which Prime Minister Addington and his allies won a convincing victory.

Only a tiny sliver of the British public enjoyed the right to vote, and the electoral system was grossly unfair, so I would not call this a popular mandate for the treaty.

But in their own flawed way, the elections did signal

that those whose opinions mattered in Britain were generally happy with the peace.

In Paris, the skies were filled with hot air balloons draped in the flags of the various European powers. Come nightfall they were

replaced by fireworks.

The socialite Lord de Brantes, wife of Napoleon's friend, General Jean-Andoj

...