Britain did not occupy Continental Europe - Reasons

Britain did not occupy Continental Europe after defeating Napoleon- Reasons: 1. British Empire had already experienced challenges in governing territories closer to home. The American Revolutionary War had resulted in the loss of thirteen colonies, which later formed the United States. 2. The subsequent Napoleonic Wars had placed a significant strain on British resources and led to public discontent. As a result, the empire may have been wary of further territorial expansion, especially on a continent where it would face potential resistance and difficulties in administration. 3. In fact, an English victory may have had the opposite affect you suggest, and left England a defacto (if not dejure) province of France. Since the Norman Conquest, England's monarchy had spoken French. They only adopted English and reintroduced it as the language of English government during their prolonged conflict with France. 4. Hence, The French speaking English elite may have likely made France their primary seat of power, reducing England to a secondary power going forward, rather than the global superpower it eventually became. ALSO, 5. With the restoration of the monarchy (England) in 1660, writers again looked to France. John Dryden admired the Académie Française and greatly deplored that the English had “not so much as a tolerable dictionary, or a grammar; so that our language is in a manner barbarous” as compared with elegant French. 6. After attempts in 1662 and 1712, No organized attempt to found a language academy on French lines has ever been made since. 7. Finally, With Dryden and Swift the English language reached its full maturity. Their failure to found an academy was partly counterbalanced by Samuel Johnson in his Dictionary (published in 1755) and by Robert Lowth in his Grammar (published in 1761). 8. Timeline matches with rise of France after revolution and great leader Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821). Also, The Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) was a series of conflicts fought between England and France over succession to the French throne. It lasted 116 years for resources and colonies. ALSO, Battle between England and French / Scotland, relevance to 100 year war : 1. “Britain" did not fight the Hundred Years War. England and Scotland were foreign countries and Scotland fought alongside France against England in the war. 2. The Battle of Verneuil (1424) saw the English Duke of Bedford face a joint French-Scottish army and secure what was described as a “second Agincourt”, wiping out 6,000 enemy soldiers, almost destroying the Scottish army, and ending Scotland's role as an independent unit in the war. 3. If England had won the Hundred Years War, England and France would have found themselves in a similar situation to England and Scotland throughout most of the 17th century. Since the Norman Conquest, England's monarchy had spoken French. They only adopted English and reintroduced it as the language of English government during their prolonged conflict with France. #Indonordicassociation(dot)org