During this period Europe was continuously at war waged by France led by Napoleon Bonaparte against a shifting set of other European nations allied in opposing coalitions. Great Britain was one of the very few nations that remained in continuous opposition to France throughout the period.

       These wars were a continuation of those sparked by the French Revolution of 1789 and involved an unprecedented scale, breadth and intensity of conflict largely due to the use mass conscription by France and the other continental powers. France quickly conquered most of Europe, but collapsed rapidly after the failure of its disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon's empire ultimately suffered complete military defeat in June 1815.

       Britain's participation gained three major victories
       -- Trafalgar which established Royal Navy supremacy
       -- the Peninsular War that was fought across Spain and the Pyrenees to join the other allied armies at Paris
       -- Waterloo which resulted in the final defeat of the reconstituted French army.

       The threat to Britain during those times was as dire, if not more so, than the dark days of World War II. Many of our Clan were among those who helped overcome that threat. Some of their stories are told here.