The Lion at Dawn

Forging British Strategy in the Age of the French Revolution, 1783-1797

By Nathaniel Jarrett

Article published on: January 1, 2026 in the Army History Winter 2026 Edition

Read Time: < 3 mins

University of Oklahoma Press, 2022
Pp. xii, 325. $45
Review by Mark F. Briskey

In The Lion at Dawn: Forging British Strategy in the Age of the French Revolution 1783–1797, author Nathaniel Jarrett provides a meticulously researched and prodigiously referenced study that examines the period after the American War of Independence, when Britain sought to establish a stable European balance of power. Jarrett's book includes forty-six pages of notes and twelve pages of bibliography, drawing upon a diverse array of sources from the British Library, The National Archives of the United Kingdom, and numerous other libraries, manuscript collections, and diary collections from Britain, France, Austria, Holland, and Russia. Jarrett records special notes of thanks to John Erhrman's biography of William Pitt the Younger and Jeremy Black's analysis of British foreign policy of the period.

Early in the book, Jarrett establishes his focus on British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger's foreign policy between 1783 and 1797. Jarrett explores whether Pitt's administration adhered to the continental or blue-water school of British strategy and whether Pitt emulated past precedents (including those of his father, Pitt the Elder, and earlier administrations) or conceived new approaches. Jarrett argues that Pitt brought new ideas to British foreign policy and favored principles over precedent in managing diplomacy. He states "that Pitt developed and pursued a grand strategy that sought British security through a novel Eurocentric collective security system that prefigured the Vienna settlement of 1815." Jarrett further argues for this thesis by stating that Pitt "consistently subordinated colonial and maritime concerns to European objectives." He writes, "According to Pitt's view, British security in Europe required a multilateral alliance system to protect the territorial status quo and mediate disputes on the basis of existing treaties without wars or conquests."

A centerpiece of Jarrett's argument focuses upon Pitt's efforts to create a cooperative international system among the European great powers to maintain the territorial status quo. Over the course of ten chapters and a concluding chapter, Jarrett examines the diplomatic contortions and at times tortuous negotiations involved in Pitt's endeavors to engineer coalitions within this international system. Much of the discussion centers on securing Austria and Prussia as allies while also curbing their rapacious territorial ambitions. Prussia, in particular, viewed Poland as a territorial sop for a Prussian alliance with Britain.

Jarrett lays the foundation for his discussion in the introduction and first chapter, providing essential background on Britain's efforts, in the wake of the American War of Independence, to restore itself to European prominence and secure continental allies. Over the ten chapters of the book, Jarrett sequentially traces and analyzes Britain's diplomatic and military engagements from 1783 to 1797. The book includes key events during the period, such as the Dutch Crisis of 1787, the Nootka Sound Crisis of 1790, and the Ochakov Crisis of 1791, and examines how Pitt managed British responses.

Jarrett also highlights Britain's attempts to form alliances, notably the Triple Alliance with Prussia and the Netherlands, to counter French influence and uphold the existing European order. These efforts at forging enduring alliances faced numerous challenges due to divergent interests among allies, particularly concerning the territorial ambitions in Poland and the British Treasury's supply of funds to its allies.

Additionally, the book effectively examines how the Pitt government managed internal dissent within Britain and those sympathetic to French revolutionary ideals. Jarrett notes that this revolutionary fervor and the resultant rioting and plots were diluted and extinguished by Pitt, who encouraged loyalism and replaced French revolutionary inroads with British patriotism.

The tribulations Britain endured during this period of European foment and revolution are argued to be relatively consistent themes throughout modern British history, with Pitt's efforts being equated to Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh's later efforts and the Congress system established after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815. Jarrett also draws comparisons to Winston Churchill and quotes his Zurich speech of 19 September 1946, proposing "to recreate the European family, or as much of it as we can, and provide it with a structure under which it can dwell in peace, in safety, and in freedom. We must become a kind of United States of Europe." This discussion on the importance of Britain's connection to Europe is then carried forward to the current day, following brief discussions on Britain and the United Nations, the European Union, and the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In conclusion, The Lion at Dawn offers a proficient analysis of Britain's security and strategic planning during a transformative period in European history. It provides clarity and detail on the complexities of coalition warfare and diplomacy during the revolutionary and militant upheaval in France. The prudent inclusion of eight maps allows the reader to appreciate the mutable nature of national borders during that time. These maps clearly illustrate the sometimes aggressive territorial ambitions of Pitt's European allies, such as the Hertzberg Plan of 1788. Other maps, such as the ones for the Dutch Crisis of 1787 and the British plans for 1795, are excellent for connecting narrative to military operations. This book is ideal for those who wish to understand the evolution of British alliance strategy during the late eighteenth century. More specifically, it would be a useful addition to anyone with an interest in late eighteenth-century diplomacy, including the French Revolution. The book offers new analytical perspectives on the emergence of modern Britain and its empire and on Pitt's efforts to construct a secure and harmonious international system.