William Pitt and the French Revolution, 1785-1795

All political actors of the 1790s are assumed to fall into ‘radical’ or ‘conservative’ camps according to the strength of their reactions to the French Revolution. The response of the Younger Pitt to that revolution remains unclear and has been contested by historians for the past two centuries. Based on an in-depth analysis of Pitt’s actions as Prime Minister, this exciting new study claims that he was intellectually and emotionally untouched by the French Revolution and by the ideological considerations of the revolutionary era. This is essentially a biographical study of a man whose political legacy has been fought over by his heirs and followers. Jennifer Mori’s careful and innovative analysis provides the chronological background and detail that enables the reader to assess Pitt’s actions at home and abroad and to determine that legacy both as a man and as a political leader.