Invasion of Hanover (1803) facts for kids
The Invasion of Hanover happened in 1803 during the Napoleonic Wars. A French army led by General Édouard Mortier marched into and took control of the Electorate of Hanover. Hanover was a region in Northern Germany. This invasion happened after a peace agreement, called the Peace of Amiens, broke down.
Hanover was ruled by George III, who was also the King of Britain. This meant Hanover and Britain were connected in a "personal union" – they shared the same ruler. Britain was the main enemy of Napoleon's French Empire. One important result of this invasion was the creation of the King's German Legion. This was a group of soldiers from Hanover who fought for Britain. Hanover stayed under French control until it was freed in 1813.
Background
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Since 1714, Hanover and Britain had been closely linked. They shared the same ruler, King George III. Hanoverian soldiers often fought alongside British forces. They fought in wars like the Seven Years' War and the French Revolutionary Wars.
Hanover gave Britain a strong connection to Continental Europe. But unlike the islands of Britain and Ireland, which the Royal Navy protected, Hanover was easy to invade. French forces tried to take Hanover during the Seven Years' War. They took over the area in 1757. However, they were later pushed out by Ferdinand of Brunswick. They were also defeated at the Battle of Krefeld and the Battle of Minden.
In 1803, Napoleon was angry with Britain. He decided to focus on Hanover, which was more vulnerable. In 1801, Prussia had already marched into Hanover. They said they were trying to keep Germany neutral, not acting as enemies.
Invasion
On May 18, 1803, Britain and France officially declared war again. Napoleon gathered a large army on the Channel coast of France. He planned to invade Britain. But before trying to invade Britain, Napoleon changed his target to Hanover.
About 13,000 French soldiers, led by General Mortier, moved against Hanover. The Hanoverian Army and local soldiers defended the region. They were led by the Duke of Cambridge, who was King George III's son, and Count Wallmoden. The resistance was not very strong.
On June 4, French troops captured the city of Hanover. This was the capital of the Electorate. The next day, on June 5, the Convention of Artlenburg was signed by Count Wallmoden. This agreement gave France control over the region. However, King George III refused to accept it. Britain's only response at the time was to block the Elbe and Weser rivers with its Royal Navy.
Aftermath
Many soldiers from the Hanoverian Army escaped abroad. In December 1803, the King's German Legion was formed. This group allowed Hanoverian soldiers to continue fighting against Napoleon. More Hanoverians joined them in later years. They left Hanover even though the French punished people who tried to leave. Units from the King's German Legion fought in many battles. They were especially important in the Peninsular War under the Duke of Wellington.
France taking over Hanover also affected Prussia. Prussia itself wanted Hanover. This was one reason why the Prussian king, Frederick William III, went to war against Napoleon in 1806. This war led to Prussia's own capital being taken. Prussia also lost many of its lands in the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807. In support of Prussia, the British tried a failed expedition to Hanover in 1806.
Much of Hanover's land became part of the Kingdom of Westphalia. This kingdom was ruled by Napoleon's younger brother, Jérôme Bonaparte. The northern area around Bremen became part of France itself. France tried to create its own military unit from the area, called the Hanoverian Legion. However, many of its soldiers came from other parts of Europe.
In 1813, the Allied forces won the Battle of Leipzig. After this victory, Hanover was freed from French control. In 1814, the Congress of Vienna made Hanover a kingdom. Both the King's German Legion and the newly reformed Hanoverian Army helped defeat Napoleon for good. This happened at the Battle of Waterloo.
