
Source: rasekhoon.net
Shortly after America's Independency, the French Revolution began in 1789. England was pleased by the revolt against the Bourbon dynasty at the beginning thanks to the support of the France Court for the US but a little later, it adopted hostile policies against France.
The rise of the French Revolution frightened the rulers of Europe hardly. Conspiracy to restore the authority of Louis XVI began and developed so much that the French foreign minister said angrily: "If foreign governments attempt to start a war against the French kings, we will also begin the war of the people against the kings."
Finally, the war started. On April 20th 1792, the French National Assembly declared war to Austria and thus a period of bloody wars began in Europe. France was on one side of the war, and on the other side there were European powers alliance, initially led by Austria and then by England. The main pro-war figure in England was William Pitt Junior, British prime minister (1783-1801, 1804-1806).
At the same time, by peak of this war, bloody and deep developments occurred within France:
In September 1792, the monarchy was abolished; the French rule became "Republic" and the "National Assembly" that now was called the "National Convention" (Assembly of the National Covenant) was announced as the highest political entity of the country. On January 21st 1793, Louis XVI, king of France, was killed by guillotine. The reign of extremist groups began; a period that has been called "Red Terror" in the history of Europe. In late 1793 and early 1794, extremist groups over France killed 1251 people, who were "suspicious persons", including Philippe Orleans, who was called "Citizen of equality" by the rebels, and Marie Antoinette, Queen of France and daughter of Marie Therese, mighty Queen of Austria.
The leaders of the Jacobin Club, which had about half a million members at the time, heralded the harshest and most extreme methods of political struggle. Those were the ones who mixed fight against the monarchy and aristocracy with hostile fight against religion and entered the tradition into the new culture of Europe. In 1794, the Jacobins abolished Christianity as the official religion of the French government and introduced "religion of reason" as the official religion of France. According to order of Jacobin leaders all "buildings that were known as the church" were closed and Notre Dame Cathedral was named as "Temple of Reason". In July 1794, Jacobins fell and a number of the leaders of the club were killed by guillotine.
In September 1795 a five-membered group called "Directory" was at the head of the French government but failed to apply the necessary political authority. "Directory" quickly proved its incompetence and turned into the center of intrigues and power struggles among its members. Now French society had reached to the point that wished climb of a powerful commander, establishment of "a strong internal order" and "external honorable peace". Continue of internal anarchy and chaos and external wars with European powers led to the coup of Napoleon on November 9th 1799. According to the French revolutionary calendar the incident was known as the "Eighteenth Brumaire coup".
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a young officer from the Corsica Italy who became brigadier general when he was 24-years-old because of his potential in the Revolution army of French. Climb of Napoleon in military and political power pyramid of France was caused by consequences of collapse of social and political structure in France otherwise the non-French young man in normal situation could never have a chance to be General in France's army even when he was old. He was commander of France's army in Mediterranean era between 1796 and1799; he conquered all over the Italy Peninsula and defeated Pope and hit hard strikes on powerful army of Austria;
He failed coup conspiracy of monarchists against Republic of France despite English and occupied Syria and Egypt in conflict with them, and then he returned to France as a great champion and founded one of the largest empires in history.
At the beginning Bonaparte called himself "First Consul" after conquest of political power and finally he was crowned in 1804 as "Emperor of the French". After the occupation of the European lands he appointed his relatives to be kings and princes of Europe and created a new aristocracy around his court. In 1814, there were 31 Dukes, 451 Kents and 1500 Baron in Napoleon France.
In 1802, Napoleon was the most powerful ruler of continent Europe and the governments of Austria and the Netherlands and the local German rulers were humble and trembling in front of him. At this time, Napoleon's hostility with the UK was evident and France was enemy of the English worldwide.
Napoleon created noisy and angry artificial scene in the eighteenth February of 1803. He used his power and said that if England has the courage and starts a war, the war will turn into a "general massacre". He added that the UK thinks about its "ally" for no reason, because Austria does not exist as a big government anymore." Napoleon spoke with a tone and shouted so that Visors, British Ambassador in France wrote to the Lord Haksbory, the Secretary of State: "he was more like a cavalry commander than the head of one of the most powerful European governments.”
In October 1803, Napoleon occupied Hanover lands, personal property of King of Britain, and later, in 1804, William Pitt, who was a man that fought nine years against the French Revolution, once again became British Prime Minister and began new moves to fight with France. In 1805, on the initiative of William Pitt, a treaty was concluded between England and Alexander I, Tsar of Russia (1801-1825). Austria, Sweden and Naples joined the alliance. Thus a new round of wars began in Europe.
Eugene Korti writes:
Echoes of the French Revolution were felt throughout Europe. There was no one who did not feel effects of French revolution in their lives… this was like a specific threat especially for local rulers of Germany whose lands were next to French boarders.
Exiled French aristocrats were fleeing to Germany and many of them took refuge in the court of Kassel.
In 1792, a small unit of the French army crossed the Rhine and invaded the city of Frankfurt. William hardly succeeded to take French troops out of Frankfurt. The war had heavy costs for him but he quickly signed a contract with Britain and he could not only pay the costs by selling 8000 citizens for war with France, but he could also had a huge benefit. In 1795, the French army invaded Holland and Amsterdam stock market, which until this time was the financial heart of continent Europe, disintegrated. The consequence of this incident became the focus was turning Frankfurt stock market into the main financial focus of the district.
These events did not only make Frankfurt's dealers rich, and William Hesse Kassel also benefited greatly from these developments and quickly became a banker across Europe. He lent his massive investment not only to kings and princes and nobility but to Jews and money changers. For example, in 1795, he lent one million Golden (equivalent to one hundred thousand pounds sterling) to Franz II, Emperor of the "Holy Roman" (Austria), in 1798, he lent half a million Golden loan. Another example is his loan of 200 thousand pounds to Prince William of England (the next George IV).
Mayer Amschel Rothschild also took profits in case of sale of nationals of Hesse Kassel to England and in case of prosperity of the Frankfurt stock market. Korti writes that according to official documents of 1794, Mayer Amschel Rothschild's income was 2000 Golden in year and accordingly he paid 13Golden taxes annually. In 1795, the figure was suddenly doubled and Rothschild was placed in the category of those whose wealth is 15000 Golden and more. This was the richest taxpayers group in Frankfurt. At the end of the eighteenth century, Golden Mayer Amschel's wealth was about a million Golden, and in 1800 he was known as the tenth wealthy Jew in Frankfurt.
Hence, at the time of climb of Napoleon Bonaparte, Mayer Amschel Rothschild was not an ordinary Jew but he was one of the prominent money exchangers in Europe that had financial links not only with William Hesse Kassel but many rulers and elites in the region.
Prince Carl Anselm,President of the Austrian Empire Post, was one of the most important partners and friends of Mayer Amschel. Karl Anselm belonged to rulers House of Tureen and Taxis who founded the most important postal network in Central Europe in the sixteenth century. Central office of the network was based in Frankfurt.
Link with global and regional communications networks had crucial role in authority and control of contemporary Jewish plutocracy.
Connection of Mayer Amschel Rothschild with postal communications network of the House Tureen and Taxis had mutual benefit: fast access of Rothschild to the latest news of war changes helped him in his acts in exchange market and he fed the network with secret news by his agents.
This is why in January 1800, Franz II, Emperor of the "Holy Roman" (Austria), granted " Royal broker " to him and his sons to reward Rothschild for his services at war with France and helping communication network of Prince Carl Anselm.
With the rise of Napoleon in France, William Hesse Kassel, like some other rich people of the continent Europe at that time, realize start of an impending war and recognized the United Kingdom as the most stable point of Europe and the safest place for transferring his money, especially that his relationship with British royal family put facilities at his disposal more than others. William began transfer of his wealth to England and that is how Nathan Mayer Rothschild, the third son of Mayer Amschel, was stationed in England and founded the English branch of the Rothschild House.
The 21 or 22 years old Rothschild had blue eyes, red hair and thick neck and he went to England in 1798 or 1799.
First he settled in Manchester and after six years of struggle in this port, he immigrated to London in 1804 and he became citizen of Britain in 1806.
Nathan did not go to England empty-handed. He had 20 thousand pounds sterling cash which was substantial capital at that time. Korti truly writes Nathan did not immigrate to Britain as a simple trader, but started his job as the important agent of a valid trade foundation in Europe and by adequate capital.
In Manchester, Nathan was engaged in buying and selling everything; wine, sugar, coffee, cotton and anything that was cheap and had a good market. Nathan had other job which was secret trade of the product with the ports of southern Europe, which was an act that was "contraband" based on the law of Napoleon. According to the Korti, "his capital became tripled soon and his brothers and father took the greatest benefits from presence of Nathan in England."
In addition, Nathan Rothschild was broker and dealer of William Hesse Kassel, who was known as the richest man in Europe, and he had more than ten million pounds sterling cash and launched heavy invest in the UK. There is no specific data about the William's investments in the UK at this time. We know that before the rise of Napoleon, in addition to 200 thousand pounds from the British Prince, he had invested at least 640 thousand pounds sterling in London and received two thousand pounds profit monthly.
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