Mid-1802 News
The Action of 18 April 1802,
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The Cape of Good Hope Incident
British forces refuse being relieved by Batavian expedition,
Naval skirmish takes place between rival navies,
Is the Treaty of Amiens at risk of collapse?
Despite the painful loss of Ceylon as part of the Treaty of Amiens and the general disregard shown for the Batavian Republic's negotiating position, a key accomplishment for Amsterdam was the clause that oversaw a British withdrawal from the Cape of Good Hope. Having had it seized by the Royal Navy in a traumatic and resounding defeat in 1795, the Republic was keen to recover the strategically-key Cape Colony, a much needed reassertion of their authority and colonial power after years of instability.
Backed by the influential ambassador Schimmelpenninck, the Staatsbewind resolved to establish firm control over the territory as soon as possible, authorizing the immediate start of an expedition meant to peacefully relieve the British occupation forces from their duties. Carrying the new would-be Governor General within the flagship Van Troomp, Batavian Vice Admiral Pieter Hartsinck made the c. three month voyage swiftly and without encountering difficulties. That is, until the Cape of Good Hope was sighted.
According to reports, an initial friendly talk between Admiral Hartsink and British Governor Francis Dundas soon turned into an acrimonious bout, with the Governor asserting that the Batavian expedition was unwelcome, and that the Cape Colony would be handed over based on eventual instructions from London. Hartsink, on the other half, accused the British General of deliberately not wanting to comply with the Treaty of Amiens, perhaps even under instructions. Although the details of what followed remain unclear, soon the Batavian and Royal Navy squadrons were locked in battle.
With mutual accusations of having fired first, a half-hour skirmish ensued, only being stopped by the intervention of two neutral vessels. The Batavians withdrew with a damaged frigate and two dozen dead, leaving at least a dozen British sailors dead and a fort heavily damaged. Hartsink sought refuge and found it by seizing the neighboring Saldanha Bay, managing to land several hundred men as a tense standoff has emerged in the region. With urgent messages sent to London and Amsterdam for instructions, observers in Europe wonder now if the Treaty of Amiens is not endangered by this unexpected incident.
Toussaint's Declaration of Independence,
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Birth of a new Republic
Treaty of the Seas shocks and stuns Saint Domingue,
Toussaint Louverture reluctantly declares independence,
New Republic of Saint Domingue to stand against Jefferson and Bonaparte
By all accounts, Governor General Toussaint Louverture felt confident and secure in his position after drafting and enacting his Constitution of 1801. Despite predictions by more militant and nationalist officers that the First Consul would react badly to Louverture's assumption of power for life and the abolition of slavery, few expected what was to follow. The signing of the Franco-American Treaty of the Seas by Secretary of State Madison and French Ambassador Louis-André Pichon utterly stunned most observers and, in particular, the Saint Domingue rebels. Far from any negotiations or talks, Paris would go directly for war, with the unforeseen aid of the United States of America.
Domestically, Bonaparte was to encounter some criticism within Republican circles over what appeared to be a war to restore slavery, albeit heavily muted through Fouché's permanent censure of the press and the general support for a close association with the American nation. In Washington DC, Jefferson was the subject of wildly contradictory reactions, with abolitionists and northern Federalists angrily chastising the President whilst southern Congressmen - Democratic Republicans and Federalist alike - widely cheered the President for a strong stance against what was seen to be a dangerous slave revolt. While the specific effects remain to be seen, the unpopularity and perceived radicalism of anti-slavery positions seem to have a strong majority of public opinion behind hostility to Louverture.
The reaction in Saint Domingue proper was one of confusion followed by outrage. White residents, many of whom collaborated with Louverture if only to try and deter more radical actions, proved terrified by the news given the lack of actual French or American troops on the ground, suspecting it could give the rabid former slaves reason to take drastic action. Louverture, who was said to be despondent for days, seems to have struggled mightily with his eventual course of action. In the end, and after several days locked in prayer, the former slave resolved that the Franco-American declaration simply left him with no alternatives, not even the faintest hope of a compromise.
Wielding his absolute powers as Governor General, Louverture had the Republic of Saint Domingue declared from Cap Francais, a sovereign and independent state in which he would transition from the office of Governor General to the title of President (for life). Paris and Washington had thrown the gauntlet, and the Louverture had thrown it back. Whether the new nation, the first one built by former slaves, could survive or even find any recognition remained to be seen.
Russian forces secure the Georgian Military Road,
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The Tsar's on the move
Alexander I orders military surge across the Caucasus,
Controversial withdrawal under Tsar Paul reversed, Circassians revolt,
Qajar Persia on the brink of war with the Russian Empire
Although many reasons can explain the sudden death of Tsar Paul I at the hands of his own officers - still presented as a natural death according to the formal Russian sources -, one of them includes the decision to cancel a large military expedition to the Caucasus upon the death of Catherine the Great. The commanders, embittered by having been robbed of what they judged to be an inevitable victory over the Persians and Agha Mohammad Shah, would later join the conspiracy that brought an end to the controversial Russian monarch.
His son, while still very much a mysterious enigma to people and even to an important part of the court, was seemingly made of different stuff. Georgia, recently annexed by the Russian Empire and facing an uneasy occupation, awoke to the arrival of well over 20,000 troops under the new Governor General of Kartli-Kakheti, the fiery and fearless Pavel Tsitsianov. Tsitsianov wasted no time in quelling any sign of unrest, arresting the would-be heir to the defunct Georgian throne, Prince David Bagrationi, and most of his relatives. Despite some signs of defiance, the new Viceroy was ready to crush any resistance.
An additional 10,000 troops arrived in tow, intended to be used for an actual offensive across the unoccupied parts of Chechnya and Dagestan and thus ensure Russian dominance over the Caucasus region. The Russian troops experienced an early success after securing control over the Georgian Military Road, a key - if in heavy need of development - route into Georgia, but soon it became clear the number of troops was insufficient for the task ahead. Spurred into action, Circassian rebels arose across the region, remaining strong in the countryside or holed up in strong redoubt with full intent to resist Russian dominance.
Diplomatically, the news was to anger the Persian Shah, Fath Ali, as well as the still powerful Persian vassals that bordered Russian Georgia. Though stopping short of an actual declaration of war, the Persians have sent an ultimatum to St. Petersburg calling for an immediate withdrawal, all while the surviving Georgian claimant not under Russian custody, Prince Alexander, tries to mobilize anti-Russian assets within Persian territory. The response of the Ottoman Empire remains to be seen, as is the international attitude to Fath Ali, who has issued calls for foreign support to "contain Russian expansionism".
