<Li> 1802 - Treaty of Amiens </Li> <P> War resumed in 1803 after a one - year truce . </P> <P> The French Revolution, broke out in 1789 and polarized British political opinion, with the dominant conservatives outraged at killing of the king, the expulsion of the nobles, and the Reign of Terror . Britain was at war against France almost continuously from 1793 until the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815 . The goal was to stop the spread of revolutionary and democratic ideas, and to prevent France from controlling Western Europe . William Pitt the Younger was the dominant leader until his death in 1806 . Pitt's strategy was to mobilize and fund the coalition against France . It seemed too hard to attack France on the continent so Pitt decided to seize France's valuable colonies in the West Indies and India . At home, a minority pro-French element carried little weight with the British government . Conservatives castigated every radical opinion as "Jacobin" (in reference to the leaders of the Terror), warning that radicalism threatened an upheaval of British society . </P> <Ul> <Li> 1791--92: London rejects intervention in French Revolution . Its policy is based on realism not ideology and seek to avoid French attacks on the Austrian Netherlands; to not worsen the fragile status of King Louis XVI; and to prevent formation of a strong Continental league . </Li> <Li> 1792--97: War of the First Coalition: Prussia and Austria joined after 1793 by Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Sardinia, Naples, and Tuscany against French Republic . </Li> <Li> 1792: Austria and Prussia invade France . The French defeat the invaders and then go on the offensive by invading the Austria Netherlands (modern Belgium) in late 1792 . This causes grave tension with Britain as it was British policy to ensure that France could not control the "narrow seas" by keeping the French out of the Low Countries . </Li> <Li> 1792: In India, victory over Tipu Sultan in Third Anglo - Mysore War; cession of one half of Mysore to the British and their allies . </Li> <Li> 1793: France declares war on Britain . </Li> <Li> 1794: Jay Treaty with the United States normalizes trade and secures a decade of peace . The British withdraws from forts in Northwest Territory but maintain support of tribes hostile to the U.S. France is angered at the close relationship, and denounces the Jay Treaty as a violation of its 1777 treaty with the U.S. </Li> <Li> 1802--03: Peace of Amiens allows 13 months of peace with France . </Li> </Ul>

One of the factors that contributed to the long-term hostilities between england and spain was