What Role Did War Play In Uniting The Three Kingdoms

The final section of the essay will examine the role of war in uniting the three kingdoms. Between 1739-1815, Britain spent fifty-two of these years at war. Demonstrating the importance of war in the eighteenth century. These wars would be fought; in the British Isles, in the colonies of the empire, and against other major European countries. War was a major part of Britons lives, so the government needed to keep the kingdoms loyal and committed. But how this worked out in the three kingdoms was different. Each of the kingdoms, Scotland and England, responded to the demands of mobilisation differently from each other. England was less responsive than Scotland or even Wales. This could have been due to the rapid industrialisation and urbanisation occurring in England compared to the rural and poorer Scotland and Wales where landowners had influence over their tenants. This meant that landowners forced their tenants to fight, meaning that their reasons for fighting were not patriotism but unofficial conscription. The other factors for mobilising in this period were for Britain. This added to the
The formation of the United Irishmen association portrays the disunity in Ireland over British politics. The United Irishmen called on French help in their 1798 rebellion. This raised the fear of French invasion strengthening the failure of the rebellion. Nonetheless, the existence of the rebellions within Britain in the eighteenth century confirms that not everyone wanted a united kingdom, and they were prepared to fight against it. The final evidence of disunity in the British Isles was the support from the established churches to the government and the national war effort. The disunity came from those of the population, who were increasing in numbers, of non-members of confessional churches. This included the Protestant dissenters and Catholics in all three