The British Navy, Rijeka and A.L. Adamic: War and Trade in the Adriatic 1800-1825

One of the lesser known theatres of operations in the long wars between Great Britain and Napoleon was the Adriatic, where the activities of the British navy played a vital role in controlling and limiting the extension of French power eastwards into the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire; in maintaining access, diplomatic, financial and commercial, to the Austrian Empire; and in preventing the construction of new French battleships in the Venice Arsenal from adversely affecting British naval superiority. Until now, most studies on the British side have concentrated on the exploits of the British naval officers involved, particularly Captain William Hoste; those in Croatia have been largely limited to such secondary sources and to historical traditions based mainly on French and local records. The present work is part of a larger project of research which attempts to redress the balance by examining the original records in various British archives, and by presenting the story of the naval and military activity of the British in the wider context of political and diplomatic developments. A detailed study of British relations with the port of Rijeka is of particular interest in extending this context to give an insight into commercial activity in time of war and the problems of procurement of naval supplies, as well as the covert activity of British agents and collaborators. Contents: The Arrival of John Leard in Rijeka, 1802; Nelson, Convoys and Naval Supplies, 1803-04; The Oak Timber Project; The War of the Third Coalition; Trade War, 1806-9; The War of 1809; Travels, 1810-12; The Timber Contract of 1812; Adamiæ’s Return to Rijeka, 1812; The Aborted Insurrection, February-April 1813; The British Attack on Rijeka, July 1813; Nugent liberates Rijeka, August 1813; Adamiæ’s Return to Rijeka, Autumn 1813; The End of the War; Leard’s Return to Rijeka, July 1814; The Last Timber Contract, 1818-20; Epilogue. About the author: Malcolm Scott Hardy was born in 1940 and read history at UCL, graduating in 1961. His M. Phil., in combined historical studies, was completed at the Warburg Institute, London, in 1970. Between 1965 and 1968 he lectured at the University of Turku, Finland before embarking on an overseas career with the British Council in Yugoslavia, Pakistan France and Italy, culminating in the post of Visiting Arts Director in London. In addition to his researches into naval history, his other interests include the study of Jewish family history in Hungary and Croatia.