Additional Forces Acts 1803

Defence of the Realm (England) Act 1803

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to enable his Majesty more effectually to raise and assemble in England an additional Military Force for the better Defence and Security of the United Kingdom and for the more vigorous Prosecution of the War.
Citation	43 Geo. 3. c. 82
Territorial extent	England
Dates
Royal assent	6 July 1803
Commencement	6 July 1803
Repealed	6 August 1872
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1872
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

Defence of the Realm (Scotland) Act 1803

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to enable his Majesty more effectually to raise and assemble an additional Military Force in Scotland for the better Defence and Security of the United Kingdom and for the more vigorous Prosecution of the War.
Citation	43 Geo. 3. c. 83
Territorial extent	Scotland
Dates
Royal assent	6 July 1803
Commencement	6 July 1803
Repealed	6 August 1872
Other legislation
Amended by	Defence of the Realm Act 1806
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1872
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

Defence of the Realm (Ireland) Act 1803

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to enable his Majesty more effectually to raise and assemble in Ireland an additional Military Force for the better Defence and Security of the United Kingdom and for the vigorous Prosecution of the War.
Citation	43 Geo. 3. c. 85
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	11 July 1803
Commencement	11 July 1803
Repealed	6 August 1872
Other legislation
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1872
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

A set of three Additional Forces Acts of July 1803 created an Army of Reserve for the defence of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against the imminent threat of sea-borne invasion by Napoleon's French Revolutionary Army. A total of 15,780 men were added to the country's armed forces by these compulsory measures, creating an "Army of Reserve".

The acts – one each for England (43 Geo. 3. c. 82), Scotland (c. 83) and Ireland (c. 85) – were passed by William Pitt the Younger despite strong political opposition. ^{[1] [2]}

See also

• List of British fencible regiments

References

1. "Great Britain: Number of Men Raised for the Regular Army by Ordinary Recruiting". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
2. Pollard, Albert Frederick (1911). "English History"  . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 553.