Re: amazing...
Nah, Britain was quite nice and fluffy by that point. If Johnny-Continental cut up rough then Britian wouldn't do anything so expensive ungentlemanly as to invade - but simply nick a few of their colonies and impose a naval blockade, until they jolly well stopped.
British foreign policy was aimed at making sure no European alliance got too strong in comparison to any of the others - while doing as little as possible. So that Britain could float down the river in splendid isolation occasionally sticking out a paddle to steer (to misquote Lord Salisbury ten years later).
Biting the hand that feeds IT
