The real history behind 'Poldark' series three: episode three

The French Revolution of 1789 had led to the removal and eventual execution of the country’s monarchy and the establishment of a new French republic.

In its early months, the French revolutionary movement had been broadly welcomed in Britain. It was regarded as modernising French politics and bringing the French constitution more into line with the parliamentary system that operated in Britain. However, as the revolution became ever more bloody and extreme, British popular and political support waned, to be replaced by fear of a neighbour that looked increasingly chaotic, violent and out of control.

In the years after the revolution – a period often called the ‘Reign of Terror’ – many thousands of ordinary French people were accused of counter-revolutionary activity and executed by guillotines placed in town squares. France’s aggressive campaigns also extended beyond its own population, as the French army marched across European borders. The country had declared war in Britain in 1793 and the British army and navy fought hard to protect vital trade routes as well as defend borders against possible invasion.

This, then, is the tumultuous France that Ross is visiting, in the hope of discovering the fate of his friend Doctor Dwight Enys, who he believes has been captured and imprisoned following a sea battle. It is a risky trip; France poses many dangers, as does Mariette – a beautiful but radicalised “citoyenne” (female French citizen) determined to defend the Republic.

Hannah Greig is author of The Beau Monde: Fashionable Society in Georgian London (OUP, 2013) and is a historical advisor on the BBC One drama series Poldark.