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{{Infobox Prime Minister
|honorific-prefix=]
|name =William Pitt
|image =OlderPittThe Younger.jpg
|imagesize=245px
|order =]
|term_start =10 May 1804
|term_end =23 January 1806
|monarch =]
|predecessor =]
|successor =]
|term_start1 = 1 January 1801
|term_end1 = 14 March 1801{{Ref label|aaa|a}}
|monarch1 = George III
|predecessor1 =
|successor1 = ]
|order2 =]
|term_start2 =19 December 1783
|term_end2 =1 January 1801
|monarch2 =George III
|predecessor2 =]
|successor2 =
|order3 =]
|term_start3 =10 May 1804
|term_end3 =23 January 1806
|monarch3 =George III
|predecessor3 =Henry Addington
|successor3 =]
|term_start4 =19 December 1783
|term_end4 =14 March 1801
|monarch4 =George III
|predecessor4 =]
|successor4 =Henry Addington
|term_start5 =10 July 1782
|term_end5 =31 March 1783
|monarch5 =George III
|predecessor5 =Lord John Cavendish
|successor5 =Lord John Cavendish
|birth_date ={{birth date|1759|5|28|df=y}}
|birth_place =], ], England
|nationality =]
|death_date ={{death date and age|1806|1|23|1759|5|28|df=y}}
|death_place =], ], England
|alma_mater =]
|party =A matter of scholarly debate.<ref>{{cite book|last=Evans|first=Eric J.|title=William Pitt the Younger|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=t56FAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA42|year=2002|publisher=Routledge|pages=42–43}}</ref>
|signature=William Pitt the Younger Signature.svg
|signature_alt=Cursive signature in ink
| footnotes = a. {{note|aaa}} ]
}}
], 1808]]
]
] faces an equally huge monument to his father, ] in a balanced composition]]
'''William Pitt the Younger''' (28 May 1759 – 23 January 1806) was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest ] in 1783 at the age of 24. He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806. He was also the ] throughout his premiership. He is known as "the Younger" to distinguish him from his father, ], who had previously served as Prime Minister.

The younger Pitt's prime ministerial tenure, which came during the reign of ], was dominated by major events in Europe, including the ] and the ]. Pitt, although often referred to as a ], or "new Tory", called himself an "independent ]" and was generally opposed to the development of a strict partisan political system.

He is best known for leading Britain in the great wars against France and ]. Pitt was an outstanding administrator who worked for efficiency and reform, bringing in a new generation of outstanding administrators. He raised taxes to pay for the great war against France and cracked down on radicalism. To meet the threat of Irish support for France, he engineered the ] and tried (but failed) to get ] as part of the Union. Pitt created the "new Toryism", which revived the Tory Party and enabled it to stay in power for the next quarter-century.

Historian ] points out that his personality did not endear itself to the British mind, for Pitt was too solitary, too colourless, and too often exuded superiority. His greatness came in the war with France, with the adversary setting the pace. Pitt reacted to become what ] called "the Atlas of our reeling globe". His integrity and industry and his role as defender of the threatened nation allowed him to inspire and access all the national reserves of strength. ] said that, "For personal purity, disinterestedness and love of this country, I have never known his equal."<ref>Asa Briggs, ''The Making of Modern England 1783-1867: The Age of Improvement'' (1959) pp 148-49</ref> Historian Charles Petrie concludes that he was one of the greatest prime ministers "if on no other ground than that he enabled the country to pass from the old order to the new without any violent upheaval....He understood the new Britain."<ref>Charles Petrie, "The Bicentenary of the Younger Pitt," ''Quarterly Review,'' 1959, Vol. 297 Issue 621, pp 254–265</ref> For this he is ].

==Early life==
The Honourable William Pitt, second son of ], was born at Hayes Place in the village of ].<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.14}}</ref>
Pitt was from a political family on both sides. His mother, Hester Grenville, was sister to former prime minister ].<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.19}}</ref> According to biographer ], Pitt inherited brilliance and dynamism from his father's line, and a determined, methodical nature from the Grenvilles.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ehrman|1984|loc=p.4}}</ref>

Suffering from occasional poor health as a boy, he was educated at home by the Reverend Edward Wilson. An intelligent child, Pitt quickly became proficient in ] and ]. In 1773, aged fourteen, he attended ],<ref>{{acad|id=PT773W|name=Pitt, the Hon. William}}</ref> where he studied political philosophy, ], mathematics, trigonometry, chemistry and history.<ref> HistoryHome.co.uk</ref> At Cambridge, Pitt was tutored by ], who became a close personal friend. Pitt later appointed Pretyman ] then ] and drew upon his advice throughout his political career.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRpitt.htm |title=Spartacus Educational – William Pitt |publisher=Spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2010-04-23}}</ref> While at Cambridge, he befriended the young ], who became a lifelong friend and political ally in Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wilberforce_william.shtml |title=History – William Wilberforce (1759–1833) |publisher=BBC |date= |accessdate=2010-10-11}}</ref> Pitt tended to socialise only with fellow students and others already known to him, rarely venturing outside the university grounds. Yet he was described as charming and friendly. According to Wilberforce, Pitt had an exceptional wit along with an endearingly gentle sense of humour: "no man ... ever indulged more freely or happilly in that playful facetiousness which gratifies all without wounding any."<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.30}}</ref>
In 1776, Pitt, plagued by poor health, took advantage of a little-used privilege available only to the sons of noblemen, and chose to graduate without having to pass examinations.
Pitt's father, who had by then been raised to the peerage as Earl of Chatham, died in 1779. As a younger son, Pitt the Younger received a small inheritance. He received legal education at ] and was ] in the summer of 1780.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.46}}</ref>

==Early political career==
During the general elections of September 1780, Pitt contested the ], but lost.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/462151/William-Pitt-the-Younger/5744/Historical-importance |title=Britannica Online Encyclopedia – William Pitt, the Younger: Historical importance |publisher=Britannica.com |date= |accessdate=2010-04-23}}</ref> Still intent on entering Parliament, Pitt, with the help of his university comrade, ], secured the patronage of ]. Lowther effectively controlled the ] of ]; a by-election in that constituency sent Pitt to the ] in January 1781.<ref name=10downingstreet>{{cite web|url=http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page161.asp |title=10 Downing Street – PMs in history – William Pitt 'The Younger' 1783–1801 and 1804-6 |publisher=Number10.gov.uk |date= |accessdate=2010-04-23}}</ref> Pitt's entry into parliament is somewhat ironic as he later railed against the very same pocket and rotten boroughs that had given him his seat.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.89}}</ref>

In Parliament, the youthful Pitt cast aside his tendency to be withdrawn in public, emerging as a noted debater right from his ].<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.62-65}}</ref> Pitt originally aligned himself with prominent ] such as ]. With the Whigs, Pitt denounced the continuation of the ], as his father strongly had. Instead he proposed that the prime minister, ], make peace with the rebellious American colonies. Pitt also supported parliamentary reform measures, including a proposal that would have checked electoral corruption. He renewed his friendship with William Wilberforce, now MP for ], with whom he frequently met in the gallery of the House of Commons.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.71}}</ref>

After Lord North's ministry collapsed in 1782, the Whig ] was appointed prime minister. Pitt was offered the minor post of vice-treasurer of Ireland, but he refused, considering the post overly subordinate. Lord Rockingham died only three months after coming to power; he was succeeded by another Whig, ]. Many Whigs who had formed a part of the Rockingham ministry, including Fox, now refused to serve under Lord Shelburne, the new prime minister. Pitt, however, was comfortable with Prime Minister William Petty-FitzMaurice, and thus joined the Shelburne government; he was appointed ].<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.99}}</ref>

Fox, who became Pitt's lifelong political rival, then joined a coalition with Lord North, with whom he collaborated to bring about the defeat of the Shelburne administration. When Lord Shelburne resigned in 1783, ], who despised Fox, offered to appoint Pitt to the office of prime minister. But Pitt wisely declined, for he knew he would be incapable of securing the support of the ]. The ] rose to power in a government nominally headed by ].<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.124}}</ref>

Pitt, who had been stripped of his post as Chancellor of the Exchequer, joined the Opposition. He raised the issue of parliamentary reform in order to strain the uneasy Fox-North coalition, which included both supporters and detractors of reform. He did not advocate an expansion of the electoral franchise, but he did seek to address bribery and rotten boroughs. Though his proposal failed, many reformers in Parliament came to regard him as their leader, instead of Charles James Fox.

===Impact of the American War of Independence===
Losing the war and the thirteen colonies was a shock to the British system. The war revealed the limitations of Britain's fiscal-military state when it had powerful enemies, no allies, depended on extended and vulnerable transatlantic lines of communication, and was faced for the first time since the 17th century by both Protestant and Catholic foes. The defeat heightened dissension and escalated political antagonism to the King's ministers. Inside parliament, the primary concern changed from fears of an over-mighty monarch to the issues of representation, parliamentary reform, and government retrenchment. Reformers sought to destroy what they saw as widespread institutional corruption. The result was a crisis from 1776–1783. The peace in 1783 left France financially prostrate, while the British economy boomed due to the return of American business. That crisis ended in 1784 as a result of the King's shrewdness in outwitting Fox and renewed confidence in the system engendered by the leadership of Pitt. Historians conclude that loss of the American colonies enabled Britain to deal with the ] with more unity and organisation than would otherwise have been the case.<ref>Jeremy Black, ''George III: America's Last King'' (2006)</ref>

==Rise to power==
The Fox-North Coalition fell in December 1783, after Fox had introduced ]'s bill to reform the ] to gain the patronage he so greatly lacked while the King refused to support him. Fox stated the bill was necessary to save the company from bankruptcy. Pitt responded that: "Necessity was the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It was the argument of tyrants; it was the creed of slaves."<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.140}}</ref> The King was opposed to the bill; when it passed in the House of Commons, he secured its defeat in the ] by threatening to regard anyone who voted for it as his enemy. Following the bill's failure in the Upper House, George III dismissed the coalition government and finally entrusted the premiership to William Pitt, after having offered the position to him three times previously.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.146}}</ref>

A constitutional crisis arose when the King dismissed the Fox-North coalition government and named Pitt to replace it. Though faced with a hostile majority in Parliament, Pitt was able to solidify his position in a few months' time. Some historians argue that his success was inevitable given the decisive importance of monarchical power; others argue that the King gambled on Pitt and that both would have failed but for a run of good fortune.<ref>Paul Kelly, "British Politics, 1783-4: The Emergence and Triumph of the Younger Pitt's Administration," ''Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research'' Vol. 54 Issue 129, pp 62–78</ref>

Pitt, at the age of 24, became Great Britain's youngest Prime Minister ever and was ridiculed for his youth. A popular ditty commented that it was "a sight to make all nations stand and stare: a kingdom trusted to a schoolboy's care". Many saw it simply as a stop-gap appointment until some more senior statesman took on the role. However, although it was widely predicted that the new "mince-pie administration" would not last out the Christmas season,<ref>The name "mince-pie administration" was created by ], Lady Crewe, a Whig political hostess. {{Cite book|author=Kilburn, Matthew |chapter=Mince-pie administration (act. 1783–1784)|title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/public/themes/95/95200.html}} citing Ehrman (1969)</ref> it survived for seventeen years.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.152}}</ref>

So as to reduce the power of the Opposition, Pitt offered Charles James Fox and his allies posts in the Cabinet; Pitt's refusal to include Lord North, however, thwarted his efforts. The new Government was immediately on the defensive and in January 1784 was defeated on a ]. Pitt, however, took the unprecedented step of refusing to resign, despite this defeat. He retained the support of the King, who would not entrust the reins of power to the Fox-North Coalition. He also received the support of the House of Lords, which passed supportive motions, and many messages of support from the country at large, in the form of petitions approving of his appointment which influenced some ] to switch their support to Pitt. At the same time, he was granted the Freedom of the ]. When he returned from the ceremony to mark this, men of the City pulled Pitt's coach home themselves, as a sign of respect. When passing a Whig club, the coach came under attack from a group of men who tried to assault Pitt. When news of this spread, it was assumed Fox and his associates had tried to bring down Pitt by any means.<ref name=hague166>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.166}}</ref>

Pitt gained great popularity with the public at large as "Honest Billy" who was seen as a refreshing change from the dishonesty, corruption and lack of principles widely associated with both Fox and North. Despite a series of defeats in the House of Commons, Pitt defiantly remained in office, watching the Coalition's majority shrink as some Members of Parliament left the Opposition to abstain.<ref name=hague166/>

In March 1784, Parliament was dissolved, and a ] ensued. An electoral defeat for the Government was out of the question because Pitt enjoyed the support of ]. ] and bribes paid by the Treasury were normally expected to be enough to secure the Government a comfortable majority in the House of Commons but on this occasion the government reaped much popular support as well.<ref name=hague173>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.173}}</ref> In most popular constituencies, the election was fought between candidates clearly representing either Pitt or Fox and North. Early returns showed a massive swing to Pitt with the result that many Opposition Members who still hadn't faced election either defected, stood down, or made deals with their opponents to avoid expensive defeats.<ref name=hague170/>

A notable exception came in Fox's own constituency of ] which contained one of the largest electorates in the country. In a contest estimated to have cost a quarter of the total spending in the entire country, Fox bitterly fought against two ] candidates to secure one of the two seats for the constituency. Great legal wranglings ensued, including the examination of every single vote cast, which dragged on for more than a year. Meanwhile, Fox sat for the pocket borough of ]. Many saw the dragging out of the result as being unduly vindictive on the part of Pitt and eventually the examinations were abandoned with Fox declared elected. Elsewhere Pitt won a personal triumph when he was elected a ], a constituency he had long coveted and which he would continue to represent for the remainder of his life.<ref name=hague170>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.170}}</ref>

==First ministry==
{{Further|First Pitt the Younger ministry}}

===India===
His administration secure, Pitt could begin to enact his agenda. His first major piece of legislation as Prime Minister was the ], which re-organised the British East India Company and kept a watch over corruption. The India Act created a new Board of Control to oversee the affairs of the East India Company. It differed from Fox's failed ] and specified that the Board would be appointed by the King.<ref name=hague182/> Pitt was appointed, along with ] who was appointed ].<ref name=hague182>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.182}}</ref> The Act centralised British rule in India by reducing the power of the Governors of ] and ] and by increasing that of the ], ]. Further augmentations and clarifications of the Governor-General's authority were made in 1786, presumably by Lord Sydney, and presumably as a result of the Company's setting up of ] with their own Superintended (Governor), Captain ], in 1786.

===Parliamentary reform===
In domestic politics, Pitt also concerned himself with the cause of parliamentary reform. In 1785, he introduced a bill to remove the representation of thirty-six rotten boroughs, and to extend in a small way, the electoral franchise to more individuals.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.191}}</ref> Pitt's support for the bill, however, was not strong enough to prevent its defeat in the House of Commons.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.193}}</ref> The bill introduced in 1785 was Pitt's last parliamentary reform proposal introduced in Parliament.

===Finances===
] caricatured ] and George III awash with treasury funds to cover royal debts, with Pitt handing them another moneybag.]]
Another important domestic issue with which Pitt had to concern himself was the national debt, which had doubled to £243 million during the American war. Every year a third of the budget of £24 million went to pay interest. Pitt sought to reduce the national debt by imposing new taxes. In 1786, he instituted a ] so that £1,000,000 a year was added to a fund so that it could accumulate interest; eventually, the money in the fund was to be used to pay off the national debt. By 1792 the debt had fallen to £170 million.<ref>{{Harvnb|Turner|2003|loc=p.94}}</ref>

Pitt always paid careful attention to financial issues. A fifth of Britain's imports were smuggled in without paying taxes. He made it easier for honest merchants to import goods. By lowering tariffs on easily smuggled items such as tea, wine, spirits and tobacco, he grew the customs revenue by nearly £2 million.<ref>R. E. Foster, "Forever Young: Myth, Reality and William Pitt," ''History Review'' March 2009</ref>

===Foreign affairs===
Pitt sought European alliances to restrict French influence, forming the ] with ] and ] in 1788.<ref>Jeremy Black, ''British Foreign Policy in an Age of Revolutions, 1783–93'' (1994)</ref> During the ] in 1790, Pitt took advantage of the alliance to force Spain to give up its claim to exclusive control over the western coast of North and South America. The Alliance, however, failed to produce any other important benefits for Great Britain.<ref>{{cite book|author=Michael J. Turner|title=Pitt the Younger: A Life|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=Hm0SQ_sRpCMC&pg=PA155|year=2003|publisher=Continuum|pages=149–55}}</ref>

===The king's condition===
In 1788, Pitt faced a major crisis when the King fell victim to a mysterious illness,<ref>The consensus view among historians is that the King was suffering from the blood disorder ], which was unknown at this time. If protracted and untreated, it has serious mentally debilitating effects.</ref> a form of mental disorder that incapacitated him. If the sovereign was incapable of fulfilling his constitutional duties, Parliament would need to appoint a regent to rule in his place. All factions agreed the only viable candidate was the King's eldest son, ]. The Prince, however, was a supporter of Charles James Fox; had he come to power, he would almost surely have dismissed Pitt. However, he did not have such an opportunity, as Parliament spent months debating legal technicalities relating to the Regency. Fortunately for Pitt, the King recovered in February 1789, just after a ] had been introduced and passed in the House of Commons.<ref>Bruce E. Gronbeck, "Government's Stance in Crisis: A Case Study of Pitt the Younger," ''Western Speech,'' Fall 1970, Vol. 34 Issue 4, pp 250–261</ref>

The general elections of 1790 resulted in a majority for the government, and Pitt continued as Prime Minister. In 1791, he proceeded to address one of the problems facing the growing ]: the future of British ]. By the ], the province of ] was divided into two separate provinces: the predominantly French ] and the predominantly English ]. In August 1792, coincident with ], George III appointed Pitt as ], a position whose incumbent was responsible for the coastal defences of the realm.<ref name=hague309/> The King had in 1791 offered him a ], but he suggested the honour go to his ], the second Earl of Chatham.<ref name=hague309>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.309}}</ref>

==French Revolution==
{{main|French Revolutionary Wars}}
]]]
An early favourable response to the French Revolution encouraged many in Great Britain to reopen the issue of parliamentary reform, which had been dormant since Pitt's reform bill was defeated in 1785. The reformers, however, were quickly labelled as radicals and as associates of the French revolutionaries. Subsequently, in 1794 Pitt's administration ] but lost. Parliament began to enact repressive legislation in order to silence the reformers. Individuals who published ] material were punished, and, in 1794, the writ of ] was suspended. Other repressive measures included the Seditious Meetings Act (which restricted the right of individuals to assemble publicly) and the ]s (which restricted the formation of societies or organisations that favoured political reforms). Problems manning the ] also led to Pitt to introduce the ] in 1795 addition to the existing system of ].<ref>{{Harvnb|Ennis|2002|loc=p.34}}</ref>
]

The war with France was extremely expensive, straining Great Britain's finances. Unlike the latter stages of the ''Napoleonic Wars'', at this point Britain had only a very small standing army, and thus contributed to the war effort mainly by sea power and by supplying funds to other coalition members facing France. In 1797, Pitt was forced to protect the kingdom's gold reserves by preventing individuals from exchanging banknotes for gold. Great Britain would continue to use paper money for over two decades. Pitt was also forced to introduce Great Britain's first ever ]. The new tax helped offset losses in indirect tax revenue, which had been caused by a decline in trade. Despite the efforts of Pitt and the British allies, the French continued to defeat the members of the First Coalition, which collapsed in 1798. A ], consisting of Great Britain, ], ], and the ], was formed, but it, too, failed to overcome the French. The fall of the Second Coalition with the defeat of the Austrians at the ] (14 June 1800) and at the ] (3 December 1800) left Great Britain facing France alone.

==Resignation==
The French Revolution revived religious and political problems in ], a realm under the rule of the King of Great Britain. In 1798, Irish nationalists attempted a ], believing that the French would help them overthrow the monarchy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/irish_reb_01.shtml |title=British History – The 1798 Irish Rebellion |publisher=BBC |date=2009-11-05 |accessdate=2010-04-23}}</ref> Pitt firmly believed that the only solution to the problem was a union of Great Britain and Ireland. Following the defeat of the rebellion which was assisted by France, he advanced this policy. The union was established by the ]; compensation and ] ensured the support of the Irish Parliament. Great Britain and Ireland were formally united into a single realm, the ], on 1 January 1801.

]
Pitt sought to inaugurate the new kingdom by granting concessions to ], who formed a majority in Ireland, by abolishing various political restrictions under which they suffered. George III, however, did not share the same view. The King was strongly opposed to ]; he argued that to grant additional liberty would violate his coronation oath, in which he had promised to protect the established ]. Pitt, unable to change the King's strong views, resigned on 16 February 1801,<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.479}}</ref> so as to allow ], his political friend, to form a new administration. At about the same time, however, the King suffered a renewed bout of madness; thus, Addington could not receive his formal appointment. Though he had resigned, Pitt temporarily continued to discharge his duties; on 18 February 1801, he brought forward the annual ]. Power was transferred from Pitt to Addington on 14 March, when the King recovered.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.484}}</ref>

Pitt supported the new administration, but with little enthusiasm; he frequently absented himself from Parliament, preferring to remain in his ] residence of ] – before 1802 usually spending an annual late-summer holiday there, and later often present from the spring until the autumn.
]
From the castle, he helped organise a local ] in anticipation of a French invasion, acted as ] of a ] raised by ] – he was also a Master of Trinity House – and encouraged the construction of ]s and the ] in ]. He rented land abutting the Castle to farm, and on which to lay out trees and walks. His niece ] designed and managed the gardens and acted as his hostess.

After France had forced peace and recognition of the ] from the ] in 1799 and from the ] (Austria) in 1801, the ] between France and Britain marked the end of the ]. By 1803, however, war had broken out again between Britain and the new ] under ]. Although Addington had previously invited him to join the Cabinet, Pitt preferred to join the Opposition, becoming increasingly critical of the government's policies. Addington, unable to face the combined opposition of Pitt and Fox, saw his majority gradually evaporate. By the end of April 1804, Addington, who had lost his parliamentary support, had decided to resign.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.526}}</ref>

==Second ministry==
{{see also|Second Pitt the Younger Ministry}}
]
] that is bursting out with puns and invective.]]

Pitt returned to the premiership on 10 May 1804. He had originally planned to form a broad coalition government, but faced the opposition of George III to the inclusion of Fox. Moreover, many of Pitt's former supporters, including the allies of Addington, joined the Opposition. Thus, Pitt's Second Ministry was considerably weaker than his first.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.529-33}}</ref>

The British Government began placing pressure on the French Emperor, ]. Thanks to Pitt's efforts, Britain joined the ], an alliance that also involved Austria, Russia, and ]. In October 1805, the British Admiral, ], won a crushing victory in the ], ensuring British naval supremacy for the remainder of the war. At the annual Lord Mayor's Banquet toasting him as "the Saviour of Europe", Pitt responded In a few words that became the most famous speech of his life:
:I return you many thanks for the honour you have done me; but Europe is not to be saved by any single man. England has saved herself by her exertions, and will, as I trust, save Europe by her example.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.565}}</ref>

Nevertheless, the Coalition collapsed, having suffered significant defeats at the ] (October 1805) and the ] (December 1805). After hearing the news of Austerlitz Pitt referred to a map of Europe, "Roll up that map; it will not be wanted these ten years."<ref>Stanhope's ''Life of the Rt Hon. William Pitt'' (1862), vol. iv, p.369</ref>

===Finances===
Pitt was an expert in finance and served as Chancellor of the Exchequer.<ref>Patrick O'Brien, "Political Biography and Pitt the Younger as Chancellor of the Exchequer" ''History'' (1998) 83#270 pp 225-233.</ref> Critical to his success in confronting Napoleon was using Britain's superior economic resources. He was able to mobilize the nation's industrial and financial resources and apply them to defeating France. With a population of 16 million Britain was barely half the size of France with 30 million. In terms of soldiers the French numerical advantage was offset by British subsidies that paid for a large proportion of the Austrian and Russian soldiers, peaking at about 450,000 in 1813.<ref>Paul Kennedy, ''The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers – economic change and military conflict from 1500 to 2000'' (1989), pp. 128–9</ref>

Most important, the British national output remained strong and the well-organized business sector channeled products into what the military needed. Britain used its economic power to expand the Royal Navy, doubling the number of frigates and increasing the number of large ships of the line by 50%, while increasing the roster of sailors from 15,000 to 133,000 in eight years after the war began in 1793. France, meanwhile, saw its navy shrink by more than half.<ref>Asa Briggs, ''The Making of Modern England 1783-1867: The Age of Improvement'' (1959) p 143</ref> The system of smuggling finished products into the continent undermined French efforts to ruin the British economy by cutting off markets. By 1814, the budget that Pitt in his last years had largely shaped, had expanded to £66 million, including £10 million for the Navy, £40 million for the Army, £10 million for the Allies, and £38 million as interest on the national debt. The national debt soared to £679 million, more than double the GDP. It was willingly supported by hundreds of thousands of investors and tax payers, despite the higher taxes on land and a new income tax.<ref>Richard Cooper, "William Pitt, Taxation, and the Needs of War," ''Journal of British Studies'' (1982) 22#1 pp 94-103 .</ref> The whole cost of the war came to £831 million. By contrast the French financial system was inadequate and Napoleon's forces had to rely in part on requisitions from conquered lands.<ref>Élie Halévy, ''A History of the English People in 1815'' (1924) vol 2 p 205-28</ref><ref>Roger Knight, ''Britain Against Napoleon: The Organisation of Victory, 1793-1815'' (2013)</ref><ref>J. Steven Watson, ''The Reign of George III 1760-1815'' (1960), 374-77, 406-7, 463-71,</ref>

==Death==
The setbacks took a toll on Pitt's health. He had long suffered from poor health, beginning in childhood, and was plagued with ] and "biliousness" worsened by a fondness for ] that began when he was advised to drink the wine to deal with his chronic ill-health.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.victorianweb.org/history/pms/pitt.html |title=William Pitt the Younger (1759–1806) |author=Marjie Bloy Ph.D. |date=4 January 2006 |work= |publisher=The Victorian Web |accessdate=11 September 2011}}</ref> On 23 January 1806, Pitt died at Bowling Green House on ], probably from ]ation of his stomach or duodenum; he was unmarried and left no children.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.578}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theprivatelifeofpitt.com/2013/11/bowling-green-house-putney-heath.html|title=Bowling Green House on Putney Heath |publisher=The Private Life of Pitt|accessdate=31 August 2014}}</ref>

Pitt's debts amounted to £40,000 when he died, but Parliament agreed to pay them on his behalf. A motion was made to honour him with a public funeral and a monument; it passed despite the opposition of Fox. Pitt's body was buried in ] on 22 February, having lain in state for two days in the ].<ref>Cambridge Portraits from Lely to Hockney, Cambridge University Press, 1978, No. 86.</ref> Pitt was succeeded as Prime Minister by his first cousin ], who headed the ], a coalition which included Charles James Fox.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.581}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Of his social relationships, biographer ] writes: <blockquote>Pitt was happiest among his Cambridge companions or family. He had no social ambitions, and it was rare for him to set out to make a friend. The talented collaborators of his first 18 months in office&mdash;Beresford, Wyvil and Twining&mdash;passed in and out of his mind along with their areas of expertise. Pitt's lack of interest in enlarging his social circle meant that it did not grow to encompass any women outside his own family, a fact that produced a good deal of rumour. From late 1784, a series of satirical verses appeared in ''The Morning Herald'' drawing attention to Pitt's lack of knowledge of women: "Tis true, indeed, we oft abuse him,/Because he bends to no man;/But slander's self dares not accuse him/Of stiffness to a woman."
Others made snide references to Pitt's friendship with ], Secretary to the Treasury. At the height of the constitutional crisis in 1784, Sheridan had compared Pitt to ]'s favourite, the ], a clear reference to homosexuality. Socially, Pitt preferred the company of young men, and would continue to do so into his thirties and forties. It may be that Pitt had homosexual leanings but suppressed any urge to act on them for the sake of his ambitions. He could be charming to women, but it seems certain that he rejected intimacy whenever it was proffered – and would do so publicly at a later date. In practical terms it appears that Pitt was essentially ] throughout his life, perhaps one example of how his rapid development as a politician stunted his growth as a man.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3623135/He-was-something-between-God-and-man.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=William | last=Hague | title=He was something between God and man | date=31 August 2004}}</ref></blockquote>

At one point rumours emerged of an intended marriage to ], whom Pitt had grown close to.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Pitt broke off the potential marriage in 1797, writing to her father, ], "I am compelled to say that I find the obstacles to it decisive and insurmountable".<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Pitt became known as a "three bottle man", a reference to his heavy consumption of ].<ref name=autogenerated1 /> These bottles would be around 35cl in volume, which although still a large amount of ] to consume, is not as dramatic as it initially appears.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

==Legacy==
] ] of William Pitt by ], 1807. ]]]
William Pitt the Younger was a powerful Prime Minister who consolidated the powers of his office. Though he was sometimes opposed by members of his Cabinet, he helped define the role of the Prime Minister as the supervisor and co-ordinator of the various Government departments. After his death the conservatives embraced him as a great patriotic hero.<ref>J.J. Sack, "The Memory of Burke and the Memory of Pitt: English Conservatism Confronts its Past, 1806-1829," ''Historical Journal'' (1987) 30#3 pp 623-640. </ref>
One of Pitt's most important accomplishments was a rehabilitation of the nation's finances after the American War of Independence. Pitt helped manage the mounting national debt, and made changes to the tax system in order to improve its capture of revenue.

Some of Pitt's other domestic plans were not as successful; he failed to secure parliamentary reform, emancipation, or the abolition of the slave trade, although this last did take place with the ] the year after his death. Biographer ] considers the unfinished abolition of the slave trade to be Pitt's greatest failure.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.589}}</ref> He notes that by the end of Pitt's career, conditions were in place which would have allowed a skilful attempt to pass an abolition bill to succeed, in part due to the long campaigning Pitt had encouraged with his friend ]. Hague goes on to note that the failure was likely due to Pitt being a "spent force" by the time favourable conditions had arisen. In Hague's opinion, Pitt's long premiership, "tested the natural limits of how long it is possible to be at the top. From 1783 to 1792 he faced each fresh challenge with brilliance; from 1793 he showed determination but sometimes faltered; and from 1804 he was worn down by... the combination of a narrow majority and war..."<ref>{{Harvnb|Hague|2005|loc=p.590}}</ref>
<!--NEEDS SOURCE ] -->
]]]

William Pitt the Younger was a personal friend of ], (1741–1813), merchant and banker in London and ] during the crisis of 1797 when ] had so diminished ] that the government prohibited the ] (] of Britain) from paying out in gold and ordered it to replace the payment of gold by ]. On 26 February 1797 the Bank of England, under the direction of Raikes, issued the first £1 and £2 ].

==Quotations==
* "Oh, my country! How I leave my country." (Attributed last words, from: Stanhope's ''Life of the Rt Hon. William Pitt'' (1862), vol. iv, p.&nbsp;391)
* "My country! Oh, my country!" (Attributed last words, from: G. Rose ''Diary'' 23 January 1806)
* "I think I could eat one of Bellamy's veal pies." (alternative attributed last words)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3724/is_200101/ai_n8953214 |title=Famous last words do not always ring true. or do they? |publisher=The Spectator|date=2001-01-27 |accessdate=2010-04-23 | first=Paul | last=Johnson}}</ref>
* "...the foulest and most atrocious deed." (in reference to the execution of King Louis XVI of France)<ref name=10downingstreet />
* "Roll up that map: it will not be wanted these ten years." (referring to a map of Europe, after hearing of Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz)

==Commentary on Pitt==
] and ] write in A (1899):

<blockquote>
Mr. Pitt introduced a Poor Law Bill in 1796 which, it is not too much to say, contained some of the most ill-considered and mischievous proposals that were ever submitted to parliament. It is now chiefly remembered by having called forth from ] the scathing criticism of his "Observations on the Poor Law Bill February 1797."
</blockquote>

] writes in ] (1929):

<blockquote>
In his famous Poor Law Bill, the proposal was made by Pitt that children should be set to work at the age of five. Children of six and seven were employed on a widespread scale, and their hours were incredibly long. Twelve to fifteen-hour schedules were common.
</blockquote>

==Cultural references==

===Film and television===
William Pitt is depicted in several films and television programs. ] portrays Pitt in the 1942 ] '']'', which chronicles the historical events of Pitt's life.<ref></ref> Pitt's attempts during his tenure as Prime Minister to cope with the dementia of King George III are portrayed by ] in the 1994 film '']''.<ref></ref> The 2006 film '']'', with ] in the role of Pitt, depicts his close friendship with ], the leading abolitionist in Parliament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/the_film.php |title=Amazing Grace (movie) |publisher=Amazinggracemovie.com |date= |accessdate=2010-10-11}}</ref> Pitt is caricatured as a boy-prime minister in the ] of the television comedy '']'', in which ] plays a fictionalized Pitt as a petulant teenager who has just come to power "right in the middle of (his) exams".<ref></ref> In the series of prime ministerial biographies ''Number 10'', produced by ], Pitt was portrayed by ].

===Places named after him===
*The ], a club for male students at the ], was founded in 1835 "to do honour to the name and memory of Mr William Pitt."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fletcher |first1=Walter Morley |authorlink1=Walter Morley Fletcher |others= |title=The University Pitt Club: 1835-1935 |format= |accessdate= |type= |edition=First Paperback |year=2011 |origyear=1935 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-1-107-60006-5 |page=1 |pages= |chapter= }}</ref>
*] in ] was named in 1788 by British explorer ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pittwater.nsw.gov.au/library/local_history/Pittwaters_past/pittwater |title=Pittwater's past |publisher=Pittwater Library – Pittwater.nsw.gov.au |date= |accessdate=2010-10-11}}</ref>
*] is the main financial precinct street in the ] of ]. There is also Pitt Town near Windsor outside of Sydney, together with another township called Wilberforce.
*] in ] National Park in ] was named after the rock formation's resemblance to the Prime Minister.
*While ] was named after his father, ] was named after Pitt the Younger.
*In ], ], Pitt Street was named for him, as British Prime Minister when Georgetown was founded in 1786.
*In ], a street on ] side, Pitt Street, is named after him.
<!-- Pittsburgh, PA was named after his father, and should not be listed here. -->
* ] in ] is named after William Pitt the Younger.
* Pitt Street in ]
* Pitt Street in ]
* Pitt Street in ]
* Rue Pitt, ] Quebec
* Chemin Pitt, ] Quebec
* Pitt Street, ], Nova Scotia
* Pitt Street, ] New Brunswick

==References==

{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==

===Biographical===
*{{cite book|authorlink=Michael Duffy (historian)|last=Duffy|first=Michael|year=2000|title=The Younger Pitt (Profiles In Power) |publisher=Longman|isbn=978-0-582-05279-6}}
* Ehrman, J. P. W., and Anthony Smith. "Pitt, William (1759–1806)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,'' (2004);
*{{cite book|last=Ehrman|first=John|year=1969–1996|title=The Younger Pitt (3 volumes)|publisher=Constable & Co}}, the standard scholarly history
**{{cite book|last=Ehrman|first = John|authorlink= John Ehrman|title= The Younger Pitt Vol. one: The Years of Acclaim|year=1984|origyear=1969|isbn=0-09-465990-7|publisher= St Edmundsbury Press|ref=CITEREFEhrman1984}}
**{{cite book|author=John Ehrman|title=The Younger Pitt: The reluctant transition|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=5l5nAAAAMAAJ|year=1969|publisher=Constable}}
** {{cite book|author=John Ehrman|title=The Younger Pitt: The consuming struggle|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=gEXIwmWh_doC|year=1996|publisher=Stanford University Press}}
*{{cite book|last=Jarrett|first=Derek|year=1974|title=Pitt the Younger|publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson|asin=B002AMOXYK |asin-tld=co.uk}}, a short scholarly biography
* Evans, Eric J. ''William Pitt the Younger'' (1999) 110 pages;
* {{cite book|last = Hague|first = William|authorlink= William Hague|title= William Pitt the Younger|year= 2005|isbn= 978-0-00-714720-5|publisher= HarperPerennial|ref = CITEREFHague2005}}
* Mori, Jennifer. "William Pitt the Younger" in R. Eccleshall and G. Walker, eds., ''Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers'' (Routledge, 1998), pp.&nbsp;85–94
*{{cite book|last=Reilly|first= Robin|year=1978|title=Pitt the Younger 1759–1806|publisher=Cassell Publishers|asin=B001OOYKNE |asin-tld=co.uk}}
*Rose, J. Holland. ''William Pitt and National Revival'' (1911); ''William Pitt and the Great War'' (1912), solid, detailed study superseded by Ehrman
*{{cite book|authorlink=Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl Stanhope|last=Stanhope|first=Philip Henry Stanhope, 5th Earl|year=1861–62|title=Life of the Right Honourable William Pitt. (4 volumes)|publisher=John Murray}}; includes many extracts from Pitt's correspondence ;
* {{cite book|last =Turner|first = Michael|title= Pitt the younger: a life|year= 2003|isbn= 978-1-85285-377-8|publisher= Continuum International Publishing Group|ref = CITEREFTurner2003}}

===Scholarly studies===
* Black, Jeremy. ''British Foreign Policy in an Age of Revolutions, 1783–93'' (1994)
* Blanning, T. C. W. ''The French Revolutionary Wars, 1787-1802'' (1996)
* Bryant, Arthur. ''Years of Endurance 1793-1802'' (1942); and ''Years of Victory, 1802-1812'' (1944), well-written surveys of the British story
* Cooper, William. "William Pitt, Taxation, and the Needs of War," ''Journal of British Studies'' Vol. 22, No. 1 (Autumn, 1982), pp.&nbsp;94–103
* Derry, J. ''Politics in the Age of Fox, Pitt and Liverpool: Continuity and Transformation'' (1990)
* Gaunt, Richard A. ''From Pitt to Peel: Conservative Politics in the Age of Reform'' (2014)
* Kelly, Paul. "British Politics, 1783-4: The Emergence and Triumph of the Younger Pitt's Administration," ''Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research'' (1981) 54#123 pp 62–78.
* Ledger-Lomas, Michael. "The Character of Pitt the Younger and Party Politics, 1830–1860." ''The Historical Journal'' 47.3 (2004): 641-661.
* Leonard, Dick, ed. ''Eighteenth-Century British Premiers: Walpole to the Younger Pitt'' (2011)
* Mori, Jennifer. "The political theory of William Pitt the Younger," ''History,'' April 1998, Vol. 83 Issue 270, pp 234–48
* Richards, Gerda C. "The Creations of Peers Recommended by the Younger Pitt," ''American Historical Review'' Vol. 34, No. 1 (Oct., 1928), pp.&nbsp;47–54
* Sack, James J. ''From Jacobite to Conservative: Reaction and Orthodoxy in Britain c.1760–1832'' (Cambridge University Press, 1993), does not see Pitt as a Tory
* Sack, James J. ''The Grenvillites, 1801–29: Party Politics and Factionalism in the Age of Pitt and Liverpool'' (U. of Illinois Press, 1979)
* Simms, Brendan. "Britain and Napoleon," ''Historical Journal'' (1998) 41#3 pp. 885-894
* Wilkinson, D. "The Pitt-Portland Coalition of 1794 and the Origins of the 'Tory' party" ''History'' 83 (1998), pp.&nbsp;249–64

===Historiography===
* Foster, R. E. "Forever Young: Myth, Reality and William Pitt," ''History Review'' (March 2009) No. 63
* Loades, David Michael, ed. ''Reader's guide to British history'' (2003) 2: 1044-45
*Moncure, James A. ed. ''Research Guide to European Historical Biography: 1450-Present'' (4 vol 1992); 4:1640-46
* Petrie, Charles, "The Bicentenary of the Younger Pitt," ''Quarterly Review'' (1959), Vol. 297 Issue 621, pp 254–265
* Sack, J. J. "The Memory of Burke and the Memory of Pitt: English Conservatism Confronts its Past, 1806-1829," ''Historical Journal'' (1987) 30#3 pp 623–640. , shows that after his death the conservatives embraced him as a great patriotic hero.

===Primary sources===
* Pitt, William. ''The speeches of the Right Honourable William Pitt, in the House of commons'' (1817)

==External links==
{{Sister project links|s=Author:William Pitt the Younger|wikt=no|v=no|b=no}}
* by ]
* on the ] website
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Pitt, William}}
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Revision as of 19:18, 21 October 2014

He was a face. this is zoe