After his triumph, the emperor looked to the west where Portugal was the oldest continental ally of the United Kingdom.

Britain was perilously near to exclusion from the mainland of Europe, and would find it hard to make contact with its continental allies.

The British economy also became Europe's most powerful, and British money funded the campaigns of their continental allies.

Britain was reluctant to antagonise Russia further, as it could not find a continental ally willing to lend support in a war.

A favoured diplomatic strategy was subsidizing the armies of continental allies, such as Prussia.

Among his responsibilities were the design of terms of credit between Britain and its continental allies during the war, and the acquisition of scarce currencies.

British financial subsidies were essential to keeping its continental allies Austria, Hanover and the Dutch Republic afloat.

By that time we will have a fully inte- grated national economy and a powerful continental ally.

The three continental allies advanced on the Netherlands while the landing of English troops along the coast was only barely prevented.

In the late 18th century, Britain's naval supremacy faced a new challenge from Napoleonic France and her continental allies.