Hemp, War of 1812, & Napoleon
The importance of hemp to the British Navy made hemp an essential raw material during wars and there is strong evidence that hemp supply chains became the target of naval attacks during wartime. Great Britain would get a large portion of their hemp raw materials from the Americas and their colonial outposts in Canada, but the highest quality hemp and Great Britain’s number one supplier was Russia. During this time, Russia was ruled by Tzars and many of the region’s serf communities were forced to grow hemp. Hemp is a labor-intensive crop and during this era, the majority of the work was done either by serfs or slaves. Russia produced the very best hemp due to their low-cost labor and their ability to master a process called ‘wet retting’. Water retting produced smoother and more durable hemp textiles and Russian hemp was sold at a premium on the market. During Napoleon’s rise to power and during the War of 1812, Napoleon knew about the strategic importance of Russia’s hemp industry and demanded that all of Europe halt trading with Great Britain. Napoleon’s strategy was to force the British into cannibalizing their navy by disrupting the trade for hemp sails and cordage. Russia didn’t abide by Napoleon’s demands for long, but during this time period, the British would actually seize American ships that were in the Baltic ocean and command these ships to acquire Russian hemp for the King.
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