Do you know about the role that hemp played in the French invasion of Russia? Most people don’t. Our educational system often seems to have missed important details about history, if they are related to cannabis. This is perhaps most evident when looking at the role that hemp played during colonial times. Not aware that hemp was an important aspect of life during this time? Again, most people aren’t.

Thoughts on Hemp During Colonial Times

Hemp was not only an important crop throughout Europe and the Americas during colonial times, it was the most important. Yes that is correct, hemp was once the most important agricultural crop in the world. In fact, hemp once fueled worldwide industry, much the same way that fossil fuels do currently. 

This is partly due to the wide range of uses for cannabis as well as the roles that cannabis played in different cultures around the world. It is also largely due to the value that was placed on hemp in European countries and colonies during this time. Hemp was so important at the time, that leaders around the world required it.

In 1533 King Henry VIII was the first leader to require farmers to dedicate a portion of their fields to growing hemp. Later Queen Elizabeth I would also require the same throughout England. King Philip of Spain required the Spanish Colonies all throughout the Americas to grow Hemp for the Armada by the late 1500’s. Britain was doing the same by the early 1600’s and Virginia was the first American colony to require hemp farming in 1619. By the late 1700’s Jefferson and Washington both farmed hemp on their land.

The Importance of Naval Trade and Armies

So why was hemp so important during this time? Were all the leaders of the world just really into getting high? Maybe, but It was most likely because of the economic power associated with hemp. During the time of colonialism, ruling the waterways was an important sign of power. 

The countries that could freely trade using ships gained great access to goods from all over the world. Crossing oceans and seas wasn’t as easy as simply getting in a boat however. In addition to the perils of life on the open sea, pirates and the naval presence of other countries meant navigating the ocean required more than a compass and knowledge of sailing.  

On the worldwide scene, having a Navy and foreign trade were necessary to be among the world’s powers. Britain, France and Spain were known for their ability to traverse the globe and colonize foreign lands thanks to their fleets of ships. The Naval power associated with their governments ensured safe trading with other nations.

The Need for Hemp at Sea

So what do Navies and foreign trade have to do with hemp? Simply put, hemp was absolutely essential to building a ship, let alone a fleet of ships. Hemp was used to make the canvas used for sails. Each suit of sails required nearly an acre of hemp, and each ship required two full suits of sails. 

For the rope and rigging used on ships, only hemp would do. Of all the fiber plants available, hemp was the only one that could hold up after months at sea. Each ship would carry between fifty and one hundred tons of hemp rigging. 

It wasn’t just the sails and the rope that were made from hemp either. The flags, the maps, the uniforms, all made from hemp. The sealant used to cover the wooden ship and protect it from the harsh salt water for months on end, also from hemp. It took many acres of land to grow the hemp necessary to fully outfit even one ship. 

Russia, Land of Hemp

Fortunately, acreage of land is something that Russia is known to have plenty of. At the turn of the century between the 1700’s and 1800’s, Russia had established itself as the world’s premiere supplier of hemp. The quality of hemp rope and rigging from Russia was viewed as so superior, that many sailors would require that any ship they intended to cross the ocean in was equipped with rigging made from Russian hemp. 

Russia had other features that gave it distinct advantages in the worldwide hemp market too. Making rope from hemp not only required a lot of land, but also cheap labor. The feudal system used by Russia at the time supplied an abundance of cheap labor.

Another key feature for the Russian hemp market was accessibility. By the early 1800’s Kentucky was becoming a large supplier of hemp as well. However for coastal American cities, it was often still cheaper to buy hemp from Russia due to the fact that sailing thousands of miles was still easier at the time than carrying large shipments hundreds of miles across land. Russian riverways and ports made transporting the high quality hemp relatively easy.

America, The New Boats In the Ocean

Following the Revolutionary war, America started to become a player in the international trade scene. Like other nations, America needed a Navy to be taken seriously on the world scene. Also like other nations, America would need to import the majority of its hemp supply in order to fuel the ambitions of its Navy and merchants. 

As mentioned, hemp farming was already becoming an important agricultural crop in America, but the demand vastly outpaced the supply. Additionally, America was looking to not only supply current demands, but to grow as well. This made America a welcomed trade partner for Russia, who desired the furs and tobacco that American traders were able to offer in exchange. America however, was not the only world power looking to grow at the time. 

Napoleon’s Ambitions For Europe

Napoleon was an ambitious man. Starting as a general in the French Revolution, Napoleon won key battles that elevated his notoriety. His early victories against the powerful British Army launched him to the title of First Consul in France in 1799. By 1804 he would make himself the Emperor, formally doing away with the ideals of the French Revolution which had catapulted him to power. 

His ambition was not just to rule France however, but to control all of Europe. For that, he would need hemp, and a lot of tact. Time would show he was a little short in a few ways. At the time however, his threat to accomplish his goal of uniting Europe under his control was viable. He was successful in extending his territory of control throughout nearly all of continental Europe through a combination of strong military tact, and political nepotism (putting his own family in control of nations such as Spain and Italy.) His ambition didn’t stop at the water’s edge however, and Britain was on his wish list.  

The Power Of The British Navy

Despite everything happening on the worldwide scene, with America gaining its independence, and France asserting power over Europe, Britain still ruled the sea. The Royal Navy was still the primary power on the water at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. This was evident in the victories over the French in the Trafalgar campaigns, as well as in the limitations imposed on American merchants trying to reach Europe for trade. 

As much as Napoleon wanted to sail over to Britain and claim it. The Royal Navy was too powerful. As eager as American traders were to bring riches from all over the world home. The Royal Navy, not their own, made the rules of the sea. 

The Stage Is Set For: Hemp Wars!

Now that we have had a chance to meet the key characters in this scene, we can set the stage for what could rightfully be taught in history as The Hemp Wars. In the early part of the 1800’s the British Empire was losing ground to both the Americans and the French. Where they still couldn’t be beat however was on the sea. 

Knowing this, and desiring to rule all of Europe, Napoleon sought to economically weaken the British. If he could cut off supplies to the British Navy, then he would have a chance to defeat them at sea. As he saw it, this would be necessary in order to reach his lofty ambitions. America and Russia for the most part, really just wanted to conduct trade.

Cutting the British Out

In the early 1800’s Russia was exporting over 400,000 lbs. of hemp per year. Approximately between one half and two thirds was going to feed the British Navy. Knowing that Britain was dependent on the trade of Russia (an ally of France) as well as the rest of continental Europe, Napoleon sought to cut off Britain economically with his Continental System. This stopped trade between Britain and the rest of Europe, which included allies such as Russia. Napoleon was able to get Tsar Alexander I of Russia to agree to his Continental System by signing the Treaty of Tilsit. With that signing, the Royal Navy was cut off from it’s supply of hemp.

The British Work Around

Cutting off Britain’s supply of Russian hemp may have proved successful in weakening the power of the Royal Navy, if it had been successful. The Russians did stop trading with Britain. But that didn’t stop the Britains from being the biggest boat in the tub. Britain had a worldwide influence. 

The Continental System, intended by Napoleon to weaken England economically, mostly backfired. The continent was more dependent on England than England was on it. This was largely due to the Americas. Britain was able to replace the trade it lost from France and its allies, by trade with the American colonies. France was fenced in by the British Navy and unable to do the same. 

Similarly, as to the war for hemp control. The British Navy was able to turn to the American colonies. While America didn’t produce enough hemp for any of it to leave its shores, America was able to trade with Russia. In fact with Russia no longer supplying Europe with hemp, there was an increased supply available to America. 

Coincidentally, American ships had to pass by England en route to Russia. Being the big kids at the playground, the British Navy was essentially able to take the American traders’ lunch money. England would stop American traders and either seize their possessions for good, or require the American traders to purchase hemp from Russia for England. The choice was up to the owner of the captured ship. Obviously the American traders hadn’t much of a choice if they desired to continue their trade

Napoleon’s Invasion

Realizing what the British were doing, and knowing that there wasn’t much that the American merchants could do. Napoleon needed a different method to control the Russian hemp supply. He tried to get Tsar Alexander I to allow his men to be stationed at Russian ports in St. Petersburg so that he could personally ensure that hemp was not ending up in the hands of the British Navy.

When the Tsar refused, Napoleon decided to invade Russia. Napoleon then learned the hard way, what every nation that has ever tried to invade Russia has. It’s not happening. Even if successful initially, Russia is not a country for the faint of heart. Not enough has been said about how, as a nation, Russia’s resistance and resilience in the face of invasion are and have been second to none.

Napoleon, with all his military genius, fared no better. After amassing the largest standing army in the world, Napoleon marched into western Russia. The Russian army was outnumbered nearly 3 to 1. After suffering significant early losses, Russia relied on a strategy that is quite common to Russian military strategists with regard to invaders. Outsurvive.

A Pyrrhic Victory

Turning to a campaign of mostly calculated retreat into the Russian interior and relying on the attrition of the French Army proved a successful gambit. The French Army won nearly every battle, and they successfully took Moscow. But by the time they did, Moscow was mostly empty and the mighty French Army that was once nearly 600,000 strong was reduced to less than 100,000. 

Napoleon stayed in Moscow about a month before heading back to France, unsuccessful in his true mission. He was never able to cut off the supply of hemp to the Royal Navy. Napoleon was also soon defeated and banished. He would return a few months later for one last battle at Waterloo, but ultimately he was banished to a small island off the coast of Antarctica where he would live the last years of his life.

The Lost History

What’s really most astonishing about this story, is that it never really gets taught. Most people will learn about Napoleon. That he was ambitious, and a great military mind. They probably won’t learn how important cannabis was to his military strategy. 

Very few modern adults could tell you that once upon a time hemp ruled industry. Sure, everyone knows that navies once ruled the world, but hardly anyone realizes that hemp ruled the navies. Just over a hundred years before the first official world war occured, nearly all the same players were taking part in the Napoleonic Wars. 

Central to the strategy in these wars was the importance that hemp played in maritime battle and international trade. Perhaps those wars would be better called the Hemp Wars. Perhaps, but that would push the bounds a little too much for the comfort of some. Even if our educational system isn’t ready to face the full weight that cannabis has played throughout history, it is  at least worth mentioning. 

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References:

1. Bjork, Gordon C. “Crosby, Alfred W., Jr.,” America, Russia, Hemp, and Napoleon: American Trade with Russia and the Baltic, 1783-1812″(Book Review).” Business History Review 40.1 (1966): 125.
2. Herer, Jack. Jack Herer’s the Emperor Wears No Clothes. Quick Amer Archives, 1998.
3. Clarke, Robert, and Mark Merlin. Cannabis: evolution and ethnobotany. Univ of California Press, 2016.
4. Western Civilizations: Their History & Their Culture. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. Daily Newspaper (print): West, Kanye.