▁ 1 8 0 3 . ▁Great ▁Britain ▁would ▁remain ▁involved ▁until ▁the ▁British ▁victory ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Water lo o ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁soon - to - be ▁em peror ▁Napoleon ▁made ▁it ▁known ▁that ▁he ▁intended ▁to ▁in va de ▁Britain , ▁am ass ing ▁troops ▁on ▁the ▁nearby ▁sh ores ▁of ▁Cal ais ▁and ▁prompt ing ▁Britain ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁increasing ▁its ▁army ▁and ▁n avy . ▁The ▁British ▁government ▁built ▁additional ▁def enses ▁along ▁England ' s ▁southern ▁coast ▁and ▁strength ened ▁old ▁ones , ▁but ▁these ▁military ▁invest ments ▁came ▁at ▁a ▁high ▁cost . ▁ ▁Fin ancing ▁war ▁Britain ▁did ▁implement ▁some ▁additional ▁tax es ▁during ▁w art ime , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁un pop ular , ▁failed ▁to ▁raise ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁hoped , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁unnecessary ▁since ▁Britain ▁not ▁only ▁had ▁good ▁standing ▁with ▁credit ors ▁and ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁fin ance ▁war ▁costs ▁by ▁issu ing ▁deb t , ▁but ▁also ▁had ▁abandoned ▁the ▁gold ▁standard ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 7 , ▁en abling ▁it ▁to ▁issue ▁additional ▁un - back ed ▁notes . ▁ ▁Deb t ▁Britain ▁generally ▁fund ed ▁its ▁wars ▁by ▁issu ing ▁deb t ▁rather ▁than ▁raising ▁tax es . ▁This ▁was ▁a ▁strategy ▁Britain ▁had ▁employed ▁in ▁fund ing ▁its ▁wars ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁Britain ▁fin anced ▁its ▁war ▁exp end it ures ▁by ▁issu ing ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁un fund ed