▁French ▁and ▁Dutch ▁merchant ▁ships ▁station ed ▁in ▁Britain ▁or ▁sail ing ▁around , ▁se izing ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 ▁million ▁pounds ▁of ▁comm od ities ▁and ▁taking ▁their ▁cre ws ▁as ▁prisoners . ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁that ▁prov ocation , ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁May ▁( 2 ▁Pra i rial , ▁year ▁XI ), ▁the ▁First ▁Cons ul ▁ordered ▁the ▁arrest ▁of ▁all ▁British ▁males ▁between ▁the ▁ages ▁of ▁ 1 8 ▁and ▁ 6 0 ▁in ▁France ▁and ▁Italy , ▁tra pping ▁many ▁trav elling ▁civ ili ans . ▁The ▁acts ▁were ▁den ounced ▁as ▁illegal ▁by ▁all ▁the ▁major ▁powers . ▁Bon ap arte ▁claimed ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁press ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁prisoners ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁taken ▁amount ed ▁to ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁but ▁French ▁documents ▁compiled ▁in ▁Paris ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁later ▁show ▁that ▁the ▁numbers ▁were ▁ 1 , 1 8 1 . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁ab dic ation ▁of ▁Bon ap arte ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 4 ▁that ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁imprison ed ▁British ▁civ ili ans ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁return ▁home . ▁ ▁Add ington ▁proved ▁an ▁in effect ive ▁prime ▁minister ▁in ▁w art ime ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁May ▁ 1 8 0 4 ▁with ▁William ▁Pitt , ▁who ▁formed ▁the ▁Third ▁Co al ition . ▁Pitt ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁failed ▁assass ination ▁attempts ▁on ▁Bon ap arte ' s ▁life ▁by ▁Cad oud al ▁and ▁P iche gru . ▁ ▁Napoleon