▁war ▁as ▁it ▁rel ates ▁to ▁our ▁interests ▁and ▁oblig ations ." ▁ ▁When ▁France ▁moved ▁to ▁occup y ▁Switzerland , ▁the ▁British ▁had ▁issued ▁orders ▁for ▁their ▁military ▁not ▁to ▁return ▁Cape ▁Col ony ▁to ▁the ▁Dutch , ▁as ▁st ip ulated ▁in ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Am iens , ▁only ▁to ▁counter m and ▁them ▁when ▁the ▁Swiss ▁failed ▁to ▁resist . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 8 0 3 , ▁the ▁British ▁min istry ▁received ▁notice ▁that ▁Cape ▁Col ony ▁had ▁been ▁re occup ied ▁by ▁the ▁military , ▁and ▁it ▁prompt ly ▁ordered ▁military ▁prepar ations ▁to ▁guard ▁against ▁possible ▁French ▁ret ali ation ▁for ▁the ▁bre ach ▁of ▁the ▁treat y . ▁They ▁f als ely ▁claimed ▁that ▁host ile ▁French ▁prepar ations ▁had ▁forced ▁them ▁into ▁that ▁action ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁engaged ▁in ▁serious ▁negoti ations . ▁To ▁cover ▁up ▁their ▁de ception , ▁the ▁min istry ▁issued ▁a ▁sudden ▁ult imat um ▁to ▁France , ▁demand ing ▁an ▁ev acu ation ▁of ▁Holland ▁and ▁Switzerland ▁and ▁British ▁control ▁of ▁Mal ta ▁for ▁ten ▁years . ▁The ▁exchange ▁prompt ed ▁an ▁ex od us ▁of ▁foreign ers ▁from ▁France , ▁and ▁Bon ap arte ▁quickly ▁sold ▁Louisiana ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁prevent ▁its ▁capture ▁by ▁Britain . ▁Bon ap arte ▁made ▁" every ▁con cess ion ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁considered ▁as ▁demanded ▁or ▁even ▁im posed ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁government " ▁by ▁offering ▁to ▁guarantee ▁the ▁integrity ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁place ▁Mal ta