Foreign Enlistment Act
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| Citation | 33 & 34 Vict. c.90 |
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| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 9 August 1870 |
| Text of the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c.90) is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that seeks to regulate mercenary activities of British citizens.
It received the royal assent on 9 August 1870.
Hansard has reference to "Foreign Enlistment Bill" discussions from 1819 to 2006.Stephen presents late 19th century establishment views.Lorimer publishes the law of 1870 as it was originally enacted.
Numerous former members of the UK armed forces had fought in the South American wars of independence against Spain. In those conflicts, trained officers of what was then regarded as the strongest military in the world successfully organised insurgents against Spain and caused major headaches for the Spanish expeditionary forces. Ultimately, Spain lost most of her territorial possessions in the Western Hemisphere and Anglo-Spanish relations were left strained for several decades. A law was passed in 1819 to prohibit British subjects from participating in foreign wars, but during the American Civil War it was found to be ineffective.
On 19 July 1870 Napoleon III of France declared war on the Kingdom of Prussia. The outbreak of hostilities put the UK in a delicate diplomatic position. Although relations between the UK and France had steadily improved since the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the UK's relations with Prussia were also close at the time due to the then-recent marriage of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter to Prussian Crown Prince Frederick.
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