Napoleon 1807-1815

Continental Blockade

Having failed to invade Britain in 1805, Boney attempted to destroy them through economic sanctions

Nov 1806- Berlin Decree forbids France and its allies from buying goods from Britain

Nov 1807- 'Orders of Council' British retaliation that Britain would not trade with France or its allies

Dec 1807- Milan decree that France was allowed to capture neutral ships that had passed through Britain or allowed itself to be searched by British

These moves were unpopular as it made novelties like tea, tobacco and coffee unaffordable

Also set in motion the military obligations that would lead to his fall, as many of his allies did not wish to do this

Spain pt.1 why Peninsular War

Spain was an ally of France having lost in 1795, brief defection post-Trafalgar to Britain so Boney wary

Formed a Franco-Spanish alliance to invade Portugal which was Britain's way-in to Europe

took Lisbon in Dec 1807

March 1808- Charles VI's son Ferdinand holds a coup, Boney uses it against them as they defeat Ferdinand and force both Charles and then Ferdinand to Abdicate

August 1808- Boney puts his brother Joseph in charge of Spain and Wellesly is sent to Spain to help out by the British who take back a series of ports and bases putting pressure on the French

Nov 1808- Boney places himself in charge of Spain, bringing 80k troops to Madrid

Spain pt.2 Events of the War

war of attrition

by 1809

British troops forced to withdraw to the Northern coast of Gallicia

Harsh winter conditions caused problems for both sides

British saved by their navy

This meant that while France had the North of Spain the rest of the peninsular was causing them problems- 'the Spanish Ulcer'

Napoleon leaves Spain in 1809 to deal with the Austrians who have taken Spain as a sign that Boney is weakening

Wellesly returns to Lisbon in April with 30k troops at his disposa, creating the lines of Torres Vedras to defend the city and mount further attacks

Spain pt.3- effects of the war

resources- huge amounts of money and over a 1/4 of a million soldiers sent to Spain for the war

Spanish and British eventually wore the French down:

1813- Wellesly defeats the French at Vitoria and enter Madrid. Joseph Napoleon flees and the British begin invasion of France

1814- British take Toulouse

Austrian Campaign 1809

Austrians had improved tactics and developing conscription

Austrians moved into Bavaria sooner than expected

Boney did not anticipate as his intelligence had been wrong

April 21/22- Boney defeats Austrians at battle of Eckmuhl

May- Boney enters Vienna

Essling he was outnumbered, lost 20k soldiers and was forced to retreat to an island on Danube

July 5/6 - Battle of Wagram hard fought on both sides

Though this was technically a win for Boney, it was one that incurred huge losses and was harder won that earlier battles he had fought

This is likely due to an overconfident Boney and a lack of veterans in the army. Also relied on allied armies who were not as disciplined and some troops were diverted to Spain to deal with stuff there.

Russian campaign pt.1- beginnings of war

Tsar Alexander I sick of continental blockade

Also fears Boney will take Russian land in Poland

31 Dec 1810, Tsar breaks off Boney's trade embargo

Boney furious prepares a grand Armee for Russia from across the empire

Tsar Alexander allies with Sweden and waits for invasion

Russian campaign pt.2 events of war

Napoleon unprepared for Russia's scorched earth tactics as a commander who makes his troops 'live off the land'

24 June 1811- 650k troops Cross the river Neman into Russia

Russia burns all supplies at Vilnius

Deny Boney decisive battle at Smolensk

7 Sept- French troops catch up to Russian and defeat them at Borodino, lead on to Moscow

14 Sept- enter Moscow completely deserted

18 Oct- remaining 180k men begin retreat

Nov- Russian tried to burn bridges at Borisov to prevent French retreat, fails

Dec- temperatures reach 20 degrees, soldiers suffer starvation and hypothermia

Russian campaign pt.3 effects of war

Boney returns bc he discovers a plot to overthrow him by Malet who had tried to persuade people that Boney was dead- demonstration of the empire's reliance on Boney

Demonstrated Boney's fallibility, allowed other European powers to be more confident

Losses mean a need for more soldiers- fewer experienced soldiers remain leaving Boney with an increasingly frail army

the War of the Sixth Coalition

Russia forms coalition again with Prussia in 1812

Boney manages to create a new army of 250k within 3 months of Russian campaign

decl. war on Prussia in April 1813

Oct 1813- Leipzig, Boney overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the enemy and is forced to retreat to Germany, after a few successes still finds himself on the losing side

Boney refuses generous treaty of France's natural borders

Empire falls apart- only Switzerland, Italy, Belgium and 60k typhus-ridden troops

by 1814

Britain in SW France. Treaty of Chaumont confirmed the coalition would exist until Boney completely defeated

Allies enter Paris 30 March 1814- Senate invites LXVIII to take power on terms of Charter of 74 articles

Treaty of Fontainebleau April 1814- Boney allowed to keep title of Emperor but forced to live in Elba

100 days

11 March news comes to the Congress that Boney had escaped from Elba and had returned to France

13 March Congress tells LXVIII they will fight for him against Boney

Landed in France with under 1000 men, quickly worked up large following, by the time news reached Vienna he had 12k soldiers

Reflection of LXVIII's failure to gain respect

Boney puts forward a new constitution attempting to appeal to liberals, voted for by plebiscite

Then raised 300k men to fight sixth coalition

12 June Boney joins his troops

16 June defeats Prussians does not follow through with his victory leaving them to regroup in good form

Waterloo:

Wellington in good position

Boney confidently attacks on 18 June but is screwed over by timely arrival of 81k Prussian forces and even his imperial guard forced to retreat

To avoid civil war and due to clamours for it, Boney abdicates on 22nd June 1815