Comment je suis tombé de la gloire.
Napoleon’s DownFall: If we oversimplify the Napoleonic Wars to extract the pieces of history that were vital to Napoleon’s downfall (leaving out his gigantic ego), we can discern these three:
1. The Continental System: Napoleon decided to impose a continent-wide blockade on Britain, which was a completely ridiculous attempt at weakening his arch-enemy England. Napoleon did not have nearly enough means to enforce this act, and as a result British trade continued in some countries that resisted the policy, or with the aid of smugglers. Ironically, the Continental System did more harm to the economy of Napoleonic France and its satellite states than it did to Britain.
2. The Peninsular War: When Napoleon created the Continental System, Portugal refused to comply with a treaty that would severely weaken its trade. Promptly, the French marched in with their armies and overran Spain and Portugal. The Spanish people feared that the Catholic Church would be thrown aside by the French, causing unrest. In addition, Napoleon further humiliated the Spanish by deposing their king, to whom the Spaniards were loyal, instead putting his brother on the throne. This was the spark that would set off the true Peninsular War with constant guerrilla warfare that would end with Napoleon losing 300,000 troops by 1813, after 5 years of fighting.
3. The Invasion of Russia: Napoleon committed his gravest mistake in 1812. The Russian and French governments had already been suspecting each others plans concerning the territory of Poland, and when the Tsar of Russia, Alexander I, discontinued his support for the French blockade, Napoleon marched into Russia along with the 422,000 soldiers of the Grande Armée. His campaign would eventually end in a total, crushing defeat. The Russian forces limited themselves to brief skirmishes before retreating quickly in good order. Along the way they destroyed everything that might have been of use to Napoleon’s army, even going so far as to burn their crops. Suffering from hunger and extreme cold, Napoleon’s army succeeded in capturing Moscow, but it had already been torched. Not willing to give up, Napoleon held out in Moscow, expecting the Tsar to surrender. But the capitulation never came, and the French were forced to begin the long march back to friendly territory. The hunger and the cold had not ceased, and the Russians began raiding Napoleon’s troops. After finally having left Russia, only 10,000 of Napoleon’s soldiers were able to bear arms.
Beaten on all fronts, the collapse of the French Empire was imminent. Prussia, Austria, Britain, Russia, and Sweden joined forces to defeat Napoleon while he was weak, and in April of 1814, Napoleon surrendered and relinquished control of the French Throne.
1. The Continental System: Napoleon decided to impose a continent-wide blockade on Britain, which was a completely ridiculous attempt at weakening his arch-enemy England. Napoleon did not have nearly enough means to enforce this act, and as a result British trade continued in some countries that resisted the policy, or with the aid of smugglers. Ironically, the Continental System did more harm to the economy of Napoleonic France and its satellite states than it did to Britain.
2. The Peninsular War: When Napoleon created the Continental System, Portugal refused to comply with a treaty that would severely weaken its trade. Promptly, the French marched in with their armies and overran Spain and Portugal. The Spanish people feared that the Catholic Church would be thrown aside by the French, causing unrest. In addition, Napoleon further humiliated the Spanish by deposing their king, to whom the Spaniards were loyal, instead putting his brother on the throne. This was the spark that would set off the true Peninsular War with constant guerrilla warfare that would end with Napoleon losing 300,000 troops by 1813, after 5 years of fighting.
3. The Invasion of Russia: Napoleon committed his gravest mistake in 1812. The Russian and French governments had already been suspecting each others plans concerning the territory of Poland, and when the Tsar of Russia, Alexander I, discontinued his support for the French blockade, Napoleon marched into Russia along with the 422,000 soldiers of the Grande Armée. His campaign would eventually end in a total, crushing defeat. The Russian forces limited themselves to brief skirmishes before retreating quickly in good order. Along the way they destroyed everything that might have been of use to Napoleon’s army, even going so far as to burn their crops. Suffering from hunger and extreme cold, Napoleon’s army succeeded in capturing Moscow, but it had already been torched. Not willing to give up, Napoleon held out in Moscow, expecting the Tsar to surrender. But the capitulation never came, and the French were forced to begin the long march back to friendly territory. The hunger and the cold had not ceased, and the Russians began raiding Napoleon’s troops. After finally having left Russia, only 10,000 of Napoleon’s soldiers were able to bear arms.
Beaten on all fronts, the collapse of the French Empire was imminent. Prussia, Austria, Britain, Russia, and Sweden joined forces to defeat Napoleon while he was weak, and in April of 1814, Napoleon surrendered and relinquished control of the French Throne.