Napoleon: Foreign Policy and
Downfall
 Peace of Amiens between England and France (1802)
 Divorced after 1 year
 Napoleon begins disrupting- Holland, Belgium,
Switzerland, and Italy
 Attempts to disrupt British supremacy in India-War
ensues (1803)
 Battle of Trafalgar off coast of Spain
 England remains undisputed supremacy of the seas
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Coalition against Napoleon resurrectedEngland, Austria, Russia, and Sweden
Napoleon defeats Austrians at Ulm (Oct. 20,
1805)
Defeated Russian troops at Austerlitz
Treaty of Pressburg- Austria surrenders Italy
Napoleon recognized as King of Italy
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Prussia assumes Germanic supremacy
Napoleon unifies Southern Germanies into
“Confederation of the Rhine”
Napoleon named as Protector
Ended the antiquated Holy Roman Empire
Under Treaty of Pressburg, Germanic states
loyal to Napoleon remained independent
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Prussian Emperor Frederick William III
remained neutral
Received Electorate of Hanover
Prussian military leader, Duke of Brunswick,
attacks France
Prussia’s army completely destroyed by
Napoleon
Napoleon marches into Berlin as Frederick
William III flees
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Treaty of Tilsit (1807)- Czar Alexander I
seeks peace as Napoleon moves to invade
Napoleon accepted as master if Western
Europe
Napoleon’s brother Jerome rules over Duchy
of Warsaw and Kingdom of Westphalia
Russia kept control of Eastern Europe after
promising to help in trade war with England
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Restricted importation of British goods to
Europe and key European goods to England
Berlin Decree of November 1806- blockade of
British Isles
All French ports closed to Britain and her
colonies
England retaliates by declaring all ships
trading with France ripe for capture
Although meant to cultivate European
economic independence from England,
actually caused economic hardship for all
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Invades Portugal after Portugal refuses to join
Continental System
Conquers Spain and places his brother,
Joseph on the throne as King of Spain
Peninsula War- Spain rebels, with English
help, and pushes Joseph out across Pyrennies
France’s distraction with Spain causes Austria
to declare war yet again (April 1809)- Austria
loses…again
Napoleon divorces Josephine and marries
daughter of Francis II of Austria
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Due to distrust of Napoleon, Czar Alexander I
violates Tilsit and trades with Britain
France declares war on Russia
Russian forces use scorched earth method
Napoleon forced to retreat from Moscow
Europe avenges itself!
Battle of Natims (1813)
Napoleon retreats to France, troops desert his
army, the Confederation of the Rhine
collapses
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Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba
Congress of Vienna convenes- Bourbons
restored to power
March 1, 1815- Bonaparte returns, but is put
down yet again at Waterloo June 18, 1815 by
Wellington and von Blucher
Exiled to St. Helena
Dies 1821- Murdered?? Natural Causes???