Yes, I'm still on this, because tyranny must be fought - and the past is prologue with much to teach us. If you doubt this, take a look at my post from a couple of weeks ago, covering the rise of Napoleon.
Last week's post dealt with the massive impact of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia and how this sowed the beginning of his eventual demise - because, while the Emperor was determined to bring all the nations of Europe under his control, either by treaty, extortion, or war, the rest of Europe had no desire to live as subjects under a universal dictator.
In fact, they’d had just about enough of being bullied, threatened, invaded, blockaded and generally forced to do the bidding of France. They were especially over having to send their armies, via conscription, to swell the ranks of Napoleon’s Grande Armée, thinning their own national defences - so while Napoleon was plotting to show Russia a thing or two about defiance, the rest of Europe was working on a way to bring him down. The main hurdle? politics. Some things really never change, do they?
The Continental System:
The Continental System was a major blockade of British trade imposed by Napoleon in November 1806 (does restricting trade with other world powers ring any bells yet?).
From his palace in Berlin, Napoleon had issued a decree imposing a blockade of the British Isles, prohibiting the entry of British goods and commerce into continental Europe.
This decree aimed to undermine Britain's economic power by isolating it from European markets, most of which were under French influence at the time. The Berlin Decree represented Napoleon’s most extensive and sustained effort to address the ongoing 'English problem' by weakening Britain’s economy.
Tarif means price:
Let’s just use the French word for restraint of trade: tarif, which means ‘price’ and - as should now be clear to most of us - higher living costs. Remember the food riots in England? Britain wasn't loving these war years but naval supremacy meant their economy didn't suffer the way Napoleon intended.
In fact, the economic strains, diplomatic tensions, and strategic miscalculations caused by this Continental System contributed to the weakening of Napoleon's power and influence. At the start of 1812, Britain had already been at war with France for eight years and was heavily engaged in the Peninsular War alongside Portugal and Spain.
Russia and Sweden, though reluctantly part of Napoleon’s Continental System were still trading secretly with Britain. Napoleon’s invasion of Russia was his attempt to showcase his displeasure. Likewise, in January 1812, French troops occupied Swedish Pomerania to curb this illegal trade, seizing Swedish properties and taking Swedish soldiers and officers prisoner.
In response, Crown Prince Charles John of Sweden (formerly French Marshal Jean Baptiste Bernadotte) declared neutrality. Though Sweden was still technically at war with Britain, and Russia had been its traditional foe, Charles John sought to form a new coalition against Napoleon. Britain and Russia were predisposed to listen.
The Enemy of my Enemy:
On April 5, 1812, Sweden and Russia signed the secret Treaty of Saint Petersburg, aligning against France and Denmark-Norway. Britain and Sweden formalised peace, with the Treaty of Örebro on July 18, 1812, which set the foundation for a coalition between Russia, Britain, and Sweden, although the specifics of military cooperation were still being negotiated.
While Russia faced Napoleon’s invasion alone, Britain and Spain dealt a blow to French forces in central Spain, defeating them at the Battle of Salamanca and capturing Madrid. This tied down a French army of 230,000 men, indirectly aiding Russia. Britain also provided financial support to Russia’s war effort, while Charles John, now aligned with Tsar Alexander I, offered strategic advice on defeating Napoleon, using his past experience with the French leader.
After the Grande Armée’s disastrous retreat from Moscow, Napoleon’s aura of invincibility began to fade. By December 14, 1812, the last French troops left Russian soil. With Napoleon weakened, his allies across Europe reconsidered their loyalties, with many contemplating switching sides to support the Tsar.
Country Before King:
The Convention of Tauroggen, signed on 30 December 1812, marked a significant turning point in Prussia’s involvement in the Napoleonic Wars. This agreement, negotiated between Generalleutnant Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg of the Prussian army and General Hans Karl von Diebitsch of the Imperial Russian Army, effectively neutralised the Prussian corps that had been forced into service under Napoleon’s Grande Armée during the Russian campaign.
According to the Treaty of Tilsit (1807), Prussia was bound to support Napoleon, yet the devastating Russian winter and mounting French losses offered a unique opportunity for Prussian officers like Yorck to query this allegiance.
Yorck’s decision to sign the armistice was a bold act of defiance against both Napoleon and his own king, Frederick William III, who hadn't authorised his nation's defection from the French alliance. The general put himself in a precarious position. As a soldier, his duty was to fight alongside the French forces, but as a Prussian patriot, he recognised the growing potential for national liberation.
Caught between competing loyalties, Yorck chose country over party - (sorry, he chose his country over his king's ill-made treaty) - and sided with Russia. While technically a breach of duty, the Convention of Tauroggen was welcomed with great enthusiasm by many Prussians who longed for an end to French domination.
However, the Prussian court, still cautious, initially suspended Yorck from command and ordered his court-martial. These proceedings were soon abandoned following the Treaty of Kalisch (28 February 1813), when Prussia officially joined the coalition against Napoleon.
Getting out from Under:
Prussia’s shift was part of a broader realignment in Europe. Austria, still formally allied with France, adopted a stance of armed neutrality by early 1813, eventually abandoning Napoleon by August. Sweden, under Crown Prince Charles John, also joined the coalition after securing British recognition of its claims to Norway (I mentioned the politics, right?)
The War of the Sixth Coalition:
On 13 March 1813, Prussia declared war on France, following King Frederick William III’s impassioned call to arms, "An Mein Volk" ('To My People', in Prussian). The Prussian declaration marked a decisive moment, as the War of Liberation began in earnest with the defeat of French forces at the Battle of Möckern on 5 April.
Meanwhile, Napoleon’s weakening strategic position was exacerbated by setbacks in Spain, where the British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces under the Duke of Wellington achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Vitoria in June 1813.
Austria entered the coalition later that summer, and Napoleon faced a united front of European powers determined to dismantle his empire. By August 1813, with Austria’s formal declaration of war, the coalition had solidified, setting the stage for Napoleon’s eventual defeat.
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