1. PART I NAPOLEON’S EMPIRE COLLAPSES

2. NAPOLEON’S COSTLY MISTAKES His love for power took him far but also led to his eventual doom.

3. THE CONTINENTAL SYSTEM November 1806: Napoleon set up a blockade to prevent all trade + communication b/w G.B. and other European countries blockade (forcible closing of ports) Called this policy the Continental System : b/c it was supposed to make continental Europe more self- sufficient Also to destroy GB’s commercial and industrial economy

4. BLOCKADE BATTLES Napoleon’s blockade not tight enough, hard to patrol all ports w/such a big + expanding empire Smugglers (w/ the help of GB) were able to bring British goods into Europe Napoleon’s allies sometimes ignored the blockade (even his brother – king of Holland - in one instance) Overall, blockade weakened Br. trade but didn’t destroy it GB responded w/its own blockade and were better able to enforce it b/c of its strong navy

5. THE BRITISH BLOCKADE The British Navy stopped neutral ships headed for Europe and sent them to GB to be searched and taxed The U.S. ships were part of these neutral victims Angered, the U.S. Congress declared war on GB in 1812 Two years that Napoleon would have liked to be a big inconvenience to GB was really only a minor one

6. THE PENINSULA WAR (1808) Napoleon’s next costly mistake In order to force Portugal to accept the Continental System, NB sent an army through Spain  Spanish ppl protested this as they had a very strong sense of nationalism ∴ Napoleon removed the Spanish king and replaced him w/ his own brother, Joseph This OUTRAGED the Spanish ppl who were then worried Napoleon’s next victim was the Church Saw the French Rev and were worried about a repeat

7. THE PENINSULA WAR Peninsula War- For 6 years Spanish guerillas would fight French armies in Spain Spanish Guerillas : small groups of Spanish peasants that would ambush then hide  Very non-traditional and Napoleon could not defeat in open battle British sent troops to aid the Spanish to hurt NB Napoleon lost over 300,000 men in the Peninsula War – greatly weakened the French Empire Nationalism (loyalty towards one’s own nation) in Spain and elsewhere greatly hurt Napoleon as they defended their country Those who once supported him now saw him as an abusive foreign conqueror

8. THE INVASION OF RUSSIA (1812) Napoleon’s most disastrous mistake Czar Alexander I refused to stop selling grain to GB even though he was an ally to NB Napoleon also wanted to liberate Poland from a threat of Russian control ∴ Napoleon decides to invade Russia June 1812 NB marches his Grand Army of 420,000+ into Russia

9. THE INVASION OF RUSSIA (1812) June 1812 NB marches his Grand Army of 420,000+ into Russia Russia pulls back, they refused to be lured into an unequal battle but does practice a scorched-earth policy: Burning grain fields on their way back, and killing livestock so the enemy’s (NB’s) troops had nothing to eat

10. BATTLE OF BORODINO NB and Alexander finally meet on June 7, 1812 Hours of indecisive fighting ∴ the Russians pull back and Napoleon pushes onto Moscow When he arrives a week later, the city was in flames! Alexander refused to allow NB to take over the city so he burned it NB stays in the ruined city of Moscow until October then decides to head back to France

11. THE TREACHEROUS TRIP TO FRANCE Early Nov.  the temp began to drop significantly and the snow really picked up on their way back Russian raiders mercilessly attacked NB’s army where many of his soldier were killed Many more died from starvation, exhaustion, and the cold Mid-December, NB’s army makes it to France with only 10,000 soldiers left!