Upon embarking on his Continental System, Napoleon Bonaparte believed that Britain is “a nation of shopkeepers” He believed that the wealth of Britain and its power all lay in her commerce and trade and not in the nation itself. Thus, he concluded that if he were to strangle the trade of Britain, the wealthiest country at the time, he would be able to starve them out, consequently occupying them . This was the purpose of the Continental System, to destroy Britain’s economic stability and credibility and in the same time transfer this wealth to France . Bonaparte believed that “For France, the result will be a dream” that couldn’t not be accomplished without this system. This paper will examine the details and background of the Continental system and argue the reason for its failure, Napoleon’s inability to properly enforce the system, the independence of Britain from the Continent without any major consequences, and most importantly the Continent’s dependence on Britain for raw materials which let them to creative ways of smuggling.
After the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, the supremacy of the British navy was established to all of Europe and it was obvious that France cannot defeat Britain in direct war . England was already the wealthiest country in Europe as they were the most developed, but it was believed that their wealth is scattered as it does not lie in the country or the government, but it was in the trade and the commerce in Britain. Napoleon believed that in order defeat Britain he must cause their economy to crash, as the historian Sloane wrote “To destroy British commerce is to strike England to the heart” . This belief that the English wealth could be shaken up if he were to stop all their trade and cause econo...
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...d the effect of the system on British economy. Napoleon’s main fault was that he exhausted France’s power and had too many projects going on at the same time that as he tried to get everything he got nothing. Napoleon’s motto “La France avant tout” proved extremely destructive of him.
Works Cited
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J.H. Rose, “Napoleon and English Commerce,” The English Historical Review 8, no. 32 (1893): 704
Sloane, 215
Eli F. Hechscher, The Continental System: An Economic Interpretation (Toronto: The Clarendon Press, 1918), III.VI.3
Louis L. Snyder, Fifty Major Documents od the Nineteenth Century (New York: Van Nostrand, 1955), 18.
Roland Ruppenthal, “Denmark and the Continental System,” The Journal of Modern History15, no. 1 (1943): 8.
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France entered into the Napoleonic Wars as a result of the French Revolution and the European sovereigns’ opposition to the creation of the French republic out of the fear that such ideas of democracy may spread to neighboring nations and remove the monarchs from their thrones through revolutions. The actions of these nations only served to ironically lead to the spreading of French idealism across the continent during France’s peak of military prowess. By alienating and siding against France, France entered into war with the “Coalitions” of European Monarchies and under Napoleon’s rule, conquered their opposition and under their rule, learned of the French ideology of Demo...
Mansel, P. (1998, March 1). Napoleon the kingmaker. (his nepotism weakened his power). History Today, p. 39-46.
Napoleon supported the system of hereditary power. This was very contradicting to the ideal of the French Revolution which discourages hereditary privilege. “ It was clearly seen that for a great nation the only salvation lies in hereditary power, which can alone assure a continuous political life which may endure for generations, even for centuries.”
The Russians didn’t really help Napoleon in his war against Britain, reducing the effect of the “continental system”, a foreign policy. Napoleon was angered by their decision, and Alexander I was advised to invade Fra...
Lyons, Martin. Napoleon Bonaparte and the Legacy of the French Revolution. London: Macmillen, 1994. Print.
Kreis, S. (2001). The History Guide. Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History: The Code Napoleon. 15 July, 2010, http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/code_nap.html
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Nothing has been simpler than my elevation…It is owing to the peculiarities of the time.” Coming to power at a time of instability and disorder in France immediately following the French Revolution, Napoleon quickly established himself as the political leader and military power behind France. Easily and efficiently overthrowing the poorly managed Directory, Napoleon established a three man governing body referred to as the Consulate. Naming himself Consul for Life in 1802, and crowning himself emperor in 1804, Napoleon made it clear that is was a time of dramatic change in France. Although establishing himself as an absolute ruler, Napoleon did it all with the support of the people, through the use of a plebiscite. Obviously a man that held immense power, Napoleon has been credited with many great successes. To the people of France, Napoleon was a savior, a man who could, despite being an autocrat, implement the ideals of the French Revolution. Establishing order, giving the French people a sense of security, and running his government smoothly became Napoleon’s priorities. Through a variety of reforms including, centralizing the government, establishing public education, instituting religious tolerance specifically signing the Concordat of 1801, and stimulating the economy, Napoleon won the support of French people across the classes, including the peasantry who in years previous had suffered greatly under absolute rulers. One of Napoleon’s most lasting reforms was his installment of the Napoleonic Code, a set of laws that reflected the idea of equality so evidently bannered throughout the French Revolution. Napoleon was able to capture the attention of the French people through every facet except absolutism.
Napoleon to the French Nation, 15 Dec 1799, Howard, John Letters and Documents of Napoleon (London, 1961) p.428.
Throughout this time, Jefferson was keeping tabs on Napoleon's military activities and intentions in North America. Part of his evolving strategy involved givi...
Kirchberger, Joe H. The French Revolution and Napoleon. New York: Facts on File inc, 1989.
Kreis, Steven. “Europe and the Superior Being: Napoleon.” The History Guide: Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History. 13 May. 2004. 6 Dec. 2004.
Misused intelligence and underestimated opponents were at the heart of Napoleon?s downfall. This was clearly shown at Moscow when the Russians outwitted him by using their scorched earth policy and not meeting him in battle as they agreed. With careful planning, the Russian invasion could have gone a lot better and maybe not have led to Napoleon?s downfall.
With all the glory and the splendour that some countries may have experienced, never has history seen how only only one man, Napoleon, brought up his country, France, from its most tormented status, to the very pinnacle of its height in just a few years time. He was a military hero who won splendid land-based battles, which allowed him to dominate most of the European continent. He was a man with ambition, great self-control and calculation, a great strategist, a genius; whatever it was, he was simply the best. But, even though how great this person was, something about how he governed France still floats among people's minds. Did he abuse his power? Did Napoleon defeat the purpose of the ideals of the French Revolution? After all of his success in his military campaigns, did he gratify the people's needs regarding their ideals on the French Revolution? This is one of the many controversies that we have to deal with when studying Napoleon and the French Revolution. In this essay, I will discuss my opinion on whether or not was he a destroyer of the ideals of the French Revolution.
Watt, Ian. Conrad in the Nineteenth Century. San Diego: U. of California P, 1979. 168-200, 249-53.