NAPOLEON’S FOREIGN POLICY (1800-1816)

Right from the start Napoleon was too ambitious and wished to control the whole Europe. His aims and objectives were to conquer and dominate the whole of Europe and spread the revolutionary ideas. He believed that it was only him who had the immediate solution to problems facing Europe.

1.       The second coalition (1789-1802)

Napoleon came to power at a time when the second coalition (Britain, Turkey, Austria, Russia, Portugal and Naples) had defeated the French troops. Napoleon re-organized the French army and defeated Austria at the battle of Morengo in March 1800. Austria was forced to sign the treaty of Luneville(1802) in which she surrendered Italy, Holland, Switzerland and the Rhine territory to France. However, although Napoleon defeated the rest of coalition powers, he failed to defeat Britain because of her Naval superiority.

2.       The treaty of Amiens (March 1802)

By 1802, both France and Britain were fed up of wars and they had failed to defeat each other. They resorted to peace agreement known as the treaty of Amiens. According to the provision of this treaty,

Britain was to recognize French boundaries of 1802

Britain was to evacuate Egypt, Malta and West India

France was to evacuate Southern Italy

France was to evacuate Sri-lanka which was to be retained by Britain

However, the treaty of Amiens short lived as Britain refused to evacuate Malta and France did not surrender Egypt and Turkey.

3.       Napoleon and the third coalition

By 1805, the third coalition was formed against France. It was made of Britain, Austria, Russia, and Sweden. Their aim was to force France out of Italy, Belgium, and the Rhineland. Britain blocked the French troops and cut them off from the French colonies. This made Napoleon to plan to invade England. He is reported to have remarked that “if I can be the master of the sea for six hours, England would cease to exist.” Consequently, Napoleon attacked Britain and he was assisted by Spanish fleet. However, he was finally defeated by the British Naval commander Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar on 21^st October 1805. It was a disaster to Napoleon as he lost all his naval troops in Atlantic Ocean.

4.       The  continental system

The continental system was an economic war that was started by Napoleon in an attempt to defeat Britain. It was an effort to bring Britain to her knees. Napoleon was advised that Britain could easily be defeated by attacking her trade. Montgaillard remarked “it’s through her commerce that England must be attacked”. Napoleon and his advisors had realized that British military power rested on her strong economy and her dominance of international trade. They therefore, started destroying the British trade throughout the continent. To implement the continental system, Napoleon passed the Berlin decree of 1806 and Milan decree of 1807. Through these decrees, Napoleon put a ban on British ships and ordered French access to confiscate British goods whenever they were found.

Reasons for the failure of the continental system

Why was the continental system aboomarang to Napoleon?

Account for the failure of the continental system

Napoleon’s naval inferiority compared to British naval supremacy rendered the continental system a failure. Britain used her naval power to bully those who had accepted the continental system to abandon it. Napoleon lacked a strong naval to patrol far and distant coastline where European gods were still smuggled.

The battle of Trafalga destroyed Napoleon’s naval power and weakened his ability to affect the continental system hence its failure.

The confiscation of the Danish fleet by Britain in 1807 frustrated Napoleon’s plan of using the fleet to patrol European coastline.

Smuggling of British goods continued and was unchecked in some places. There was also corruption that facilitated the consumption of the British goods.

Britain was the workshop of Europe and napoleon’s continental system led to lack of essential commodities, inflation and starvation which made the system to be rejected in Portugal and Russia

The French substitute to the British goods (products) which were of poor quality yet very expensive compared to the British products. This made European public opinion to pressurize their governments to withdraw from the system. It’s for this reason that Portugal, Popal states had to open their ports for the British products and trade.

The timing of the continental system was unfortunate since it was implemented during economic depression following a long period of war and instability in Europe. This is why it was impossible for Napoleon to divert European economy from depending on British trade.

The peninsular war tied Napoleon’s 300,000 troops in acute guerilla warfare and made him unable to effect his continental system. It diverted his attention from implementing the continental system and brought Spain and Portugal in an alliance against him.

The Moscow campaign of 1812 that was due to the continental system diverted Napoleon’s effort from enforcing the system in other states. Besides, he lost over 500,000 troops who would have assisted in patrolling European coastlines against the British goods.

Severe winter in Europe made those who could not do without coal and winter clothing’s to abandon the continental system. That is what partly forced Russia out of the continental system hence rendering it a failure

Napoleon’s own mistake was a cause for the failure of the continental system. He over concentrated on the British exports and not imports. He did not stop the export of wheat to Britain for fear that it would provoke European resistance against him. He miscalculated that the cause of British prosperity was her export and not import. He failed to realize that export leads to export hence failure of the continental system.

5.       Napoleon and the Pope

The popal states were the first to denounce the continental system. This was due to economic hardship caused by the system and the Pope’s desire to remain neutral as a spiritual leader. It made the Pope to open his ports to the British trading ships in 1808. Napoleon ignored the concordant of 1801, invaded the popal states, abducted the Pope and imprisoned hi in France. This greatly undermined Napoleon’s popularity amongst Catholics in France and the whole catholic states in the whole world.

6.       The Peninsular war

Napoleon’s ambition to enforce the continental system drove him to invade Portugal and Spain. When Prince John the regent of Portugal refused to abide by the continental system, Napoleon attacked Portugal through Spain. The Spaniards rose against their King Charles IV for his weakness that made it possible for the French troops to match through their territory up to Portugal. Napoleon used this confused situation to force Charles to resign and imposed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne (1808). However, Spain and Portugal combined and defeated Napoleon. He lost above 300,000 soldiers. He remarked, “The Spanish ulcer that destroyed me”.

7.       The Moscow campaign (1812)

The negative effects of the continental system made Alexander of Russia to abandon the continental system and opened the Russian ports to British goods. Napoleon mobilized over 600,000 troops the largest in history to teach Alexander a lesson that he would never forget. He crossed River Niemen with a lot of expectations as he remarked, “Moscow is the half way house of India”. The Russians reacted by withdrawing and using scorched earth policy in which they destroyed everything that would be useful to the French soldiers. Napoleon reached Moscow only to find the city burning without anyone. Above all, there was no safe water, foods and there was outbreak of cholera that led to the death of Napoleon’s soldiers. The bridges also had drawn thousands of soldiers. The above circumstance made Napoleon to reach France with about 20,000 out of which only 10,000 soldiers were useful for the military service.

Reasons for the defeat of Napoleon during the Moscow campaign

Poor planning and military miscalculations undermined Napoleon’s conquest of Russia. Russia was a big state which needed proper planning and two years to accomplish the campaign. Unfortunately, Napoleon wanted the campaign only in one year that is why he withdrew after conquering Moscow.

The geographical landscape of Russia was an obstacle to the French invading army. It was rugged and wintery that favored the Russian who were used to it compared to the French troops.

The Russian scorched earth policy was a total nuisance to napoleon. The Russian destruction of food, shelter, water, wells, gardens and bridges led to massive death of Napoleon’s soldiers. That is why he withdrew from Russia

The Russian withdrawal and the burning of Moscow was a big blow to Napoleon’s conquest. When Napoleon reached Moscow town, he conquered an empty place with no people. He could not declare himself successful and that is why he withdrew from Moscow.

Winter became a natural weapon that helped Russians to defeat Napoleon. Napoleon and his soldiers had not anticipated to get them in Moscow. They therefore went without winter clothing’s. When winter came, his soldiers therefore, froze and died in large numbers due to extreme cold condition.

Napoleon’s invasion of Moscow city was a fatal strategy that led to his failure. It aroused Russian nationalism to the highest level. This is why there was severe resistance that forced him to withdraw from Moscow.

The Russian guerilla warfare was a big blow to Napoleon’s attempt to conquer Russia. Aware that they could not withstand the strength of the French army, the Russians decided to withdraw and engage the French troops in acute guerilla warfare that weakened him e.g. in the battle of Boradine, napoleon lost 30,000 horses and 50,000 commanders

Loss of sense of judgment and foresight also undermined Napoleon’s attempt to invade Russia. By 1812, Napoleon had fought so many wars that weakened him leading to exhaustion, fatigue and brain depreciation. This is why he failed to properly plan and foresee winter condition that destroyed thousand of his soldiers.

The distance between France and Russia also worked against Napoleon’s success. Russia is located in the Far East of Europe and France is located in the extreme West of Europe. This long distance made it impossible for Napoleon to get extra fodder and horses when the ones he had died of starvation and cold.

While in Moscow, strange things happened to Napoleon’s soldiers that threatened them psychologically i.e. the lightning and thunder that they had never experienced in their lives.

Consequences of the Moscow campaign

The campaign was the worst disaster in the history of France and Napoleon ranked it high in his life time. Napoleon lost over 580,000 soldiers that made him military weak. According to Tally Rands his foreign minister, “is the beginning of the end”. It was therefore a turning point against his control over Europe

Napoleon’s defeat in Moscow campaign contributed to the formation of the 4^th coalition and even the fifth coalition against him. It was a clear testimony that Napoleon was not untouchable. This led to unity of Europe, even weaker states against him

The Moscow disaster led to the rise of European nationalism against Napoleon’s dominance over Europe. It became a source of inspiration for the states that were dominated by Napoleon to start struggling for their independence. This led to war of liberation among the Germans, Italians and Australians against Napoleon.

The Russian victory increased the Russian prestige and ambition in Europe. She started interfering in the French dominated states like Poland and German states in order to destroy Napoleon’s influence in those countries i.e. it made Prussia promise to help Russia against Napoleon

The defeat denied Napoleon internal support from a section of the French. Napoleon resorted to conscription into the army i.e. recruited young, ill trained and inexperienced army that was easily defeated

Napoleon’s failure in the Moscow campaign was the last blow to the continental system. His failure to defeat Russia marked the end of the continental system and he was forced to abandon it

Many people and countries learnt how to defeat Napoleon and they later adopted the same policies used by the Russians to defeat Napoleon e.g. guerilla warfare etc.