Chapter 23 - Challenges To The Empire Flashcards
What was the purpose of the continental blockade?
Undermining B commerce
What did N issue in Nov 1806?
The Berlin Decree
What did this do?
Forbade all states under F control or allies to buy B goods
What did the B respond with this?
‘Orders in Council’ 1807
What did this mean?
B wouldn’t buy goods from F or it’s allies
Royal Navy would blockade the ports of F + allies
What happened if any ships didn’t comply?
They were seized
What did N say in the Milan Decree 1807?
Any ships that were searched by Royal Navy were liable to capture by the F
What resources became very scarce and expensive?
Tea
Coffee
Sugar
Tobacco
(Provoked uprisings)
What countries failed to comply?
Portugal
Russia
What was the start of the Peninsular war?
Joint Franco-Spanish force created to take Portugal = entry for B goods
P Royal Family fled
S plagued with chaos + corruption
N attempted coup 1808
How did N force the abdication of the S King Charles?
100,000 soldiers came in under pretext of taking P
But then forced Charles to abdicate
What were the S divided among?
Middle class - welcomed F + reform
Landowners - didn’t want to lose land
Clerics - thought F were godless
Catholic peasants - hostile to outsiders
Who beat N forces in S?
Rebel S formed resistance committees
Jul 1808 Army of Andalusia defeated N forces at Battle of Bailén
Forced F to retreat
How many F men surrendered?
22,000
Who did N put as new King of S?
Bro Joseph
What did the B do Aug 1808?
Sent Duke of Wellington
Made B+S army
They defeated F at Vimiero in P
Gave B ports to pressure F
What did N do 4 Dec?
Put himself in command of S
Entered Madrid with 80,000 troops
What military tactic did the F find difficult to do in S?
Live off the land
S hostile - Guerilla attacks
Contact was difficult
What was Guerilla warfare?
Peasants avoiding open conflict
Ambushes + night raids
What did the B try and do to the F in S?
Harass them
Cut communication lines
What did the F do to prevent B troops being evacuated?
Forced a battle
B saved by their navy to avoid harsh winter
Why did N have to leave?
Deal with Austrians who were planning attacks on F
Who returned to Lisbon 1809?
Wellesley B commander
Built forts + earthworks
Lines of Torres Vedras
This was to defend Lisbon
What happened to every victory by F in S?
They were countered
What was the war known as?
The ‘Spanish Ulcer’
What did Wellesley lead?
An invasion of France
Defeated F at Tolouse in 1814
What was the Austrian campaign?
A army restructured + undergone reforms after Austerlitz
Wanted to renter the war
Why did the A have the advantage?
N uncertain about A planning + intelligence
Where did A invade in April?
Bavaria
Why was this slowed?
Poor roads
Freezing rain
Where did the F defeat the A and force a retreat?
Battle of Eckmühl
Where was N then forced to retreat to?
Entered Vienna
Met A at Essling
Lost 20,000 men
Forced to retreat to Danube
What did N do for the next 6 weeks?
Planned and prepared next attempt at crossing the Danube
How many troops did they have when they recrossed?
188,000
Where did the two sides meet again?
Wagram
How long did the battle last?
2 days
Who won?
N
Although lost around 34,000 men
What did the A negotiate for peace?
Treaty of Schönbrunn 1809
What did it cost them?
83,000 square metres of territory
Sixth of population
Who had the acquired territory been given to?
Russia - East Galicia
DofW - West Galicia
Bavaria - extended
What was the alliance solidified by?
Marriage of N + Princess Marie-Louise Archduchess of Austria
Why was the Austrian campaign less easily won?
N overconfident + less prepared
Army had less veterans + more new recruits
Relied on foreigners - deserted him
A learned from F
S campaigns diverted F troops + demoralised soldiers
Why in 1810 did N bring Holland under direct F control?
Louis failed to apply conscription or continental system
What started the Russian campaign?
Tsar Alexander’s annoyance at N
Why was he annoyed?
Strains of continental system
N not marrying Russian princess
Concerned about his ambitions for Poland - R had already taken
Annoyed about N taking Oldenburg - owned by sis husband
What did R do 1810?
Put tariffs on F imports
Allowed neutral ships - with B goods
What did N do in retaliation?
Assembled grande armée
When did N begin his invasion of R?
June 1812
What was the R tactic when they met?
‘Scorched earth policy’
What was the ‘scorched earth policy’?
R didn’t want F to rely on living off land so burned villages, crops, livestock as they retreated
What did the Grande armee become reliant on?
Only had 4 days rations
Had to wait for a expanding supply line
What else made the campaign difficult for the F?
Had poor maps
Inadequate clothing in winter
Limited medical supplies
Size of army = slowed down
Foreign recruits = less discipline
Disease = 1000s died
How many men did the Russians lose?
40,000
How many men did the French lose?
28,000
Where did N eventually get to?
Moscow
But deserted + R governor set it on fire
What was killing the F at this point?
Frostbite
Starvation
Harassment of peasant forces
What did N do in the dec?
Abandoned his men to return to Paris
Plots to overthrow him
Army left disintegrated
What did N lose in the R campaign?
Most if Grande Armee
New coalition formed where P + A broke their alliances with F
What was the threat in F that N had to go back to?
Maler conspiracy
He convinced people N died in Moscow + convinced military to arrest govt officials so F could be turned into a republic
Stopped when N came back
What did this show?
How reliant the empire was on N himself
What was the war of the Fourth Coalition?
P signed with R + declared war on F
B + A + Sweden joined
How big was the army N created within 3 months of the R campaign?
250,000
When did he declare war on P?
April 1813
What did they do after 3 victories?
Didn’t follow up a P retreat
Agreed to an armistice
What battle did N face P + A + R+ S in Oct 1813?
‘Battle of the Nations’
What was the ratio of allied soldiers to F?
3:2
What happened to N in these battles?
Had to retreat
Refused a peace deal that allowed him to keep F natural frontiers
What did the B do to contribute?
Wellesley captured Madrid + expelled Joseph from S
Battle of Vitoria jun 1813
What treaty was made with the allies?
Treaty of Chaumont
What did it say?
To preserve the coalition until N had been totally defeated + future of Europe settled
What treaty did N marshals convince him to agree to when the allies entered Paris?
Treaty of Fontainebleau April 1814
What did he agree to?
Give up throne
Could keep title of Emperor
£200,000 income
Elba as his own kingdom
Wife left him
