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The Limits of the Continental System
The Continental System attempted to strangle Britain's economy but ended up hurting France more, despite the fact that Napoleon came very close to incorporating all of Europe into the system. By the 1807 Treaty of Tilsit, Russia and Prussia agreed to cooperate, with Russia, Prussia, and Austria all officially declaring war on Britain during this period.
Napoleon next tried to force Denmark and Portugal to join the Continental System. Since Denmark contained ports crucial to British trade, the British Navy bombarded Copenhagen and attacked the Danish fleet in hopes of keeping this port open, but this only made them more willing to cooperate with Napoleon. Portugal, on the other hand, refused Napoleon adamantly. In 1807, Napoleon invaded the small Iberian country, forcing it to comply, much to the discontent of the Portuguese people.
The Peninsular War
Portugal’s larger Iberian neighbor, Spain, had, until 1807, avoided Napoleon’s control. Though declining in stature as a world power, the Spanish remained proud of their great tradition of explorers, colonies, and visionary rulers, as well as their rich culture and history. When Napoleon manipulated the Bourbon king of Spain off the throne and installed his brother Joseph as king, an anti-French guerilla war broke out, called the Peninsular War. Britain, seizing the opportunity to place a few barbs in France's side, sent an army under the Duke of Wellington to aid the guerillas, called peninsulares. The fighting in Spain was bloody and protracted, diverting precious French resources Napoleon would need elsewhere, and even inflicted some defeats on the French Army. This proof that they could be beaten. raised hopes among potential resistance movements in Germany and in Austria.
The War of Liberation
In April 1809, Austria rebelled against Napoleonic rule, announcing a “War of Liberation.” No one joined them, as German princes were trying to impress Napoleon and were not about to fight him. Fighting alone, renegade Austria was defeated at the Battle of Wagram. In October of that year, the Austrians made peace with the French again, and as a result, Napoleon took some of northern Austria and added it to his new project, the creation of a Grand Duchy of Warsaw.
The Failure of the Continental System
The Continental System represented an attempt at economic warfare. However, the system ended up hurting Napoleon more than it hurt Britain. The British blockade of Europe badly slowed the internal European economy, which was only compounded by the imposition of tariffs from country-to-country within Europe. And the slow nature of land transport, preventing Eastern Europe from obtaining goods from Western Europe. The continental system also led to the Peninsular War, which sapped French strength, morale, and prestige. In the end, the Continental System damaged France, but not Britain.
