The War of the Fourth Coalition lasted between 1806 and 1807 and saw a coalition that included Britain, Prussia, Russia and Saxony alliance against Napoleon. The French Emperor though continued where he had left off with the last war, defeating the Prussians at Scheiz, Jena-Austertedt and Halle. The last loss caused Saxony to switch alliances and throw their lot in with the Pro-French Confederation of the Rhine.
On the 21st
of November 1806 the Berlin Decree was signed establishing the Continental
System that Napoleon would use to force the isolation of Britain via a trade
embargo. The system would survive until 1814 but the strength of the British
navy doomed it to failure.
The intention of the Continental system was to isolate Britain www.timewisetraveller.co.uk
In 1807 the
inconclusive Battle of Eylau was fought with the war moving into its Swedish,
Polish and Russian phase. Eventually the French achieved the success here that
they craved with a victory over the Coalition at the Battle of Friedland.
Russia then sued for peace and Napoleon signed the Treaty of Tilsit with the
Tsar Alexander I.
Napoleon meets Tsar Alexander I at Tilsit (Meeting on the raft) source: Look and Learn
Britain still
stood against France and made effective use of her navy to ensure a victory
against Denmark-Norway (allies of France) at the Second Battle of Copenhagen This setback however did not do much to dampen French
fortune fortunes with France being seen as the victor in this war.
Napoleon’s
foes did not rest and by April 1809 France
stood in opposition against the Fifth Coalition. Napoleon’s France (allied with the
Confederation of the Rhine, Holland plus several smaller states) faced off
against an Austrian dominated coalition that included Hungary, Tyrol, Britain,
Sicily and Sardinia.
The
coalition has earlier been given a boost by a Spanish victory at the Battle of
Bailen in 1808 (part of the Peninsular War). The defeat caused much
consternation among Napoleon’s Allies. This was further compounded by the
backroom political deals instigated by France’s foreign minister Talleyrand and
Russia’s Tsar Alexander I at the Congress of Erfut (October 1808).
The Austrians seized the moment and struck first in the War
winning the Battle of Aspen-Essling. However the French regrouped and defeated
the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram. A final French victory occurred at the Battle of
Znaim. In October 1809 the Treaty of Schönbrunn was signed ending the war.
Austria gave up land to Bavaria (Tyrol and Salzburg). The Russians received the
Duchy of Warsaw and France took control over much of Austria’s Adriatic coastal
possessions (Ilyrian provinces) leaving her landlocked, 3.5 million less in
population and having to pay a war debt of 75 million francs to France.
Napoleon at the Battle of Wagram (1809) source: alamy.com
Worth noting is that although the French won the critical battle of the war - Wagram - it came at a heavy price. French losses were placed at 27,500 compared to the Austrian death toll of 23,750.
On a grander scheme. The war halted hostilities in
non-Iberian Europe until 1812 when France invaded Russia.
No comments:
Post a Comment