Continental System facts for kids
The Continental Blockade, also known as the Continental System, was a big plan by Napoleon Bonaparte to hurt the British Empire. From 1806 to 1814, Napoleon tried to stop all trade between Britain and countries in Europe that were allied with or controlled by France. He hoped this would weaken Britain's economy and force them to make peace.
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Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree in November 1806. This was his answer to Britain's own naval blockade of French coasts. The blockade meant that no British goods could be imported into Europe, and all connections with Britain, even mail, were supposed to be cut. However, people found ways around it. There was a lot of smuggling, which made the system less effective. While British trade was hurt a bit, especially in 1808 and 1812, Britain found new trading partners in North and South America. They also used places like Malta to smuggle goods into southern Europe.
The blockade also hurt France and its allies because they lost Britain as a trading partner. This made some countries angry and less willing to follow Napoleon's rules. When Napoleon realized that a lot of trade was still happening through Spain and Russia, he decided to invade those countries. His armies got stuck in Spain during the Peninsular War, and his invasion of Russia in 1812 was a huge disaster. These events played a big part in Napoleon's eventual downfall.
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Why Napoleon Started the Blockade
The British government was very good at encouraging and paying for alliances against Napoleon's France. Napoleon tried many times to defeat Britain, but his attacks involving naval power always failed. After a major defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, Napoleon decided not to rebuild his navy. Instead, he chose to fight an economic war.
He believed that Britain depended completely on trade with Europe to be rich and powerful. So, if he could stop this trade, he thought Britain's economy would collapse, forcing them to ask for peace. Since the British Royal Navy controlled the seas, Napoleon couldn't block Britain by sea. But he could control the ports of Europe and stop British products from landing there.
In May 1806, the British Royal Navy had already started blocking French coasts. Napoleon responded with his economic plan. Britain was the center of manufacturing and business because of the Industrial Revolution. Napoleon thought that stopping trade would cause prices to rise and create debt in Britain, weakening their power. His control over Europe grew stronger after he took over parts of Prussia in October 1806.
In November 1806, Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree. This rule told his allies and conquered lands to stop trading with Britain. Britain responded with its own rules, called Orders in Council, in 1807. These rules said that French trade with Britain, its allies, or neutral countries was forbidden. The Royal Navy was ordered to block all French and allied ports. Napoleon then issued the Milan Decree in 1807, saying that any neutral ship using British ports or paying British fees would be treated as British and seized.
Napoleon's main goal was to destroy Britain's ability to trade. As an island nation, trade was like its lifeline. He thought that if he could cut Britain off economically, he could then invade the country after its economy collapsed. He ordered all commercial ships wanting to do business in Europe to first stop at a French port. This was to make sure no trade was happening with Britain. He also threatened Russia with invasion if they didn't follow his rules. However, his strict rules caused problems in Portugal and Spain, leading to the Peninsular War. Pushing Russia too hard also led to his disastrous invasion in 1812, which was a turning point in the war and for his rule.
How the Blockade Affected Countries
British Empire
The Continental System had mixed results for British trade. The embargo actually encouraged British merchants to find new markets aggressively. They also became very good at smuggling goods into Europe. Napoleon's customs officers, who worked on land, couldn't stop these British smugglers. This was especially true because some of Napoleon's own rulers in Spain and German states secretly allowed the smuggling.
British exports to Europe did fall by about 25% to 55% compared to before 1806. However, trade with the rest of the world increased sharply, making up for much of the loss. Britain also used its Orders in Council to stop other countries from trading with France. They threatened to sink any ship that didn't come to a British port or chose to follow France's rules. This put neutral countries like the United States in a tough spot.
The U.S. government tried to fight back economically with the Embargo Act of 1807. But this hurt American merchants even more. Along with other issues, these tensions led to the War of 1812 between the U.S. and Britain. This war, not Napoleon's blockade, significantly reduced British trade with the United States. Overall, the blockade didn't cause huge economic damage to Britain. However, the British economy did suffer from 1810 to 1812, with high unemployment and rising prices. This led to protests, but the government used the army to stop the unrest, like the Luddite movement.
France and Continental Europe
The blockade seriously hurt France itself. Industries like shipbuilding and rope-making declined. Many other industries that relied on overseas markets, such as linen, also suffered. With fewer exports and lost profits, many businesses closed down. Port cities in southern France like Marseille and Bordeaux were hit hard by the reduction in trade. Also, the prices of basic foods went up in most of Europe.
In July 1810, Napoleon made a change called the St. Cloud Decree. This allowed some limited British trade in southwest France and along the Spanish border. It also reopened French trade with the United States. This showed that Napoleon realized his blockade was hurting his own economy more than Britain's. It also failed to stop Britain from financially supporting its allies. However, the industrialized parts of northern and eastern France, and Wallonia (in modern-day Belgium), saw increased profits. This was because there was less competition from cheaper British goods, especially textiles.
In Italy, farming did well. But the Dutch economy, which depended heavily on trade, suffered greatly from the embargo. Napoleon's economic warfare was a big problem for his own brother, King Louis I of Holland.
Britain's first response to the Continental System was to attack Denmark, which was a weaker link in Napoleon's plan. Denmark was officially neutral, but France and Russia were pressuring it to join Napoleon and give him its fleet. Britain couldn't risk this. In the Second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, the Royal Navy attacked Copenhagen, seized the Danish fleet, and secured control of the sea routes in the North Sea and Baltic Sea for British merchant ships. The island of Heligoland was also taken in September 1807. This base made it easier for Britain to control trade to North Sea ports and help with smuggling. These attacks started the Gunboat War against Denmark, which lasted until 1814.
Russia also struggled under the embargo. In 1810, Russia reopened trade with Britain. Russia's decision to leave the system was a major reason why Napoleon decided to invade Russia in 1812. This invasion turned out to be a disaster and a turning point for Napoleon's rule.
Portugal and Spain
Portugal openly refused to join the Continental System. Portugal had a long-standing treaty of mutual assistance with Britain since 1793. After the Treaties of Tilsit in 1807, Napoleon tried to capture the Portuguese fleet and the royal family, and to occupy Portuguese ports. He failed because Queen Maria I of Portugal moved her court and fleet to Brazil with help from the Royal Navy. The Portuguese people then rebelled against the French invaders, with help from the British Army led by Arthur Wellesley, who later became the Duke of Wellington. Napoleon got involved, and the Peninsular War began in 1808. Napoleon also forced the Spanish royal family to give up their throne to his brother, Joseph.
Images for kids
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Vice-Admiral James Saumarez was the commander of the Royal Navy in the Baltic campaign of 1808–1814 that secured British trade to the region.
