The War of the Third Coalition (1805-1807)

    As a conqueror, Napoleon achieved his greatest military successes in the years 1805 to 1807, defeating Austria, Prussia, and Russia. In 1805, France was at war against Great Britain. Austria and Russia, fearful of French power, joined the war against France, creating the Third Coalition. Prussia remained neutral at the outset of the war.

 British Naval Victory at Trafalgar (1805)

     In 1805, Napoleon prepared a fleet to invade Great Britain. However, on October 21, Lord Nelson's fleet found the combined French and Spanish fleets at Cape Trafalgar, near Spain. British superiority in tactics and Nelson's daring leadership eliminated French naval power for the balance of the war, and Napoleon had to suspend his plans to invade Great Britain. Lord Nelson lost his life and France lost its navy. The victory at Trafalgar was undoubtedly the most glorious in the history of the British navy. Thereafter, Napoleon had no hope of making war on the sea.
 

    French Victories on Land:

    Battle of Austerlitz (1805)

    On land, however, Napoleon won many important victories. In 1805, he defeated a combined Austrian and Russian army at Austerlitz, north of Vienna. Austria signed a humiliating treaty, giving France control of most of Austria's possessions in Italy, including Venice.

    Battle of Jena (1806)

    In 1806, Napoleon organized a number of German states into the Confederation of the Rhine, which included almost every German state except Austria and Prussia. Napoleon's actions in Germany brought Prussia into the
    war against France. However, Napoleon defeated the Prussians at Jena and two weeks later, Napoleon was in Berlin.

    Battle of Friedland (1807)

    During the Spring of 1807, Napoleon defeated the Russians at Friedland and went on to occupy East Prussia. The Emperor then met with Tsar Alexander I of Russia and King Frederick William III of Prussia. The rulers agreed to end the War of the Third Coalition. Now, only Great Britain was at war with France.
 

                                         Napoleonic Empire in 1812

    The Continental System

    Napoleon defeated the major powers on the continent. However, he was unable to defeat the British militarily. Unable to invade the British Isles, Napoleon decided to establish the Continental System in an effort to destroy the British economy. He ordered all European nations to stop trading with Britain. All European ports were closed to British ships and goods. However, the Continental System proved to be impossible to enforce. Two "leaks" developed in Napoleon's Continental System. One was Portugal and Spain who refused to support the Continental System. The other leak was Russia who resumed trade with Britain after 1810.

    The Peninsular War
    (1808-1814)

    The Continental System soon brought Napoleon back to the battlefield, for
    he had to fight a series of wars to enforce it. Spain and Portugal occupy
    the Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe, and both nations refused to
    support the Continental System. Thereupon, Napoleon attempted to
    close this serious gap in the system by sending an army into Portugal and
    Spain. He was determined to bring Portugal and Spain into the
    Continental System. In 1808, Napoleon deposed the king of Spain
    and put his own brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. However, two factors
    led to the failure of this Peninsular War; the presence of British forces in
    Portugal, and the determined resistance of the Spanish people.
    Indeed, the Spanish rebelled against French rule and, by guerilla warfare,
    created a serious drain on France's military resources and served to
    encourage Napoleon's enemies elsewhere in Europe.

  The Invasion of Russia (1812)

    When Tsar Alexander resumed trade with the British, Napoleon decided to invade Russia to enforce the Continental System. He assembled an army of some 600,000 men, and in June 1812, he led this army into Russia. Napoleon planned to defeat the Russians in a quick, decisive battle. To his surprise, the Russian response was to retreat and avoid a decisive battle. In addition, the Russian used a scorched earth policy, burning their crops and homes as they went. Then, after a costly victory at Borodino, Napoleon was able to enter Moscow. However, he found the city deserted and on fire. The fire caused such extensive damage as to make it unfit for winter quarters. Thus, lacking shelter, food, and clothing to survive the oncoming winter, Napoleon began a long retreat.

    A Military Disaster in Russia

    Napoleon's retreat became a route as his forces were harassed by Russian attacks and by the bitter cold of the Russian winter. Napoleon lost three-fourths of his Grand Army. It is estimated that only as many as 100,000 lived to tell the tale of their terrible ordeal.

    The Fall of Napoleon

    The disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812 marked the beginning of his fall. In 1813, the Russians, Prussians, and Austrians joined in the last and most powerful coalition against Napoleon. They defeated Napoleon at Leipzig, in central Germany, at the Battle of Nations. In 1814, Napoleon abdicated and was exiled to the island of Elba, located of the west coast of Italy. In March 1815, he escaped from Elba  and returned to power for the period of the Hundred Days. Defeated at Waterloo in June 1815, Napoleon was again exiled, this time to the South Atlantic island of St. Helena where he died in 1821.