Chapter XVIII: The Warfare Against Commerce, 1806-1812

THE BERLIN AND MILAN DECREES OF NAPOLEON, 1806 AND 1807.—THE
BRITISH ORDERS IN COUNCIL, 1807-1809.—ANALYSIS OF THE POLICY
OF THESE MEASURES OF THE TWO BELLIGERENTS.—OUTLINE OF
CONTEMPORARY LEADING EVENTS.

Object of, and pretext for, the Berlin Decree 272

Terms of the Decree 272

Napoleon's winter campaign against Russia, 1806-1807 273

The Decree remains inoperative 274

Battle of Friedland and conventions of Tilsit, June-July, 1807 274

British retaliatory Order in Council, January, 1807 275

Its terms and object 275

Effect upon American traders 276

Napoleon's designs upon Denmark and Portugal 276

Prompt action of the British ministry 277

Portuguese court withdraws to Brazil 277

General exclusion of British goods from the Continent 278

Attitude of Napoleon towards the United States 279

Nature of the questions confronting Napoleon 280

Jealousy of Great Britain towards neutral trade 281

Momentous decision of Napoleon as to the scope of the Berlin
Decree 281

Effect of this decision in Great Britain 282

Embargo Act of the United States, 1807 282

Succeeded by Non-Intercourse Act, 1809 283

British Orders in Council of November, 1807 283

Object of these orders 285

Summary of their requirements 286

Their effect upon neutrals 287

The effect upon the continental nations 288

Essential features of the opposing British and French policies 289

Napoleon's Milan Decree 290

Duration of the two policies 291

Napoleon's usurpation in Spain 291

The Bayonne and Rambouillet Decrees 292

The Spanish revolt and French disasters 292

Battle of Vimiero and French evacuation of Portugal 292

Conventions of Erfurt and war between Russia and Sweden 293

The British navy in the Baltic 294

Letter of Napoleon and the Czar to the King of Great Britain 294

Napoleon in the Spanish Peninsula 295

Diversion made by Sir John Moore 296

Opening of the year 1809 296

Austria's preparations for war 297

State of the commercial warfare in 1809 298

Evasion of Napoleon's decrees by the Dutch 299

Consequent measures of Napoleon 300

Passive resistance of the Continent to the decrees 301

British seizure of Heligoland 302

Conditions in the Baltic 303

General conditions of British trade, 1806-1809 304

The License System 307

Origin of "neutralization" 309

Its effect upon the action of British cruisers 310

Workings of the License System 311

British Order in Council of April, 1809 313

War between Austria and France 314

Wellesley's operations in the Peninsula 315

Battles of Essling and Wagram 316

Sweden forced to join in the Continental System 316

Napoleon's urgent attempts to enforce the System 317

Conditions in the Peninsula 318

Northern Germany occupied by French troops 319

Holland united to the Empire 321

Napoleon's demands upon Prussia and Sweden 322

Extensive seizure of ships with British goods 323

Napoleon's Customs Decree of August 5, 1810 324

Universal application of this decree 325

Napoleon's fiscal measures and license system 326

Decree of October 19, 1810, to burn British manufactured goods 327

Uneasiness of Russia 329

Napoleon's annexation of Oldenburg and the Hanse towns 330

Commercial distress in Great Britain 331

Embarrassment and suffering in France 333

Napoleon's financial expedients 337

Credit of France and of Great Britain 338

Internal condition of France and of England 340

The conscription in France 342

Exhaustion of the two nations 343

Difficulties between France and Russia 344

Admiral Saumarez in the Baltic 346

Understanding between Sweden, Russia, and Great Britain 347

Affairs in the Spanish Peninsula 348

Fall of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz 349

Discontent and misery in France 350

Russian treaties with Sweden and Turkey 350

Napoleon invades Russia 351

Revocation of the British Orders in Council 351

The United States declare war against Great Britain 351

Analysis of the British and French measures 351