1806Reputable sourceWell documented
The Continental System
On the timeline · around 1806 ·
What happened
Unable to defeat Britain at sea after Trafalgar, Napoleon tried to strangle it economically. His Berlin Decree of 1806 launched the Continental System, a sweeping embargo meant to close all of Europe's ports to British trade. Enforcing the blockade across an entire continent proved impossible, and it hurt Europe's own economies as much as Britain's.
Why it matters
The Continental System became one of Napoleon's costliest miscalculations. Enforcing it drew him into the ruinous Peninsular War in Spain and, when Russia broke ranks and reopened trade with Britain, into the catastrophic invasion of 1812.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Continental System · Reputable source