As a military genius in European history, Napoleon led the French army to break the anti-French alliance five times and won more than 50 large-scale battles. He not only succeeded in defending the fruits of victory in the French Revolution, but also swept across Europe in just a few years. In its most glorious period, except for Britain, the whole of Europe crawled under his feet, became the ruler of Europe, and established a huge Napoleonic empire.
However, this series of military and political miracles and short-lived brilliant achievements created by Napoleon are like meteors in the sky, fleeting. After the defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon died in St. Helena in 1821. Why, then, did Napoleon, a military genius, end in defeat in his conquest of Europe? The main reasons for this are as follows:
The continental blockade policy and foreign expansion isolated Napoleon in Europe and met with collective resistance from European countries
The Napoleonic Wars were in the early days of defending the country and defending the fruits of victory in the French Revolution. But because the French Empire created by Napoleon represented the interests of the newborn French big bourgeoisie, and the bourgeoisie's attributes were plunder, hegemony, and expansion. Therefore, after Napoleon defeated the first five anti-French alliances and consolidated the rule of the French bourgeoisie, he was not satisfied with his existing achievements, but actively expanded abroad, hoping to dominate Europe through war. In the later stages of the Napoleonic Wars, hegemony and plunder became the main theme.
Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon occupied and controlled most of Europe except Britain through armed aggression and military coercion. Britain and France are across the sea, and the two countries have been old enemies since the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France, and the formation of several anti-French alliances has also been led by Britain. As a result, Britain became a thorn in Napoleon's eye and a thorn in his flesh. Napoleon had planned to occupy Britain through naval operations and landings on the British Isles. But the british navy was stronger than Napoleon had predicted, and after the combined fleet of France and Spain was defeated by the British, the French could only sigh.
But Napoleon did not give up lightly, because France was still the hegemon on land. Thus, Napoleon issued the Edict of Berlin in November 1806, and the Edict of Milan in December of the following year, declaring the blockade of the British Isles, prohibiting mainland countries from trading with Britain, and confiscating All British goods found in the territory of France and other Allied and Neutral Countries, which was the so-called "Continental Blockade Policy". In order to ensure the implementation of this policy, Napoleon increasingly engaged in armed aggression and intervention to force other countries to comply and jointly blockade Britain.
However, this move can be said to have stabbed the honeycomb. First of all, european countries, including France, are inextricably linked to britain's economy and trade. The continental blockade policy has harmed not only the interests of Britain, but also the interests of European countries. Therefore, this policy not only strengthened Britain's determination to resist France, but also caused dissatisfaction among European countries, leaving Napoleon isolated in Europe.
Successive years of foreign wars led to huge military expenditures, and increasing taxes and conscription made the people miserable and dissatisfied, making Napoleon gradually lose the domestic social basis for internal rule and foreign wars
Napoleon and the French bourgeoisie, whose representatives, were overwhelmed by victories after a series of victories, and with the need of the bourgeoisie to plunder resources, the expansion of the war of war became a necessity in the new situation. In particular, after Napoleon himself became Emperor of France and won a series of victories in wars, he nurtured his personal ambitions and gradually began to act obstinately in foreign policy.
Napoleon was crowned
However, the frontal wars with the seven anti-French alliances, including a series of wars such as invasion and intervention against European countries, made France's military expenditure huge. In order to support the war and increase military spending, Napoleon not only demanded that the bourgeoisie pay ever-increasing taxes, but also asked them to ensure the supply of weapons, ammunition, uniforms, means of transport, etc. needed for military operations, thus violating the existing vital interests of the bourgeoisie.
At the same time, a large number of conscripts not only deprived the bourgeoisie of a large amount of cheap labour, but also caused the people, especially the peasants, to suffer. All this led to Napoleon gradually losing his popular base from within France, and the people no longer supported him in waging foreign wars.
Napoleon did not reap the rewards of the favor, did not make a timely strategic shift after basically pacifying Europe, and by retreating to protect himself in order to absorb the fruits of victory, because the young French bourgeoisie needed a peaceful and stable environment for development
In July 1807, Napoleon signed the Treaty of Tyrsit with Russia and Prussia, which marked the heyday of Napoleon's rule, by which time Napoleon had controlled almost all of Europe, "he became the undisputed master of Europe".
However, Napoleon, who was at the peak, did not accept it as soon as it was good, but further launched foreign wars and expansion.
Napoleon once said: "There is only one trick to dominating the world, and that is to be strong, because the strength of power is nothing wrong, there is no illusion to speak of, this is a naked truth." ”
The French defeated Russia
Dominated by this concept and growing ambition, Napoleon, after conquering most of Europe, did not choose to retreat to self-preservation to digest the fruits of victory, but chose to continue to expand the results of the war and constantly launch wars abroad. At the same time, he also sought to maintain his imperial rule by waging new wars.
In June 1812, Napoleon declared war against Russia and led an army of 600,000 men. As a result, a fire in Moscow, coupled with a harsh winter in Russia, completely shattered Napoleon's dream of unifying Europe. Only 30,000 French troops eventually returned to France alive. Taking this war as an opportunity, Napoleon and the French Empire began to decline. At the same time, Napoleon also lost the best opportunity to consolidate the existing fruits, and the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
The formation and siege of the anti-French alliance made Napoleon and the French army overwhelmed and exhausted, and eventually lost to the superior allied forces
European countries led by Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia and other countries launched a total of seven anti-French alliances, although the first five times ended in failure, but successive years of war consumed France's effective strength, but also made the French national economy can not be stable and peaceful development environment. Years of siege by the anti-French alliance made Napoleon and the French army exhausted, although most of the battles ended in victory, but with one country against the whole of Europe, the difference in strength can not be described as a huge disparity, and its consumption and losses are not small.
The Sixth Coalition gathered an army of 350,000 and defeated 100,000 French troops at the Battle of Leipzig. Paris was occupied, Napoleon surrendered and exiled to the island of Elba; the Seventh Coalition amassed 700,000 troops, compared to 284,000 French troops. In the end, Napoleon was defeated in Waterloo, the Armageddon that changed the nineteenth century and changed the course of European history. A generation of military wizards died of illness on st. Helena in 1821.