Question

Explain the fall of Napoleon

Answer 1

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By 1808, Napoleon was so dominant in France and in Europe that no one prophesized about his downfall. However between 1808-1815, there was resistance against Napoleon that made his downfall inevitable. The factors that led to the downfall of Napoleon were both internal and external, long term and immediate, his own making and circumstances beyond his control as seen below;

1.       The continental system

The continental system which was designed by Napoleon to defeat Britain became aboomerang that finally led to his own downfall.



·         The system denied Europe, France inclusive the British cheap goods yet of high quality. Many people had to oppose his policy leading to his downfall.

·         The system led to famine, unemployment, inflation, starvation and decline in international trade. These conditions undermined Napoleon’s earlier achievements hence his downfall

·         The continental system led to the formation of the 4th and 5th coalitions that defeated Napoleon. That is to say the 4th coalition defeated Napoleon at the battle of Leipzig and imprisoned him at Elba. But Napoleon escaped and ruled for more 100 days. The 5th coalition was formed that defeated Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo and Napoleon was imprisoned in the island of St. Hellena where he died in 1821.

·         It made Napoleon impose heavy taxes to raise revenue to finance the continental system that was met with opposition


·         Continental system made Napoleon to imprison the Pope hence loss of popularity especially from the Catholics

·         It made Napoleon to get involved into peninsular war which he called the “Spanish ulcer that destroyed me”

·         The continental system dragged Napoleon into the disastrous Moscow campaign where he lost over 580,000 troops.

·         The system made Britain to spearhead and to mastermind most of the wars against Napoleon eg peninsular, 4th, 5th coalition etc


2.       Imprisonment of the Pope

The continental system made Napoleon to arrest and imprison the Pope. This was because the Pope complained bitterly about the side effects of the system over Rome, Italy and the entire Europe and he refused to implement it in the popal states. Napoleon reacted by invading popal states, arrested the Pope and imprisoned him. This reduced his popularity among the Catholics in France and the whole Europe. This is why the alliance of catholic states like Austria, Prussia, Russia and Italy was formed against him hence his downfall



3.       The peninsular war (1808-1814)

Napoleon’s ambition to implement the continental system dragged him to the peninsular war which he called “an ulcer that destroyed me”. The Portuguese and Spaniards turned and united against him at the battle of Trafalga. This defeat proved to the world that Napoleon could be defeated, over 20,000 of his soldiers surrendered and it also weakened Napoleon’s military strength. This led to the downfall of Napoleon in 1815

4.       The Moscow campaign(1812)

The continental system entangled Napoleon into disastrous Moscow campaign which was the turning point in his military and political career in France and Europe. He experienced the heaviest military loss in the history of the world. It led to his downfall in that;


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Answer 2

The fall of Napoleon SummaryBorn on the island of Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution (1789-1799). After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d'état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804.