Napoleon's need and hunger for power as well as his flawed policies, the resistance to his rule, and over-extension of his military reach were dangerous weaknesses of his Empire. Napoleon created The Continental System in hopes to cripple England's economy by preventing importation of British goods into continental Europe. He implemented his plan by ordering a continent-wide blockade against British ships, confiscating all British goods, and set French privateers upon British merchant ships. Britain responded by applying their own counter blockade against Napoleon-ruled continental ports. Port cities and industries suffered and smuggling further weakened the system. Irritation and resentment towards the French grew in areas like Holland and
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Russia was already irritated with the Continental System commercial restrictions and harbored its own ambitions for expansion into eastern Europe, stood as Napoleon’s biggest barrier to reaching his goals of rule. These conflicting ambitions of France and Russia caused their alliance to sour and In 1812, Napoleon and 600,000 troops of The Grand Army marched in and invaded Russia, causing Russian troops to retreat into the interior of the country responding with a scorched-earth policy which left Napoleon’s army without a thing to eat and luring them further away from their base of supplies.The Russians took a stand at Borodino and fought until they withdrew, the French may have won the battle but if failed to destroy Russian forces. In September , Napoleon’s Grand Army, weakened by battle, casualties, hunger, exhaustion, and disease finally entered Moscow, Tsar Alexander I refused to surrender.The French’s future looked bleak as a fire destroyed most of Moscow, leaving the French without shelter or supplies to ride out the harsh Russian winter. Napoleon began his retreat, but to little too late. The winter hit French forces and the majority of the soldiers died due to extreme temperatures in which they froze, starved or died from disease. Of the original 600,000 French troops who marched into Russia, fewer than 100,000 made it home. Taking advantage of this weakness, other great nations - Britain, Russia, Sweden, Austria and Prussia united forces to defeat
Russia was already irritated with the Continental System commercial restrictions and harbored its own ambitions for expansion into eastern Europe, stood as Napoleon’s biggest barrier to reaching his goals of rule. These conflicting ambitions of France and Russia caused their alliance to sour and In 1812, Napoleon and 600,000 troops of The Grand Army marched in and invaded Russia, causing Russian troops to retreat into the interior of the country responding with a scorched-earth policy which left Napoleon’s army without a thing to eat and luring them further away from their base of supplies.The Russians took a stand at Borodino and fought until they withdrew, the French may have won the battle but if failed to destroy Russian forces. In September , Napoleon’s Grand Army, weakened by battle, casualties, hunger, exhaustion, and disease finally entered Moscow, Tsar Alexander I refused to surrender.The French’s future looked bleak as a fire destroyed most of Moscow, leaving the French without shelter or supplies to ride out the harsh Russian winter. Napoleon began his retreat, but to little too late. The winter hit French forces and the majority of the soldiers died due to extreme temperatures in which they froze, starved or died from disease. Of the original 600,000 French troops who marched into Russia, fewer than 100,000 made it home. Taking advantage of this weakness, other great nations - Britain, Russia, Sweden, Austria and Prussia united forces to defeat