Onset of the Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars are believed to have started on 18 May 1803. The Treaty of Amiens, signed by France and Britain, ended on the same day due to Napoleon's attempts to alter the international system in Western Europe. Several factors contributed to the declaration of war, including:
- Napoleon's insistence that Britain had no role in European affairs, despite King George III being an elector of the Holy Roman Empire. This claim was seen as an insult to the British.
- Napoleon's control over Switzerland was not well-received by the European powers, particularly Russia, which felt that Napoleon was not seeking a peaceful resolution to his disagreements with the other European powers.
End of the Napoleonic Wars and Napoleon's Downfall
After Napoleon's defeat in Russia, Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia formed the Sixth Coalition and launched a new campaign against France. After several inconclusive battles, Napoleon was decisively defeated at Leipzig in October 1813. The Allies then invaded France from the east, while the Peninsular War extended into southwestern France. Coalition troops captured Paris at the end of March 1814 and forced Napoleon to abdicate in April. He was exiled to the island of Elba, and the Bourbons were restored to power.
The Congress of Vienna redefined Europe's borders and ushered in a period of relative peace. The wars had far-reaching effects on global history, including the spread of nationalism and liberalism, the emergence of Britain as the world's leading naval and economic power, the rise of independence movements in Latin America and the subsequent decline of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires, the significant reorganization of German and Italian territories into larger states, and the introduction of radically new methods of warfare and civil law.
After the Napoleonic Wars, there was a period of relative peace in continental Europe, which lasted until the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853.
