Napoleon & Empire

It is formed by Prussia and Austria in May 1792, following the declaration of war launched by the Legislative Assembly to the German Emperor Francis II. England and Holland join the coalition in February 1793, then Spain (March 1793), Portugal, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Operations are first marked by the french victories of Valmy (François Étienne Kellermann, on September 20, 1792) and Jemmapes (Charles François Dumouriez, November 6, 1792), but the year 1793 begins with a series of setbacks which put very seriously the homeland in danger. The reforms launched by Lazare Carnot and the divisions between allies finally permit to repel the foreign invasion by the French successes in Hondschoote (Jean Nicolas Houchard, September 8, 1793) and Wattignies (Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, October 15 and 16). Revolutionary France even takes the offensive and makes itself master of Belgium and Holland by the victory of Fleurus (Jourdan again, June 26, 1794).

Prussia leaves the coalition (Treaty of Basel, April 5, 1795). It's afterwards the turn of the Netherlands (Treaty of The Hague, May 16, 1795), of Spain (second Treaty of Basel, July 22, 1795) and of the Kingdom of Sardinia (Treaty of Paris, May 1796). Austria, driven out of Lombardy and Veneto by the Italian campaign (Napoleon Bonaparte, from April 1796 to February 1797), is later forced to sign the preliminaries of Leoben (April 18, 1797) and the Treaty of Campo Formio (October 18, 1797).

England remains alone to continue the struggle against France.

The French Republic comes out of this war having acquired Belgium, the left bank of the Rhine, Savoy and the County of Nice. France can further rely on satellite states created in northern Italy: Ligurian Republic and Cisalpine Republic.

England takes the initiative to bring together this coalition. It does so from September 1798 to March 1799, gaining Russian alliances (following the capture of Malta, whose the Tsar Paul 1 is the protector, by the French troops sailing to Egypt), Ottoman (in response to the invasion of Egypt), Austrian (after the declaration of war of the Directory in March 1799, following the free passage offered by the Holy Roman Empire to the Russian troops), Neapolitan and Swedish. Some German principalities complete the system.

The war begins with setbacks for the Republic. Alexander Suvorov, in August 1799, drives out the French from Italy. But French victory of Zurich on the Austro-Russians (André Masséna, 25-26 September 1799) and the capitulation of the Anglo-Russian expeditionary force in Alkmaar, Holland (October 18, 1799) restore the situation.

A few months after his return from Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte passes the Alps at the head of the Army (Col du Grand Saint-Bernard, May 1800) and inflicts to the Austrians the defeat of Marengo (which sees the death of Louis Charles Antoine Desaix, main responsible of victory).

At the end of the year, on December 3, 1800, Jean Victor Marie Moreau wins the decisive victory of Hohenlinden, forcing Austria to treat.

The Peace of Luneville (February 9, 1801) recognizes again to France the possession of the left bank of the Rhine river; to which is added Italy except Venice.

The King of Naples signs the peace in his turn, on March 18, 1801 (Treaty of Florence). Having little interest in promoting hegemonic views of England on seas and on trade, Russia imitates him, on October 8, 1801, by signing the Treaty of Paris.

Isolated again, Britain, exhausted, agrees to sign the Treaty of Amiens (March 25, 1802). It renders to France all its colonies but avoids to rule on the French acquisitions on the continent.

France is in peace for the first time since April 20, 1792.

On May 16, 1803, barely a year after the Treaty of Amiens, relationships between France and England are broken again. The latter then begins looking for allies and finds them among the major European powers dissatisfied with the interventionist policy of Napoleon Bonaparte: resolution passed on 25 February 1803 by the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire ("Reichsdeputationshauptschluss") which changes from top to bottom the political balance of Germany; Act of mediation (19 February 1803) which reorganizes Switzerland; creation of the kingdom of Italy in May 1805.

Eventually, the third coalition is formed in July and August 1805, bringing together, around England: Russia, Austria, Naples, and Sweden.

Hostilities open in late September. Having abandoned his plans to invade England by the end of August – thus long before the defeat of Trafalgar (October 21, 1805) – Napoleon rushes towards southern Germany and confines the Austrian army of Karl Mack von Leiberich in Ulm, where it must soon capitulate (October 17). The French take Vienna without resistance (November 15). The decisive meeting takes place at Austerlitz on December 2: the Austro-Russians are routed.

Prussia, about to join the coalition, immediately signs the Treaty of Schönbrunn (15 December). Austria must undergo the Treaty of Pressburg (December 26) that expels it from Germany and Italy, and signs the death of the Holy Roman Empire, whose sovereign was previously Emperor Francis II.

English, Russians and their associates Neapolitans (reduced to Sicily) and Swedes continue the war.

It forms when Prussia - which refuses the reorganization of Germany performed by Napoleon I - joins the countries that have remained at war with France at the end of the Third Coalition (October 1806).

The operations take place in two stages. The first campaign, in Saxony, sees the Prussian army destroyed in a single day: twin victories of Jena and Auerstadt, (October 14, 1806). The 27th, Napoleon enters Berlin. The second campaign is held in Poland the following spring; the Russians resist at Preussisch-Eylau (February 8, 1807) but are defeated at Friedland (June 14).

The Treaties of Tilsit (7 and 9 July 1807) bring back peace at the price of the dismemberment of Prussia. They also provide the basis, in their secret clauses, of a Franco-Russian alliance.

Sweden, for its part, has already signed, on April 18, 1807, the armistice of Schlachtow which costs it Swedish Pomerania.

England, again, is alone or almost, having no other ally than a dethroned King of Naples.

The first failures of Napoleon I in Spain lead Austria in yielding to England and to rekindle the war (April 1809).

The French victories of Eckmühl (April 22) and Wagram (July 5 and 6) force Austria to sign the Peace of Vienna (October 14, 1809), six months after the start of the war.

The coalition has lived. Austria is deprived of substantial portions of its territory. England only has to find new allies.

It is concluded between the Russians, the Prussians and the English in February and March 1813, immediately after the disastrous Russian campaign. Austria and Sweden join them in August; Bavaria and other German states of second order in October.

The initial victories of Napoleon at Lützen (May 2, 1813), Bautzen (May 20 and 21) and Dresden (August 26 and 27) are followed by the defeat of Leipzig (Battle of the Nations, on 16, 17 and 18 October) during which the French army must deal with an enemy twice in number. Germany is lost for the Napoleonic Empire and must be evacuated.

The war continues in France in January 1814. The Emperor makes ​​a final demonstration of his military genius, gaining a winning streak that fails, however, to repel the invasion. Paris falls on March 30, 1814. Napoleon abdicates on April 6, at Fontainebleau.

The Treaty of Paris of 30 May 1814 brings back France to its 1792 borders.

All Europe is instantly leagued against Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from Elba: England, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, Holland, Saxony, Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, Switzerland, Naples, etc. ...

The Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815) promptly brings an end to the adventure of the Hundred Days. On June 22, Napoleon abdicates for the second time. On July 6, the Allies enter Paris.

On November 20, the second Treaty of Paris deprives France of Savoy, County of Nice and strongholds on the northern border.