Napoleons Costly Mistakes Chapter 7 4 KEY TERMS

Napoleon’s Costly Mistakes Chapter 7 -4

KEY TERMS • Blockade - a forcible closing of ports • Nationalism - the belief that people should be loyal to their own country - that is, to the people with whom they share a common culture and history - rather than to a king or queen • Scorched Earth Policy - the practice of burning crops and killing livestock during wartime so that the enemy cannot live off the land.

Napoleon’s First Mistake The Continental System • Napoleon sets up a blockade to prevent trade and communications between Great Britain and rest of Europe; • Goals: – Destroy Great Britain – Make continental Europe more selfsufficient; • Results: – Napoleon’s is not effective in stopping all trade; – Britain implements its own blockade which is more effective and hurts the French economy

Napoleon’s Second Mistake The Peninsular War • Napoleon invades Spain and replaces the Spanish king with his own brother; • Napoleon misjudges the power of nationalism which inspires the Spanish peasants to resist Napoleon’s rule; • Napoleon lost over 300, 000 men fighting the Spanish • Nationalism spreads around Europe and people in Germany and Iraly turn against the French

Napoleon’s Third Mistake Invasion of Russia • In 1812, Napoleon invades Russia because the Tsar would not stop selling grain to Britain • He expected his grand army to beat Russia’s small army • The Russians implement a scorched-earth policy and retreat to Moscow

Third Mistake Cont. • When Napoleon finally reaches Moscow, it is in flames. The Russian army burned down the city rather than surrender it to the French!! • Napoleon begins the long march back to France when he gets stuck in the worst winter in over 100 years. • Napoleon’s army is devastated - He looses over 400, 000 men in his retreat.