AUSTRIA (EMPEROR FRANCIS II AND PRINCE METTERNICH)

AUSTRIA (EMPEROR FRANCIS II AND PRINCE METTERNICH)

2. AUSTRIA (EMPEROR FRANCIS II AND PRINCE METTERNICH)

a) Provided a base for mobilization and training of émigrés to fight and throw out Napoleon from the throne. She provided a training base for émigrés ever since the time of the French revolution against the revolutionary government. This encouraged more defections and flight of dissatisfied persons who were opposed to Napoleon's dictatorship and oppression to converge in Austria. Consequently, they fought against Napoleon in coalitions alongside foreign powers leading to his downfall.

b) Austria rallied behind (supported) the Pope's opposition and objection to the continental system. It added on Napoleon's frustration and made him to imprison the "holy man of God" (Pope). Thereafter, she argued other Catholic states to join hands to throw Napoleon out for humiliating the Pope. This explains why Catholic states like the Papal States, Russians, Spaniards and Italians greatly participated in the battles of Leipzig and Waterloo through which Napoleon lost power.

c) Austria fought Napoleon at the earlier battles of Marengo (1800) Ulm (1805), Austerlitz (1805) and Wagram (1809). Although Napoleon defeated Austria in these wars, such wars nevertheless left him isolated, weakened, exhausted and vulnerable to defeat at the subsequent battles of Leipzig and Waterloo.

d) Mettemich / Austria was a very influential member of coalitions that were formed against Napoleon 1.

Prince Mettemich worked with Castlereagh, the British Prime Minister to mobilize other states to form the 4th and 5th coalitions that finally defeated and exiled Napoleon to the Island of St. Hellena.

e) Finally, Austria hosted the Vienna settlement from Sept. 1814 - June 1815 from which plans for the final defeat and exile of Napoleon I were hatched. Mettemich argued the allied powers to forget their differences and unite to ensure that Napoleon was defeated. The result was that about 800,000 soldiers were mobilized, which became impossible for Napoleon to challenge, hence his defeat and exile to the island of St. Hellena.

3. Russia (Tsar Alexander I)

a) Russia was responsible for the downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte I in as far as she, fully cooperated with other powers in the 3"^, 4^, and 5^ coalitions against Napoleon. She was also a party to the Vienna Settlement that hatched strategies for the defeat of Napoleon and imposed an army of occupation and war indemnity on France. She also sent her troops as part of the army of occupation, which guarded against Napoleon's attempt to come back to France from the Island of St. Hellena.

b) Russia is blamed for inflicting the heaviest military losses to Napoleon in the Moscow campaign of 1812. Napoleon lost over 30,000 horses at the battle of Borodino and over 580,000 soldiers in the campaign. This was due to Russia's scorch earth policy, guerrilla tactics and winter that caused food shortage and massive death to Napoleon's array. All these, dispossessed Napoleon of equipments and experienced soldiers that he could have used against allied powers at Leipzig and Waterloo. It also led to a general discontent and defection of experienced army generals like Bernadette who leaked Napoleon's secrets, strategies and plans to coalition powers leading to his defeat and downfall.

c) Russia also frustrated the success of the continental system. Russia supported Napoleon's continental system in the initial stage but denounced and rejected it due to its negative consequences on her economy. Eventually, she opened her ports to British goods which forced Napoleon to attack Moscow from where he lost over 580,000 troops.

d) She also contributed to the defeat of Napoleon in the peninsular war of 1808—1811. During the war, French troops relied on food supplies from Russia. However, the Russians deliberately starved the French troops by refusing to supply them with the necessary food and other commodities. This led to acute famine, malnutrition, vulnerability to diseases like Cholera and massive death of Napoleon's cosmopolitan troops that made his downfall inevitable.

e) Russia is blamed for violation of the 1807 Tilsit treaty. The treaty had brought a diplomatic alliance between France and Russia. However, Russia denounced the treaty and joined Napoleon's arch rivals like Britain. It became a diplomatic blow to Napoleon; left him isolated and strengthened his enemies leading to his downfall.

4. Prussia (Fredrick William III)

Prussia entangled herself in coalitions against Napoleon I and fought France at the battles of Jena in 1806 and Lautzen in 1813. Although Napoleon defeated her at the battles of Jena and Lautzen, nevertheless the war left him weakened, exhausted, depleted French resources and isolated her diplomatically. This left him vulnerable to defeat at the battle of Leipzig thus contributing to his downfall.

5. Portugal (Prince John)

Portugal was a member of the second coalition that fought and weakened Napoleon 1. She also opposed and contributed to the failure of the continental system. She maintained a strong trade link with Britain.

Prince John, the regent of Portugal led the Portuguese to oppose the continental systemthereby denying Napoleon support that was necessary in his dominance of Europe.

Portugal also delivered a military blow to Napoleon in the peninsular war. She appealed for Britain's support in the aftermath of Napoleon's invasion thus, allying with Britain against Napoleon I. She engaged Napoleon's army in acute guerrilla war in the peninsular war and defeated him with British support at the battle of Vimiero. This left Napoleon weakened, exhausted, increasingly isolated and unpopular hence his downfall by 1815.

6. Spain (Charles IV; 1788 - 1808, Joseph Bonaparte; 1808 - 1814)

i) The rise of spirited Spanish nationalism against Napoleon undermined his influence in Europe and contributed to his downfall. In 1808, the Spaniards revolted against Charles IV for allowing Napoleon to invade Portugal through Spain. Napoleon forced Charles IV to resign and imposed his own brother, Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish throne. This provoked a hostile opposition and resistance to Napoleon.

It also dragged Spain to join the 4th  and 5th  coalitions that defeated Napoleon and brought his reign to an end.

ii) Spain is also accused for non compliance and failure of the continental system. She refused to implement the continental system and continued to trade with Britain. She allowed British goods to be moved freely through Madrid up to Central Europe. This strengthened British capacity to mobilize other states to fight and defeat Napoleon I.

iii) Spain was a champion of the peninsular war that turned out to be an ulcer, which destroyed

Napoleon and led to his down fall. She waged a serious guerrilla war and defeated Napoleon with the support of Britain and Portugal. Napoleon lost about 300,000 soldiers that included some of his battled hardened and experienced commanders. The war also provided Britain with a land base that she hitherto lacked to fight Napoleon. She used this opportunity to move her troops through Madrid to fight Napoleon. The success of Spain in the war weakened and exhausted Napoleon, moral-boosted other powers like Austria, Prussia and Spain herself to join the 4th and 5th coalitions to overthrow him.

7. Role of Papal States (Pope Pius Vii)

The Papal States rose against Napoleon for his imprisonment of Pope Pius Vii. The Pope declined to enforce the continental system preferring to be neutral as a spiritual leader. Napoleon, reacted by invading the Papal States in 1808 and imprisoned the Pope thereafter. This made the Papal States and Catholics in other parts of Europe to rise against Napoleonic influence in Europe. The Pope called for alliance of Catholic states e.g. Austria, Prussia, Spain and Italian states against France leading to coalitions that crushed Napoleon.

8. Responsibility of other small states i.e. Sweden, Holland, Belgium, Italian and German States

They are blamed for developing a strong nationalistic spirit against Napoleon's policies like conscription and over taxation. Conscripted children from such countries fought lousily and reluctantly to ensure Napoleon was defeated instead of winning victory for him. This explains why they would easily withdraw from the battle field the way they did at Leipzig and Waterloo. Sweden gave asylum to Bernadette who defected and served on the side of the coalition forces against Napoleon. The Dutch opposed the continental system, pressurized Louis Bonaparte to abandon it and Holland joined the 4th and 5th coalition to fight Napoleon. Napoleon took a drastic measure of annexing Holland to France, which made him more unpopular and volatile to fall from power.

9. France

France was responsible for Napoleon's downfall for failure to support Napoleon in the later stage of his rule. By 1815, various opposition groups had sprung against Napoleon's disastrous foreign policy, imprisonment of the Pope and unpopular domestic policy such as dictatorship and conscription. They included the liberals, nationalists, glory seekers and Catholics. This explains why there were massive desertions of senior politicians and officers like Fouche, Tallyrand, Bernadette etc. to the allied powers.

It should be noted that the French parliament had passed a resolution for Napoleon's abdication on the eve of the battle of Waterloo. This left Napoleon with no other option than to surrender to his arch enemies at Waterloo when he was overwhelmed by the military might of allied powers.

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