What caused the downfall of Napoleon.?

Answer 1

Great Britain was an island nation.

Napoleon himself, in his memoirs, thought the Peninsular War a greater military failure than defeat in Russia (after which he was still able to raise another army). His comment about the War was, "All my disasters are bound up in that fatal knot".

--

Two main things contributed to his downfall, Economics and Military failure.

In the Treaty of Tilset, Napoleon established the continental system which basically was a boycott of selling and buying of goods with the British. He realized that England depended heavily on other countries to buy from and sell to. What Napoleon didn't realize though was that England could trade with the U.S and and controlled India (even though he tried to stop British Trade with India in his invasion of Egypt) and was not limited to Prussia, Russia and Austria. The continental system did not hurt England as much as he had hoped, but it hurt other countries because they loved English goods and got them any way they could. This was also just another reason for the Austrians, Prussians and Russians to rebel against him.

Another reason for his downfall was his war tactic of constant Napoleonic Warfare. His main goal was to completely destroy the enemies army to the point where they no longer had the men to fight. But, this also caused heavy causualities on his side. Also, during his Invasion of Russia, he was hurt by the infamous Russian winters. When he retreated from Russia, almost all of his men got left behind (along with Michael Ney) and were completely annihilated by the enemy forces. After this, he suffered because of his army, or lack thereof.

Although he successfully returned from exile in the Hundred Days, his military defeat at Waterloo was the final nail in his coffin.

---

His downfall was his ego in becoming the greatest and wanting to gain more and more land. He eventually started to downfall when he invaded Russia. The Russians retreated and let Napoleons army die off from the harsh weather of Russia. Both the Peninsular War and the invasion of Russia heavily damaged his Army.

The continental system, a European trade embargo on British goods made him unpopular with all of Europe and was a factor in the worsening relationship with Russia which led to war. It may have meant that other countries were more likely to join coalitions against him.

He should have pulled his army out of the Iberian peninsula to a defensive position along the the Pyrenees when it became aparent that the local population would continue fighting. Keeping an army there made the French unpopular and cost French lives. The only benefit was to continue to the trade embargo which was only ever partially successful.

Finally you could say 'Russia'. He made several decisions in the Russian campaign any of which could've turned things around. He didn't have enough horses and could never move fast enough to catch the Russian army and fight them and win. The Russians could withdraw without being pursued and destroyed. He should have picked somewhere to stay during the Russian winter instead of withdrawing by way of an area that had already been burned and pillaged (i.e. picking a more southerly route). Put simply he shouldn't have fought Russia and if he did fight the Russian war then he should have won.

---

The Peninsular War (known to the French as the Spanish ulcer) combined with the Russian disaster of 1812 to weaken him so much that he was exiled, for the first time.

When he returned in the Hundred Days, Napoleon's downfall was that he had had so much power. He promised peace to the other European Powers if they let him have the throne. However, no-one could bear to see the man who once ruled most of Europe in power again, so it was off to war! This conflict led to Waterloo, and his final exile.

---

Three main reasons:

1. Guerilla warfare in Spain that tied down his available forces.
2. The Russian Winter which defeated him in Russia.
3. The arrival of the Prussians at Waterloo.

Other events came into play such as:

1. The failure to gain alliances in Egypt against the UK.
2. The Slave Revolt in Haiti that sacrificed an Army to Yellow Fever.
3. The destruction of the French Navy at Trafalgar.
4. The failure of the Continental System.
5. The lack of time to train a new conscript Army for service at Waterloo.
6. The failure to adapt the rifle over the musket.

---

His ego is one reason for his downfall. The biggest reason was because he underestimated Russia's power and led his armies to certain death in order to try and conquer Moscow. They suffered huge casualties and had to retreat. In result, Napoleon had to abdicate his throne. Napoleon's goal to conquer the whole world was far too great for a single country to attempt.

It may have been that he was overly confident not because of ego but because real life experiences that favored the tactics and stratagies employed. Napoleon never lead his armies to certain death and defeat. His troops were confident of victory when he lead them.

"Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad with power." After having victory after victory, Napoleon became involved in disastrous wars in Spain and Russia that basically served no purpose. He lost a great many solders for no reason. His armies became weaker and weaker. Finally he lost a major battle, Waterloo.

---

Napoleon's downfall is the result of a combination of many factors. The most important ones being:

1) Failure to invade England: by destroying the French fleet in Trafalgar, the british prevented Napoleon's troops based in Boulogne-sur-Mer from crossing the Channel safely over to England. Great Britain was the main financial and political power of Napoleon's adversaries: the coalition Allies. England could hence continue to provide the Allies with all the money support they needed.

2) Failure to maintain the Continental Blocus: knowing that he could not invade it, Napoleon believed that he could ruin the English economy by achieving a full continental embargo on Britain. In order for this to work, Napoleon had to launch a military conquest of the entire European continent! But there where leaks everywhere in the system, and the blocus proved to be too hard to sustain.

3) The Russian Campaign: Napoleon was hoping that the Russian Czar would cooperate with him to isolate the British, because a full Continental Blocus implied a full control all the way to Russia. The Russian Emperor hesitated in supporting this project, so Napoleon was left with no choice but invading Russia. He went all the way to Moscow, but the harsh winter forced him to retreat...

4) Two fronts: Uprisings started in the occupied countries, and it became impossible for Napoleon's armies to manage two fronts at the time.

In conclusion, Napoleon may have lost the war at Trafalgar, a decade before he was made a prisoner, but no one knew it then...

The war of the sixth coalition ended up in Napoleon losing Paris to the allies, after the loss of his capital, Napoleon proposed marching on Paris to his generals, and the Marshall Ney soon led many other of Bonaparte's marshals to mutiny against him. Napoleon responded to this mutiny by asserting the army would follow him, but Ney insisted they would follow their generals. He then decided to abdicate in favor of his son, but the allies refused to acknowledge his heir as the rightful ruler of France and restored the Bourbon monarchy.

---

Factors that affected Napoleon's plans:

1. The pluck and tenacity of the British Soldier.
2. The seamanship and gunnery skills of the British Sailor.
3. The failure of the Continental System to weaken the UK.
4. The failure to gain allies in Egypt and the Near East.
5. The lack of a competitive Navy.
6. Reliance on musketry over the more lethal rifle.
7. The Spanish Guerrilla Warfare.
8. Yellow Fever and fierce resistance by Haitian slaves.
9. The Bubonic Plague in Egypt.
10. The vast size of Russia coupled with the Russian Winter.

---

The two were major things at either end of the European continent: The Russian Winter and the Spanish Guerrilla war. While Napoleon was trying to get his way in Russia in 1812, leading up to the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813, Wellington was gradually making his way from Lisbon towards France itself. Despite the Emperors' resurgence in defence of Paris in 1814 the Allies now have the measure of the man as a military commander. The Hundred days campaign is an object lesson in how to mount an attack, but neither Ligny or Quatre Bras were the decisive battle he needed in order to disable either British or Prussian opposition. As for the idea of critiscism of subordinates, particularly Grouchy, for the defeat at Waterloo, well the Emperor was the top man and he must accept the blame. Had the French won, guess who would have taken the credit ? It was a close run thing indeed and it leads straight to St Helena. But none of the above will ever disbar the man his place in the Pantheon as one of the Great Commanders.

---

The Russian Winter depleted his troop assets, expended valuable resources and lessened troop confidence in his leadership skills. The Spanish Guerrilla tied his forces down to fixed positions.

Napoleon spent the last six years of his life under British supervision on and of power and his bad temperament were the causes of his downfall.

Answer 2

Great Britain was an island nation.

Napoleon himself, in his memoirs, thought the Peninsular War a greater military failure than defeat in Russia (after which he was still able to raise another army). His comment about the War was, "All my disasters are bound up in that fatal knot".

--

Two main things contributed to his downfall, Economics and Military failure.

In the Treaty of Tilset, Napoleon established the continental system which basically was a boycott of selling and buying of goods with the British. He realized that England depended heavily on other countries to buy from and sell to. What Napoleon didn't realize though was that England could trade with the U.S and and controlled India (even though he tried to stop British Trade with India in his invasion of Egypt) and was not limited to Prussia, Russia and Austria. The continental system did not hurt England as much as he had hoped, but it hurt other countries because they loved English goods and got them any way they could. This was also just another reason for the Austrians, Prussians and Russians to rebel against him.

Another reason for his downfall was his war tactic of constant Napoleonic Warfare. His main goal was to completely destroy the enemies army to the point where they no longer had the men to fight. But, this also caused heavy causualities on his side. Also, during his Invasion of Russia, he was hurt by the infamous Russian winters. When he retreated from Russia, almost all of his men got left behind (along with Michael Ney) and were completely annihilated by the enemy forces. After this, he suffered because of his army, or lack thereof.

Although he successfully returned from exile in the Hundred Days, his military defeat at Waterloo was the final nail in his coffin.

---

His downfall was his ego in becoming the greatest and wanting to gain more and more land. He eventually started to downfall when he invaded Russia. The Russians retreated and let Napoleons army die off from the harsh weather of Russia. Both the Peninsular War and the invasion of Russia heavily damaged his Army.

The continental system, a European trade embargo on British goods made him unpopular with all of Europe and was a factor in the worsening relationship with Russia which led to war. It may have meant that other countries were more likely to join coalitions against him.

He should have pulled his army out of the Iberian peninsula to a defensive position along the the Pyrenees when it became aparent that the local population would continue fighting. Keeping an army there made the French unpopular and cost French lives. The only benefit was to continue to the trade embargo which was only ever partially successful.

Finally you could say 'Russia'. He made several decisions in the Russian campaign any of which could've turned things around. He didn't have enough horses and could never move fast enough to catch the Russian army and fight them and win. The Russians could withdraw without being pursued and destroyed. He should have picked somewhere to stay during the Russian winter instead of withdrawing by way of an area that had already been burned and pillaged (i.e. picking a more southerly route). Put simply he shouldn't have fought Russia and if he did fight the Russian war then he should have won.

---

The Peninsular War (known to the French as the Spanish ulcer) combined with the Russian disaster of 1812 to weaken him so much that he was exiled, for the first time.

When he returned in the Hundred Days, Napoleon's downfall was that he had had so much power. He promised peace to the other European Powers if they let him have the throne. However, no-one could bear to see the man who once ruled most of Europe in power again, so it was off to war! This conflict led to Waterloo, and his final exile.

---

Three main reasons:

1. Guerilla warfare in Spain that tied down his available forces.
2. The Russian Winter which defeated him in Russia.
3. The arrival of the Prussians at Waterloo.

Other events came into play such as:

1. The failure to gain alliances in Egypt against the UK.
2. The Slave Revolt in Haiti that sacrificed an Army to Yellow Fever.
3. The destruction of the French Navy at Trafalgar.
4. The failure of the Continental System.
5. The lack of time to train a new conscript Army for service at Waterloo.
6. The failure to adapt the rifle over the musket.

---

His ego is one reason for his downfall. The biggest reason was because he underestimated Russia's power and led his armies to certain death in order to try and conquer Moscow. They suffered huge casualties and had to retreat. In result, Napoleon had to abdicate his throne. Napoleon's goal to conquer the whole world was far too great for a single country to attempt.

It may have been that he was overly confident not because of ego but because real life experiences that favored the tactics and stratagies employed. Napoleon never lead his armies to certain death and defeat. His troops were confident of victory when he lead them.

"Those whom the Gods would destroy, they first make mad with power." After having victory after victory, Napoleon became involved in disastrous wars in Spain and Russia that basically served no purpose. He lost a great many solders for no reason. His armies became weaker and weaker. Finally he lost a major battle, Waterloo.

---

Napoleon's downfall is the result of a combination of many factors. The most important ones being:

1) Failure to invade England: by destroying the French fleet in Trafalgar, the british prevented Napoleon's troops based in Boulogne-sur-Mer from crossing the Channel safely over to England. Great Britain was the main financial and political power of Napoleon's adversaries: the coalition Allies. England could hence continue to provide the Allies with all the money support they needed.

2) Failure to maintain the Continental Blocus: knowing that he could not invade it, Napoleon believed that he could ruin the English economy by achieving a full continental embargo on Britain. In order for this to work, Napoleon had to launch a military conquest of the entire European continent! But there where leaks everywhere in the system, and the blocus proved to be too hard to sustain.

3) The Russian Campaign: Napoleon was hoping that the Russian Czar would cooperate with him to isolate the British, because a full Continental Blocus implied a full control all the way to Russia. The Russian Emperor hesitated in supporting this project, so Napoleon was left with no choice but invading Russia. He went all the way to Moscow, but the harsh winter forced him to retreat...

4) Two fronts: Uprisings started in the occupied countries, and it became impossible for Napoleon's armies to manage two fronts at the time.

In conclusion, Napoleon may have lost the war at Trafalgar, a decade before he was made a prisoner, but no one knew it then...

The war of the sixth coalition ended up in Napoleon losing Paris to the allies, after the loss of his capital, Napoleon proposed marching on Paris to his generals, and the Marshall Ney soon led many other of Bonaparte's marshals to mutiny against him. Napoleon responded to this mutiny by asserting the army would follow him, but Ney insisted they would follow their generals. He then decided to abdicate in favor of his son, but the allies refused to acknowledge his heir as the rightful ruler of France and restored the Bourbon monarchy.

---

Factors that affected Napoleon's plans:

1. The pluck and tenacity of the British Soldier.
2. The seamanship and gunnery skills of the British Sailor.
3. The failure of the Continental System to weaken the UK.
4. The failure to gain allies in Egypt and the Near East.
5. The lack of a competitive Navy.
6. Reliance on musketry over the more lethal rifle.
7. The Spanish Guerrilla Warfare.
8. Yellow Fever and fierce resistance by Haitian slaves.
9. The Bubonic Plague in Egypt.
10. The vast size of Russia coupled with the Russian Winter.

---

The two were major things at either end of the European continent: The Russian Winter and the Spanish Guerrilla war. While Napoleon was trying to get his way in Russia in 1812, leading up to the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813, Wellington was gradually making his way from Lisbon towards France itself. Despite the Emperors' resurgence in defence of Paris in 1814 the Allies now have the measure of the man as a military commander. The Hundred days campaign is an object lesson in how to mount an attack, but neither Ligny or Quatre Bras were the decisive battle he needed in order to disable either British or Prussian opposition. As for the idea of critiscism of subordinates, particularly Grouchy, for the defeat at Waterloo, well the Emperor was the top man and he must accept the blame. Had the French won, guess who would have taken the credit ? It was a close run thing indeed and it leads straight to St Helena. But none of the above will ever disbar the man his place in the Pantheon as one of the Great Commanders.

---

The Russian Winter depleted his troop assets, expended valuable resources and lessened troop confidence in his leadership skills. The Spanish Guerrilla tied his forces down to fixed positions.

Napoleon spent the last six years of his life under British supervision on and of power and his bad temperament were the causes of his downfall.