The Continental System (also called the Continental Blockade) was a trade policy used by Napoleon Bonaparte, the leader of France, during the Napoleonic Wars. It started in 1806 and ended around 1814.

Napoleon wanted to weaken Great Britain. He believed that if British goods could not be sold in Europe, the British economy would suffer, and they would stop fighting France. The Continental System tried to block all trade between Britain and countries in Europe that Napoleon controlled.

In November 1806, Napoleon made a law called the Berlin Decree. It said that all countries controlled by France could not trade with Britain. Later, in 1807, he made another law called the Milan Decree, which made the rules even stricter. Ships that had stopped in Britain could not enter European ports.

The Continental System caused problems for many countries. European people could not get some goods they needed, like sugar, coffee, and some cloth. Prices went up. Many people were unhappy. Some countries and merchants did not follow the rules and traded with Britain in secret (this is called smuggling).

Some countries, like Portugal and Russia, did not like the system and refused to follow it. This led to more wars. For example, Napoleon invaded Portugal and later Russia, which became very costly for him.

The Continental System hurt both Britain and Europe, but Britain was able to trade with other parts of the world, like the Americas and Asia. Britain’s economy survived. In the end, the system did not work. It also made many people in Europe angry at Napoleon, and this helped lead to his downfall.

The Continental System ended around 1814, when Napoleon lost power. After that, countries in Europe started trading freely again.

• "Documents upon the Continental System", from napoleon-series.org
• Napoleon Continental System Archived 2024-06-18 at the Wayback Machine

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